You Me At Six / Glass City Vice / Twin Wild [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 30/1/15]
Some experiences come along just once in a lifetime – and the capacity crowd jammed sardine-like into the Boileroom were keenly aware of that fact. The tickets held by the lucky three hundred had been coveted by thousands of others, with five figures’ worth of rabid rock fans flooding ticket sites and ensuring one of the most rapid-fire sellouts in Boileroom history. Prime viewing spots were snapped up by eager punters who commenced queuing in the early afternoon and fiercely defended the right to stand within arm’s reach of Surrey’s local heroes of the moment.
All this before a single note had even been played.
Twin Wild rose to the high-profile-opening-spot challenge with confidence, authority, and a none-more-authentic vocal performance. These guys are clearly planning on living their headliners’ reality sooner rather than later – and on last night’s evidence, they’re well on their way. Intimidatingly flawless, radio-ready, and epic as fuck; you could not have asked for a better start to the night.
Middle-slot up and comers Glass City Vice filled said slot with punky and grungy vibes that lent an edge to a set of winningly melodic songs. You’d expect a crowd this dedicated to another band’s cause to get restless and impatient at this point – but instead they remained enraptured for the duration. Glass City Vice evidently had a few fans of their own in the Boileroom – and they no doubt won over many more.
As impressive and exceptional as their support acts were, You Me At Six were always going to take things over the edge. Capturing the spirit of Independent Venue Week through an off-the-charts-insane series of euphorically-received fan favourites punctuated by heartfelt asides concerning the importance of local venues, bands, and fans, You Me At Six proved that even when you’re on the brink of a full-scale arena tour, you can still keep your feet on the ground and inspire generations to come instead of indulging in standard-issue rock star bullshit. Although in some circles it’s considered cool to slag them off, You Me At Six definitely deserve respect, recognition, and a level of success surpassing even the one they currently occupy.
If you’re a young musician dreaming of one day being the star of your own show, consider the above evidence that it can happen. All you have to do is go for it – and be sure to support the venues that will have your back regardless of what stage you’re at on your journey.
Links
You Me At Six official website.
Glass City Vice official website.
Independent Venue Week official website.
The Boileroom official website.
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