Gallows throw everythng but the kitchen sink to the entralled masses.... and they love it.
Currently the hottest and most hyped property within the music industry, Gallows entertain a sold out Academy 2 in Bristol fresh from their enthralling set at this years Download festival. Although drawing an audience consisting of predominantly punk and hardcore fans, they also attract many general music fans eager to discover what all the fuss is about. So do they live up to the hype? One thing is for certain, this show will certainly live on in the memories of many.
The band ripped through their debut album 'Orchestra of Wolves' ferociously, padding out their set with covers of Black Flag and in particular, Hot Snakes. For this cover, Gallows were joined by Tom Lacey and Liam Cormier from The Ghost of a Thousand and Cancer Bats respectively, to form a three-pronged screamo attack that had the crowd in raptures. The spirit of camaraderie between the bands was clear to see, something that only seems to exist within more alternative genres these days. There were no prima donnas here.
Front man Frank Carter was on fire; frequently crowd surfing that resulted in being squashed against the shallow ceiling then cheekily apologising to the security staff, and singing the praises of unsung heroes such as the merchandise guy, who he rewarded with chants of extreme obscenities. His most surprising act of showmanship however was completing a disappearing act by running into the very back of the crowd through the side door of the venue, almost strangling onlookers in the crowd with the microphone cable! Taking a liking to these new surroundings, Frank informed the band "I'm staying down here.... What's the next song?" before launching full tilt into riotous screams for the next track. However, the showman did incur an ailment on his trip back to the stage, resulting in him seeking medical attention for 15 minutes backstage. Step forward Mr Liam Cormier, front man of Cancer Bats, to sing a couple of covers with the rest of Gallows to keep the crowd ticking over, before the band continued with the set without their talisman. A rather disgruntled Frank returned, a little upset as the band had "played my two favourite songs without me". A stream of obscenities was to follow, before normal service resumed.
Highlights of the hour long set included opener and recent single 'Abandon Ship', 'In the Belly of a Shark', 'Come Friendly Bombs' and the fantastic set closer of title track 'Orchestra of Wolves', to which the crowd howled along delightedly. If there's one criticism of Gallows, it's that they don't really have enough material to fulfil an hour long headline billing, the upshot of which is an awful lot of talk between some tracks. This isn't the bands fault, it's just an unfortunate result of their astonishing rise to fame over the last 12 months.
Gallows certainly live up to the hype and praise they've been daubed with. What became clear to this writer is that their live performances aren't solely about the music; it's all about the show, the atmosphere, and the sheer lunacy that seems to take place. Judging by the rapturous applause and cheers of the masses, they certainly seem to have justified the hype, leaving a thoroughly exhausted and exuberant crowd in their wake.