As we got into the venue, UK band Idiom already onstage. From what we saw, their set was packed with energy, passion and big riffs, as well a healthy mix of clean vocals and screaming. They’re definitely a band we’ll be checking out a lot more in the future…
Next up were the delightful Eluveitie, hailing from Switzerland. There were eight of them on a great mix of instruments, and they played a great mix of metal and folk, not something which you’d usually think to put together. On the occasion that similar styles to this to appear, they’re very often hidden under the gimmick of pirate metal, but Eluveitie manage to avoid any such cliches and play a fantastic and unique brand of metal music.
With the night suitably warmed up by two very good opening acts, it was no surprise that 36 Crazyfists went down a storm. They’re a band capable of pulling in crowds almost this size themselves, and having toured on multiple occasions with the headliners, DevilDriver, a large percentage of the crowd shared a mutual love of both bands. This was made very clear by the reaction, which saw several large circle pits, and quite interestingly, at the request of the band’s frontman, a room full of people performing star-jumps!
Watching Devildriver, you’ll know deep down that you’re one of the best live heavy bands on the planet. From the moment the band walked onstage, the crowd erupted, and for the majority of the band’s set, the room was like one big circle pit – but what would you expect from a band who probably holds the world record for the biggest one? (It’s very likely, but apparently Guinness couldn’t officially determine the exact size from the video footage that they were presented with.)
Overall, DevilDriver showed tonight that you don’t need gimmicks, props or anything fancy onstage to put on a fantastic show, you just need the songs, the fans and most of all, the passion and belief in what you’re doing.
For more information visit the official Devildriver MySpace.
