Better Luck Next Time...
With their UK tour supporting heartthrobs All Time Low in full flow, We Are The In Crowd seem to be escalating to soaring heights. However, right from the early stages of this brief set, the second of two consecutive nights at O2 Birmingham Academy 1, it became apparent that this may be one performance the New Yorkers may want to put behind them. No more so than for bassist Mike Ferri who clumsily lost his footing during the band's opener, 'Rumor Mill', falling to the floor in shock. It's a shame the band didn't take advantage of this slip-up; it would have been a great opportunity to ironically advertise that they are to play the 'Hit The Deck' Festival later this year.
As second song 'Exits and Entrances' swung into life, the close harmonies between petit frontwoman Taylor Jardine and guitarist/vocalist Jordan Eckes began to illustrate their value, with both musicians contributing passionate performances. Although Jardine, Eckes and drummer Rob Chianelli presented themselves as a united (and aptly fashionable) trio, reserved guitarist Cameron Hurley's remote positioning on far stage right gave the impression that the quintet have not quite honed their overall stage presence, which is certainly understandable given their relative infancy. Jardine may have perfected the image of a teenage pop-punk idol, but bass player Ferri's glasses and styled moustache made him look as though he would have belonged better in Weezer.
'Kiss Me Again' began with a worrying lack of confidence, with Ferri strangely turning his back to the audience to begin talking to Chianelli. Understanding that her bandmates (or quite possibly just Chianelli, judging by the drummer's guilty expression afterwards) had messed up the song's introduction, Jardine called for the song to be restarted. With their second attempt underway, the song was salvaged by the guest appearance of All Time Low's Alex Gaskarth, the headling act's singer met by a sea of a cameras/phones and a crescendo of female screams as the audience gradually identified the smug figure cooly gracing the stage. Whether or not you have a special guest to absorb attention matters very little, however; false starts are mistakes that should be addressed and eradicated with seriousness. In a similar way to All Time Low, the Poughkeepsie fivesome rely considerably on a backing track and, as was displayed during this gig, if one person goes wrong, often the only option is to unprofessionally stop and start again from the beginning.
We Are The In Crowd rounded off their set with the announcement that they would be returning to the UK in April, choosing the British Isles over their American homeland for the band's first headline tour. This young quintet has an exceptionally promising future lying ahead of them, especially boosted by being signed to a label who will market them well. Their performance this time may have had its faults, but the spirited band interacted brilliantly with the crowd, encouraging the fans to eagerly sing and clap along. The New York-based outfit could not have asked for a better band to support than All Time Low and they were clearly making a great effort to promote themselves to such an incredibly well-suited target audience. And let's face it; it will take something pretty substantial to falter We Are The In Crowd's imminent rise to stardom.