Unfortunately due to travelling delays, we were unable to see the first two bands, Divided By Friday, and Decade, but we did however make it in time to see the final supporting band, Man Overboard.
At the beginning of their set, Man Overboard’s instrumental performance was very good, but they lacked in the vocal department, as lead vocalist Zac Eisenstein’s broke several times during the first few songs. As the set progressed though, his vocals did appear to improve. Considering that ‘MO’ were the third band to go on stage, the crowd didn’t seem very enthused, unless the band encouraged clapping, or jumping. They also had a rather bland stage presence, with only one guitarist moving around the stage. Despite this, their performance did improve, and the crowd were decently warmed up, and ready for Mayday Parade by the end of the set.
After a short break, Mayday Parade took to the stage, to the sound of a roaring crowd. They opened their set with the song Ghosts, and the difference in performance was instantly noticeable. The members of the band made full use of the stage, moving about, headbanging, and standing on crates while they played. Musically, they were excellent, with strong vocals, and heavier drums than in their recorded tracks. It was made obvious by the quality of their performance that the band were having as much fun on the stage, as the audience were, on the floor.
After a few songs, lead vocalist Derek Sanders gave the rest of the band a break, while he sat with a keyboard, and begun to play possibly their most known song, Miserable At Best. The crowd sung along at the top of their lungs, and were audible over the keyboard and Derek’s vocals. The sheer emotion and passion in his voice, and the lyrics of the song even had crowd members reduced to tears.
After a couple more songs on the keyboard, the band returned to play Kids in Love, which brought the upbeat, excited atmosphere back to the audience after the emotional songs before.
They ended their set with Oh Well, Oh Well, but this wasn’t enough for the crowd. They chanted and cheered for another song, until the band returned. They closed the show with Jersey, and after, the crowd roared as they left the stage.
Mayday Parade’s performance was fun, and energetic, and the audience sung along with every word. Their musical talent is phenomenal, and they put on a great show, with an amazing atmosphere, full of energy, even during the slower, more emotional songs.
They’re definitely a band worth seeing the next time they come to the UK.
8/10
