Secondhand is good
The Used easily get the biggest crowd support of the night so far and go on to to show exactly why; there can be no argument that they are exceptionally good at what they do.
Singer Bert once again displays excellent front man qualities, he's in fine voice and his command of the stage is instantly noticeable. The sound is good and this certainly works in the band's favour, meaning they don't come across anywhere near as messy as they did at Download. The song structures and dynamics are clear and it makes for a far more polished performance. Big, solid riffs are backed by purposeful and tight drums, the crowd love it and testament to this comes in the form of a succession of crowd surfers.
Bert once again encourages audience participation and they get plenty of chances to sing along, not least on the impressive 'I Caught Fire'. There's been plenty of mutual backslapping going on tonight and Bert's not going to be left out as he name checks the rest of the bill. By the time they go into 'Taste of Ink', which gets the crowd bouncing with its infectious rhythm and chorus, the rest of the band are up to Bert's level and they work the stage well.
Bert always makes sure the crowd know how much the band appreciate them and tonight is no exception. This probably goes a long way to ensuring their popularity, going that extra mile with the personal touch is always welcome. 'On My Own' takes things down several notches featuring Bert and guitarist Quinn Allman in front of a sea of waving hands and raised lighters. It breaks the set up nicely and demonstrates the Used's songwriting diversity, inviting comparisons once again with AFI.
They finish with the first song they ever wrote and it takes everyone back up to speed, ensuring that they finish with a flourish. The Used are a good band that know how to put on a good performance, not as intense as their Download performance perhaps but they still make the cut with ease.