Bury Tomorrow / Rock City / Nottingham

First gig of 2024, and where else are we heading, but the brilliant Rock City in Nottingham. Tonight looks like being a real gem with Bury Tomorrow hitting town.

First up on stage we welcome Kingdom of Giants a melodic metalcore sextet from Northern California, formed in 2010 and consisting of Julian Perez (keyboards), Max Bremer (guitar), Levi Norris (bass), Dana Willax (vocals), Ed Martin (guitar) and Truman Berlin (drums).

A packed house early doors were in for a real treat as they delivered a powerful and energetic set of their melodic metalcore. The crowd lapped it up and were bouncing, feeding off the bands energy and delivering it back twofold. The guitar work was fantastic packed with some great riffs and breakdowns and Dana’s vocals were spot, switching between harmonies and guttural screams seamlessly. Highlight of the set for me was an excellent version of Wasted Space packed with emotion and raw power. Top stuff, and a great start to the night.

Setlist

Burner

Night Shift

Wasted Space

Cash Out

Sync

Bleach

Wayfinder

The place was packed now, and pit crew told me it was a complete sell out as next up, tonights special guests, and Troy Michigan’s finest, We Came As Romans headed out into the spotlight. Formed back in 2005, We Came As Romans are Joshua Moore (guitar), Dave Stephens (vocals), Lou Cotton (guitar), Andy Glass (bass) and David Puckett (drums).

The band have gone through a number of line up changes and had some difficult times, not least the loss in 2019 of one of the most talented singers Kyle Pavone, long before his time. But the band have kept going, and are on simply blistering form.

Quite simply they lit the house up with a fierce and passionate performance, Dave Stephens owned the Rock City stage and paced up and down, jumping and interacting with the crowd at every opportunity. Somehow they seemed to make Rock City feel even bigger than it is. The whole band delivered an energy packed set and were tight from start to finish. Wasted Age, Lost in the Moment and Black Holes were highlights for me and showed what a seriously good outfit We Came As Romans are. I loved it, and so did the packed crowd who cheered them off with gusto !

Setlist

Darkbloom

Doublespeak

Wasted Age

Cold Like War

Plagued

Lost in the Moment

Hope

Black Hole

Daggers

A quick change round and stage set up and we’re ready for Bury Tomorrow, Britain’s own kings of metalcore. Formed in 2006 in Southampton Bury Tomorrow are Daniel Winter-Bates (Vocals), Davyd Winter-Bates (Bass), Kristan Dawson (Lead Guitar), Adam Jackson (Drums), Ed Hartwell (Rhythm Guitar) and Tom Prendergast (Keyboards & Vocals).

Their 2018 album “Black Flame” catapulted them into metal’s upper echelons and was their third consecutive UK Top 40 album. Their most recent, and seventh studio album “The Seventh Sun” released in 2023 is a testament to the bands ability to shape themselves to a new reality, a new sound, and a new future.

And the set started off with power and atmosphere in bucketloads with the title track from their latest album The Seventh Sun which just oozes passion and their ever loyal fans lapped it up. Dani is in top form with his harsh growling tones and as we enter Abandon Us the crowd are already getting whipped up into a frenzied pit.

The setlist is packed with both fan favourites and new material form the latest album, and the new stuff fits in so well. A lot of thought has gone into this tour production and they have a fantastic lighting rig, with harsh bright crystal spots and strobes and rear light panels that silhouette band members dramatically, a great visual addition to the visceral sonic experience, enhanced by the smoke cannons.

You have to love a set list that has a track listed on it as “Black Flame (Crowd surfin’)” ! And oh yes, they were coming over thick and fast now, security definitely earnt their pay tonight safely helping everyone down into the pit. Dani Winter-Bates by now is as much conductor or ring master, as much as vocalist as he waves and signals to the surfers coming over. Its quite a sight !

The whole band thought are on it providing a captivating performance, but special mention to Adam Jackson on drums, who delivered a stunning performance, blasting out powerful beat after beat, driving the whole performance on. And to Tom Prendergast on keys who also produced some of the best clean vocalist around, complimenting Dani’s perfectly, especially on tracks such as the aforementioned Black Flame and Knife of Gold.

Boltcutter is a standout, and as the set draws to a close the ever popular and brutal Choke rings out, and the atmosphere is just off the scale. Final track Death has the audience in overdrive and is delivered with savage energy.

Tonight’s sold out Bury Tomorrow’s show has been a truly magnificent performance. One of those nights where all three bands were in sync and as each played the atmosphere just ramps up level after level. A night to remember and although Bury Tomorrow have been around now for 17 years now, but boy they are on it, and if tonight is anything to go by…… there’s exciting things ahead !

Setlist

The Seventh Sun

Abandon Us

Begin Again

Man on Fire

An Honourable Reign

Life

The Grey

Black Flame (Crowd surfin)

Knife of Gold

Boltcutter

Wrath