Live Review

Rise Against – Manchester Academy

• 10th Mar 2009

Manchester Academy on Friday saw three of the US’s finest Bands grace it’s stage in a rip-roaring frenzy of brutality. The current trend for anti-everything acts and the re-emergence of punk rock (albeit a watered down version) has seen a flood of US acts grace our shores in recent years.

First up were the Hip-hop ‘Flobots’ spreading the word about ills of society The vitriol he spewed forth forced the crowd into frenzied abandon and whilst not as heavy as many would have liked, they put on a resounding performance. The Flobots definitely won over some new fans on Friday.

Next up were ‘Anti Flag’ and rarely have I seen such passion and rage in a performance. After the second song, bass player and vocalist Chris Barker whipped the crowd into forming a tumultuous circular pit. About 200 souls braved the melee as the band plunged into their next number of heart-stopping drums and bile stained vocals. Anti flag were on a holy quest to prove to themselves and the entire world, to put on the best show they could and not once did the energy and commitment waver. Singer Justin Shane, sweat drenched and demented began the rant about the current banking crisis and how we can make a difference. It seemed the walls of the Academy would burst from the pure energy. So, it left me wondering how exactly ‘Rise Against’ were going to top that? Unfortunately, they didn’t.

Rise Against have recently been the darlings of the Heavy Music press with their latest release ‘Appeal to Reason’ winning plaudits from fans and critics alike. However, after the show by Anti flag, the ‘Rise’ boys were up against it. Stage wise, the addition of a backdrop of their album cover and a few ego steps and strobes did little to enhance their presence. Worst of all though, the sound was absolutely terrible. The whole crowd seemed to groan inwardly with disappointment and despite the bands grim faced determination and Tim McIlrath’s impassioned rants about the evils of society, the crowd were lost. It was weird, I could feel people willing them to sound better so they could get into the vibe more, but it never happened. We all know Rise are a great band and we know they could put on a great show. The vocals were too high in the mix and the guitar, bass and drums all mushed together. After a few songs people started to leave and even when the band played their recent singles like ‘Re-education’ or ‘Audience of one’, you were never sure of where the beat was or what he was singing or even which song it was. A great shame and a waste of a truly talented band.

Overall, Anti-flag stole the show and are well worth checking out at any given opportunity. ‘Rise Against’, possibly through no fault of their own, were disappointing.