Rock City: Profane, Architects, Your Demise, Shikari, Lost Alone, Lovvers

MUSIC

Editor’s note: Apologies for regressing three months, but DM contributor Nicola Fox sent these reviews in a timely fashion. And then email disasters on the Editor’s part saw them in a virtual abyss down the back on an internet filing cabinet. So expect a new review each day for the next few days!

All-night frenzy at Rock City – Saturday, December 22, 2007. 8pm-6am

Christmas celebrations went off with a bang as thousands of hungry rock fans swarmed through the doors of Nottingham’s Rock City for another fun fuelled distortion all-nighter party.

First up on stage were Profane who were feeling a bit under the weather as they had spent “two weeks suffering dirty, filthy Dublin flu” according to vocalist, Phil Bretnall. The band supported Shikari on their tour over in Ireland blasted out tracks from their outstanding album, ‘The day we scorched the sky’

Following Profane was Brighton’s metal gods, Architects who got everyone in the festive mood when they appeared on stage dressed as Santa dancing to Shakin Steven’s very best, ‘Merry Christmas Everyone.’

Wall of death and circle mosh pits, Architects got the crowd in a spin after a dose of ‘Buried at Sea’ and ‘The Darkest Tomb’.

Your Demise took stage in the basement just before fellow St Albans’ Shikari were to perform. Front man, George Noble sported a Bergkamp Arsenal t-shirt and strangely told fans that their songs were like a ‘reggae band at a trance.’

However, blood certainly didn’t run cold as hyped up fans jumped on stage to grab the mic belting out tunes such as ‘Diamonds are forever, your not’ and ‘No half measures.’

Crowds flocked into the main stage area for a bit of Shikari action and the famous glow sticks made a welcome return to Rock City.

Electric pulsations, eccentric fans and sirens filled the venue as Rou, Chris, Rob and Rory spilled on to the stage. Battering glow sticks the fans went into frenzy as the performed stonking hits from their 2007 album, ‘Take to the skies.’

‘Anything Can Happen in the Next Half Hour’ got the fans circulating once again alongside ‘Return to Energiser’ and the outstanding ‘Sorry You’re Not A Winner’ after a rather legendary string of tracks, Rou took time out to get a Mexican wave going.

Returning to the stage with ‘Today won’t go down in history’ and ‘Jonny Sniper’, Rou placed himself up on the speakers reciting the famous lyrics, “and still we will be here, standing like statues” dedicating their whirlwind performance to the heroes that were, the security crew.

The show closed with a showdown of Slade’s, ‘Merry Christmas everybody’ and snow began to fall from the roof to dust the sweaty crowd with some festive joy.

But the night was most certainly not over as a drunken performance from Nottingham’s, Lovvers caused a stir in the basement. There was no sound from the mic and vocalist, Shaun refused to leave the stage as gig-goers began to ‘boo’ them off stage. Even the sound tech guy struggled to throw the band off stage and had to get his fists out to Shaun. It was most amusing to see.

Lost Alone cheered fans up with renditions of Deep Purple and classic rock songs. The dreadful Lovvers were long gone and fans began to get back into the festive spirit.

DJ Shark and Blitz provided the entertainment for the rest of the night. Although the party became a bit of a blur by 4am, Christmas festivities continued until the crack of dawn. Rock on, rock city!

by Nicola Fox