Grey Daze / Rescue Rooms / Nottingham
Yet another school night out on the town, and a trip into Nottingham to the Rescue Rooms to check out US rockers Grey Daze on their short 2024 UK tour.
With two support acts tonight, first up on the stage are Nottingham local, up and coming alt-rock band Octavia Wakes. Maia (vocals) Sam (bass) Tom (guitarist) and Aaron (drums) have released a number of singles including Gossip, Damned, Villain and Appetite for Misery.
They play a style that blends different genres, pulling together elements of alt-rock, metal and punk.
It’s hard riffs then some grungy catchy hooks and some sweet vocals. A thoroughly entertaining opening act who bring a sense of fun to the stage.
Next up is Hertfordshire band High Regard who are trio Georgia Casey (vocals), Matt Smith (bass) and Tom Townsend (guitar) who started out when George and Tom met at college, playing together in a few bands before forming High Regard with the addition of Matt in 2021.
They’ve fast developed have honed a gloriously loud, raucous and yet infectious pop/rock sound.
A great set and one to watch I think, with some chunky guitar riffs alongside some laid-back vocals. The tracks build into powerful and catchy chorus sections. The mix and balance of elements is fantastic, giving them a rounded and charismatic sound. Judging by the reaction of the crowd around me, High Regard got themselves a bunch of new fans with their set tonight.
With student night to follow, it’s a quick turn round for the early doors, and we don’t wait long for the arrival of US rockers Grey Daze. I’ve been looking forward to this one, but it’s a band some may not know, but in many ways, if it weren’t for Grey Daze, then Linkin Park may never have been the worldwide force they became.
Because Grey Daze were formed in 1993 in Arizona by drummer Sean Dowdell alongside singer Chester Bennington. With the addition of guitarist Steve Mitchell and bassist Jonathan Krause Grey Daze were born. The band went through a number of line up changes but remained together for five years, releasing two full-length albums, “Wake Me” in 1994 and “...No Sun Today” in 1997.
But then in 1998 Bennington and Beyers left, ultimately leading to Grey Daze disbanding altogether. In 1999 Chester joined the band Xero, which later became Linkin Park.
Grey Daze remained inactive until 2017 when Chester proposed a reunion and work started on new songs. Sadly, the reunion never took place with Chesters passing, but Grey Daze continued to work on the material, for what became the album “Amends” finished in 2020 using Chester’s original vocals, as a tribute to their former bandmate.
In 2022, the band released their second full-length album since their return, aptly named “The Phoenix”.
And here we are, Grey Daze first ever tour of the UK. Performing tonight as a trio due to the absence of original bass player Mace Beyers because of personal circumstances. Sadly missed tonight, the rest of the band held their own despite the missing bass and delivered a powerful and energetic set. It starts with a drum section from Sean, who smashes the kit with passion, before joined by Cristin Davis on guitar for first track Saturation. New vocalist Cris Hodges was sensational, darting around the stage.
The set was made up of songs from their first two albums, 1994’s “Wake Me” and 1997’s “No Sun Today”, and from 2020’s “Amends” and 2022’s “The Phoenix”.
Despite the size of the shoes he had to fill, Cris is a stunning vocalist in his own right. He delivers with power, passion and emotion, making a real connection to the Nottingham crowd making us all feel a real part of this special night. At times, especially when bent low, clutching mic in both hands and screaming into it ferociously, he even looked like Chester at times, sending shivers down my spine.
The great songs continued at a pace, with special mention to the likes of Wake Me, Holding You and Starting to Fly. This was a band I knew little about, and I didn’t know what to expect, but boy….. did they deliver in bucket loads !
The set ends with probably their biggest hit B12. Known for its slap bass line, Cristin doing an incredible job on guitar, creating a huge sound that fills the bass void effortlessly.
What a night, Grey Daze have headed out on tour to honour their lost singer and bring their sound to a UK audience for the first time. And they were brilliant ! A stunning tribute to a true legend, and I hope we see Grey Daze back again, a band well worth seeing !
Setlist
Saturation
Be Your Man
She Shines
Heroin
Wake Me
Hole
Sometimes
The Syndrome
In Time
Holding You
Anything Anything
Morei Sky
Drag
Soul Song
Starting to Fly
Sickness
B12
