New Found Glory (Kentish Town Forum, 23.9.17)
New Found Glory added a fourth London show to their "20 Years Of Pop-Punk" UK tour, playing "Catalyst" and "Sticks and Stones" in full. Having secured tickets for the first three shows, I felt I couldn't pass this one up, even if they are playing both of those records on different nights later.
Their solitary support act, Roam, are named after a song by The Story So Far, who are themselves named after a New Found Glory song, which is on Sticks and Stones. It's the circle of life, or something. I will in all likelyhood be watching Roam three more times, so I desperately wanted them to be good. Although all I really ask of a pop punk support act is that they are better than Trash Boat. The Eastbourne five piece fortunately clear that bar. You can still hear a lot of the US pop-punk acts they're clearly influenced by, but there was enough potential here to suggest there's more to come from them ahead of their second record next month.
New Found Glory burst onto the stage as they so often do, with a rendition of "Understatement" before seguing straight into huge hit single "All Downhill From Here" and the pace remains frenetic for much of the 95 minute set. The band remain as tight as they've always been, although there are portions where I feel they might have benefitted from a second guitarist, as many of these songs were written with one.
Jordan Pundik's ability to keep up with the band's vocals has been questionable in the past couple of years but generally performs above average in meeting the demands of the furthest reaches of the band's back catalogue tonight. One of the attractions of this tour is hearing tracks that I've not experienced live before. Foot to the floor Catalyst closer "Who I Am" proves a hit with the crowd early on, as does "No News Is Good News", whilst "Singled Out" prompts a flurry of bodies flying across the moshpit.
There are of course weaker tracks on both records. An exhuberant rendition of "I'd Kill To Fall Asleep" (covering that hot button issue of insomnia) can't hide the fact it's one of the worst songs in the band's discography, whilst schmaltzy ballad "I Don't Wanna Know" has not aged well in the 13 years since it's release. But the hit rate of these songs remains pretty high. Guitarist Chad Gilbert as always seems nothing less than totally sincere when speaking of his gratitude towards the band's fans, even indulging the request of one of them to sing their terrific cover of Sixpence None The Richer's "Kiss Me". A moody rendition of "Ending In Tragedy" is one of the show's highlights for me, before the enormous, obligatory finale of "My Friends Over You".
I leave hoarse and exhausted, but there was nowhere else I would have rather been last night. I'll consider it the starter before a feast of pop-punk in a fortnight's time.
Their solitary support act, Roam, are named after a song by The Story So Far, who are themselves named after a New Found Glory song, which is on Sticks and Stones. It's the circle of life, or something. I will in all likelyhood be watching Roam three more times, so I desperately wanted them to be good. Although all I really ask of a pop punk support act is that they are better than Trash Boat. The Eastbourne five piece fortunately clear that bar. You can still hear a lot of the US pop-punk acts they're clearly influenced by, but there was enough potential here to suggest there's more to come from them ahead of their second record next month.
New Found Glory burst onto the stage as they so often do, with a rendition of "Understatement" before seguing straight into huge hit single "All Downhill From Here" and the pace remains frenetic for much of the 95 minute set. The band remain as tight as they've always been, although there are portions where I feel they might have benefitted from a second guitarist, as many of these songs were written with one.
Jordan Pundik's ability to keep up with the band's vocals has been questionable in the past couple of years but generally performs above average in meeting the demands of the furthest reaches of the band's back catalogue tonight. One of the attractions of this tour is hearing tracks that I've not experienced live before. Foot to the floor Catalyst closer "Who I Am" proves a hit with the crowd early on, as does "No News Is Good News", whilst "Singled Out" prompts a flurry of bodies flying across the moshpit.
There are of course weaker tracks on both records. An exhuberant rendition of "I'd Kill To Fall Asleep" (covering that hot button issue of insomnia) can't hide the fact it's one of the worst songs in the band's discography, whilst schmaltzy ballad "I Don't Wanna Know" has not aged well in the 13 years since it's release. But the hit rate of these songs remains pretty high. Guitarist Chad Gilbert as always seems nothing less than totally sincere when speaking of his gratitude towards the band's fans, even indulging the request of one of them to sing their terrific cover of Sixpence None The Richer's "Kiss Me". A moody rendition of "Ending In Tragedy" is one of the show's highlights for me, before the enormous, obligatory finale of "My Friends Over You".
I leave hoarse and exhausted, but there was nowhere else I would have rather been last night. I'll consider it the starter before a feast of pop-punk in a fortnight's time.
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