The Beginning of superstardom?
To give this show it's full title, Coheed and Cambria versus Thrice, because it was a double headlining tour with both acts scheduled for an hour of stage time. Coheed, disappointingly, were on first, however the crowd didn't seem to care, this wasn't a mere support act, this was the band perhaps everyone had come to see. The crowd's mix of ages and image gave a good indication of Coheed's universal appeal. They're progressive enough for the alternative fans, old school enough for the Rush fans amongst us and just about cutting edge for the indie, emo and metal-head kids to rally in their droves.
Opening with 'Keeping the Blade,' the introduction to their magnificent new opus 'Good Appolo I'm Burning Star IV...' the cheer was an expectant one. Eminent Vocalist Claudio Sanchez appeared to another rapturous cheer and smoothly began the riff to the epic 'Welcome Home.' Neither fast, aggressive or filled full of angst ridden pain of so many other cutting edge acts, it was a surprise to see the kids opening a mosh pit so soon. It was quite obvious the crowd love this band, any group who can write such gems as 'The Suffering' and 'Wake up' deserve such a dedicated following. The kids knew the lyrics word for word, and those who weren't singing or dancing were nodding or moshing.
In the live environment Coheed are a much heavier prospect than on disc, the guitars grind and the rhythms thump, allowing the first rate songs, especially the stunning 'Ten Speed (of God's blood and burial), to hit like a demolition ball. Although punchier, the sound was blurred at times and the vocals were a little too quiet, but this is a minor gripe by a review expecting perfection. Claudio chose not to interact with the crowd, instead just going from one song to the next, letting the music do the talking for him.
An interesting observation was their choice of set, obviously heavily picking from 'Good Apollo', the inclusion of 'In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth' was a stroke of sing-a-long genius. It was also a brave move to play their hits, 'Welcome Home,' and 'The Suffering,' early in the set, this suggests the band are confident of the strength of their music and don't have to rely on leaving their most popular song/s until the end, ala Evenesence. The show was finished with the bluesy feel of 'The Final Cut,' Claudio and Travis Stever swapped solos for the last ten minutes, which led to a fitting and anti-climatic end, a nice change from the crash bang wallop of other bands. This was a great and perhaps restrained performance by a band who could be, and perhaps deserve to be, huge. I hope they come back soon as a straight headliner and play the whole of 'Good Apollo...' from start to finish, although by that time I may have to travel to the Manchester Apollo to see them.