New Found Glory (Islington Academy, 24/8/15)
New Found Glory are my favourite band. They are not the most technically accomplished band in my music collection (Coheed and Cambria), nor the most lyrically eloquent (The Divine Comedy), nor the most innovative (Say Anything). But they have brought me more joy than any other band I've listened to or gone to see in the past 13 years. Quite simply, New Found Glory write and perform anthemic pop-punk songs. Great ones. And there are few in the business who are better at it.
Some of the people I've spoken to about the Islington Academy are rather sniffy about it, but the acoustics are solid, the sight lines are good and the gigs I've seen there have largely had good atmospheres. So I headed to N1 with a good deal of anticipation.
Trash Boat were on first. My opinion hasn't changed from the Less Than Jake gig in Brighton last month. Decent riffs, too loud and fast, too much like they're ripping off The Story So Far. They seem like nice lads and I'm not saying that to be patronising. They take the lukewarm reception they receive with good grace and take a moment to acknowledge what an important band New Found Glory have been in their lives. I hope they can step out of the shadow of their influences in their future work.
Coming to the stage to Judy Garland singing "Glory Hallelujah", the band rattle into "Selfless", the opening track from their most recent record "Resurrection" before crashing into "Understatement", the song that began my love affair with pop-punk all those years ago. The crowd respond with a huge circle pit and we're on our way through a setlist that seldom lets up, except when guitarist Chad Gilbert pauses to hail the postponement of the Tube strike and invites us all back tomorrow, promising 12 different songs. Now there's an idea...
It's not a flawless show by any means. Sure, the band don't have the same energy that they used to. And singer Jordan Pundik's love them or hate them nasal vocals are losing their power. But it's a show that feels nearly perfect to me for its imperfections. I expected some top renditions of the hits (there's still nothing in pop-punk quite like a room losing itself to "Hit or Miss" with Pundik invading the front row), but what I didn't expect was "47" (from the supremely underrated "Not Without A Fight), She's Not The One" (a seldom played tune from "Radiosurgery") and "Passing Time" (from NFG's first and mostly ignored record "Nothing Gold Can Stay").
Their excellent cover of "Iris" also proves a lovely surprise, adding some heavier elements alongside the emotive "I just want you to know who I am" refrain. It's been a long time since I completely lost myself to a song at a gig. I did just that when they returned for the encore to play "Ballad For The Lost Romantics", a song I've waited to hear live for eleven years. It's basically a punk rock "Auld Lang Syne" and I sing myself hoarse.
More predictably, the band close with a rousing rendition of "My Friends Over You" and I'm once again amused by couple after couple singing the lyrics, "Though you swear that you are true, I'd still pick my friends over you".
In short, this was a sweaty punk club show. And it was fucking brilliant. New Found Glory Glory Hallelujah.
Some of the people I've spoken to about the Islington Academy are rather sniffy about it, but the acoustics are solid, the sight lines are good and the gigs I've seen there have largely had good atmospheres. So I headed to N1 with a good deal of anticipation.
Trash Boat were on first. My opinion hasn't changed from the Less Than Jake gig in Brighton last month. Decent riffs, too loud and fast, too much like they're ripping off The Story So Far. They seem like nice lads and I'm not saying that to be patronising. They take the lukewarm reception they receive with good grace and take a moment to acknowledge what an important band New Found Glory have been in their lives. I hope they can step out of the shadow of their influences in their future work.
Coming to the stage to Judy Garland singing "Glory Hallelujah", the band rattle into "Selfless", the opening track from their most recent record "Resurrection" before crashing into "Understatement", the song that began my love affair with pop-punk all those years ago. The crowd respond with a huge circle pit and we're on our way through a setlist that seldom lets up, except when guitarist Chad Gilbert pauses to hail the postponement of the Tube strike and invites us all back tomorrow, promising 12 different songs. Now there's an idea...
It's not a flawless show by any means. Sure, the band don't have the same energy that they used to. And singer Jordan Pundik's love them or hate them nasal vocals are losing their power. But it's a show that feels nearly perfect to me for its imperfections. I expected some top renditions of the hits (there's still nothing in pop-punk quite like a room losing itself to "Hit or Miss" with Pundik invading the front row), but what I didn't expect was "47" (from the supremely underrated "Not Without A Fight), She's Not The One" (a seldom played tune from "Radiosurgery") and "Passing Time" (from NFG's first and mostly ignored record "Nothing Gold Can Stay").
Their excellent cover of "Iris" also proves a lovely surprise, adding some heavier elements alongside the emotive "I just want you to know who I am" refrain. It's been a long time since I completely lost myself to a song at a gig. I did just that when they returned for the encore to play "Ballad For The Lost Romantics", a song I've waited to hear live for eleven years. It's basically a punk rock "Auld Lang Syne" and I sing myself hoarse.
More predictably, the band close with a rousing rendition of "My Friends Over You" and I'm once again amused by couple after couple singing the lyrics, "Though you swear that you are true, I'd still pick my friends over you".
In short, this was a sweaty punk club show. And it was fucking brilliant. New Found Glory Glory Hallelujah.
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