Magicians Of Havoc
Cackling like a demented puppeteer, Aiden's Wil Francis takes to the stage cigarette in hand, blatantly ignoring the no smoking signs that adorn every stationary object inside Wembley Arena and subtly indicating to security what in fact they are in store for during the next half an hour; mayhem, chaos and uninhibited impulse. With a reckless passion for performance and a catalogue of songs invoking adolescent angst, torment and sheer triumph over everything, Aiden are a band that can only truly be appreciated having seen them in their natural habitat, the live stage.
Brandishing his microphone like a samurai sword, Francis swings his weapon of choice in a frenzied whirlwind, reaching a radius of colossal magnitude as it weaves around his tiny framed body adding a touch of precision to the calculated chaos on stage as the Seattle post hardcore punks manage to grasp the ever increasing Wembley crowd within the palm of their bloody hand.
A mere few songs in and Francis is ready to scare the hell out of security already, again appearing to lack the ability to read the no crowd surfing signs and instead inviting everyone to do just that. And comply they do, not just one or two but literally a wave of bodies surge forward, jolting security to life and guaranteeing that every word uttered by the pale faced Francis is carried out, no questions asked as his dramatically compelling showmanship takes control of tracks like 'Last Sunrise' and 'We Sleep Forever' before chants of "burn, burn" erupt for 'The Suffering'. But Francis is far from done, after all this is Wembley Arena and as he reminds everyone, his band are used to playing the Camden Barfly. So, summoning everyone to their feet he announces this is not a John Mayer show but a rock show, again incomprehensibly fuelling the crowd to join in the pandemonium.
Strangely receiving a slightly lukewarm reaction compared to the rest of the set, Aiden's 'Die Romantic' passes in an enjoyable, if somewhat quick blur before Francis hops onto his raised platform once more. Without speaking a word but merely gesturing with his hands he is able to part those stood in front of him in two, guaranteeing a large parting slap down the middle and generating a kind of battle field stand off, although with much more eyeliner as the crowd vie off against one another and security watch slack jawed in panic.
The magicians of havoc have come to shake up the London crowd and as 'Set My Friends On Fire' dives frantically in a haze of thrashing glory, bodies collide in a wall of death and carnage ensues, all thanks to a hand signal from a little guy from Seattle. Captivatingly delivering anarchy, excitable enthusiasm and a recklessness that instantly adheres you to them, Aiden pour every ounce of energy and dark zeal into their set and Download is next on their list. Donnington security should perhaps prepare themselves now.