Although I’m more known for my love of the heavier, screamier bands, Alkaline Trio will always have a place in my heart. Dark pop punk with fantastic bleakness and the odd satanic theme, they’re the perfect gateway drug. Shows have been scarce while singer/guitarist Matt Skiba was keeping Tom DeLonge’s seat warm in Blink 182 (and doing a damn good job, too!), but now that wont be an issue. Long time drummer Derek Grant also left to be replaced by Atom Willard (who performed with DeLonge in Angels and Airwaves), so are Alkaline Trio becoming a band of DeLonge cast offs?
I don’t think so. The new album ‘Blood, Hair, and Eyeballs’ is a fresh banger and it seems the shake up of the band has brought new life to the music. The only nerves I have tonight is that the last time I saw them (the co-headliner with Taking Back Sunday – first post lockdown gig!) the sound was absolutely horrendous. All I could hear was a snare drum that sounded like cardboard and I left a few songs in. TBS were tremendous that night, so here’s hoping the Trio have invested in a better sound guy or girl and I get to bask in a full set of the strange and unusual.
The only support for tonight is Low Lives. As soon as the front man opens his mouth, my inner dialogue screams “COBAIN!”. He sounds exactly like the punkiest, screamiest Nirvana tracks – and many have attempted that and failed before him. The music is a heavy, slightly grungy rock. There’s nothing pop about this band, and usually a support for Alkaline Trio would have a bit of softness around them, but these guys go hard.
Special mention to the bassist windmilling his hair at every opportunity. Where a lot of energetic bands release that energy in a continuous flow – especially at punk shows – Low Lives is like having hand grenades go off around you. Big explosive drum and bass parts that frame screeching vocals. I wouldn’t normally listen to anything that was pitched to me as grunge but these guys might have caused me to change my ways.
When Alkaline Trio come on stage, they quickly prove they’re back to their best. Starting the set with new track ‘Hot for Preacher’, it’s a fine way to test where the crowd land on the new material. From the reaction, it’s safe to say they like it. The sound is still a tad ropey but nowhere near as bad as it was last time. I can hear guitars and vocals and that’s an improvement.
Once we get the new track out the way, we’re rewarded with some of the hits. ‘We’ve Had Enough’ and ‘Take Lots with Alcohol‘ which reignites the age old debate of who is the better singer… Matt or Dan? There’s just something about Dan’s voice that puts me in his camp. Soft and longing like a golden retriever who’s been drinking whiskey in a bar from the 20s for his whole life. That’s how I hear it, anyway. There’s real pain and sorrow without going ham and so much heart in those tones. Matt’s voice is on point too, however. He’s the rage and darkness in all of this. It never transcends into screeching or over the top screaming, but well controlled fury. This combination of light and dark, vulnerability and aggression, reliance on self medication and black magic… that’s what makes Alkaline Trio so special. When you see it live it’s even better.
There’s a lot of smiles on the stage, especially from Atom Willard who is playing here for the first time with the trio. He’s played for most of the bands you’ve heard of… Against Me!, Social Distortion, The Offspring, and as I mentioned, Angels and Airwaves. He seems very much at home behind this kit – beaming with delight as he puts 100% into every song. We’ll keep him, thanks. Matt and Dan are equally happy to be here, with Matt even commandeering a fan’s bat sunglasses.
Songs from the new album crop up throughout the setlist but even if you’re not a fan of the new stuff, the old classics feature so heavily that you’d barely notice. No matter how long Alkaline Trio go and how many hits they have, they always find a way to keep most fans happy. Yeah, I could name a bunch of songs I’d like to have heard… ‘Every Thug Needs A Lady’ for a start, but I can forgive the omission when I still get the ode to Manson’s favourite disciple ‘Sadie’. Putting the sound issues aside, there’s very little to complain about here and plenty to be thrilled about. The fact I even dropped £70 on a very fancy embroidered hoodie at the merch stall (at that price, it’s kept for weddings and funerals) means that it was a show I’m going to remember for a while. I just hope it’s not a while till we get to do it again.
Photos by Catching Light Photography
- Yellowcard / This Wild Life / Story of the Year - 14 November 2024
- Alkaline Trio / Low Lives - 1 August 2024
- Billy Talent / Snayx / Cold Years - 22 June 2024