On Friday the 11th of March, fans of Young Guns, Yellowcard and All Time Low gathered outside the Manchester Apollo, waiting for their turn to enter the venue. Queuing down Apsley Grove, Marshall Street and onto Stockport Road the line of fans seemed endless, giving people an indication of how popular the concert would be. Once inside fans battled their way through the crowd in an attempt to get to the front and inevitably closer to their idols.
YOUNG GUNS
The UK band Young Guns originally from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire consists of five members.
Gustav Wood - Vocals
John Taylor - Guitar
Fraser Taylor - Guitar
Simon Mitchell - Bass
Ben Jolliffe - Drums
The band was greeted with cheers from the audience as they appeared on stage, opening with 'D.O.A' (Dead On Arrival) which soon had the crowd surging towards the stage. They played six songs from their debut album 'All Our Kings Are Dead'. These were 'D.O.A', 'Elements', 'Stitches', 'Winter Kiss', 'Crystal Clear' and 'Weight Of The World'. Their fifth song 'Crystal Clear' seemed to be the best received by the fans as the atmosphere suddenly became frantically electric. Judging from the reaction from the crowd, it can be guaranteed that any audience members who were not initially fans of 'Young Guns' would soon be converted as everybody moved energetically to the beat and screamed along with any words that they knew. They finished their set with 'Weight Of The World' leaving the fans exhausted from the non-stop rock, yet still begging for more. The atmosphere and the standard for the other bands were set, and the fans knew that they would not be disappointed as they waited for Yellowcard to grace the stage.
Yellowcard
The band formed in Jacksonville, Florida but since 2000 they have been based in Los Angeles, California. The band members are:
Ryan Key - Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Sean Mackin - Violin, Vocals
Ryan Mendez - Lead Guitar
Sean O'Donnell - Bass, Vocals
Longineu Parsons III - Drums
During the set the band performed 'Lights And Sounds', 'Way Away', 'Believe', 'Fighting', 'Five Becomes Four', 'Hang You Up', 'For You And Your Denial', 'Only One' and 'Ocean Avenue'. These songs range over four albums released by the band, from 'Ocean Avenue' in 2003 to 'When You're Through With Thinking, Say Yes' in 2011. The band opened the set with 'Lights and Sounds' which immediately revived the crowd from the lull they had fallen into between sets. By the time they began to play their second song 'Way Away' the crowd were completely wild once more and the movement in the crowd was violently manic as everyone enjoyed rock at it's finest. 'Believe' completely blew the fans away as the unique use of Mackin's violin cut through the audience and could be heard distinctly above the heavy music. For many this was the highest point of the set as it really emphasized the talent of the band as well as what sets it apart from other music groups at this moment in time.
Throughout the set the band encouraged mosh pits and the crowd was tense with adrenaline as people flung themselves into one another as the band continued to entertain. They slowed down momentarily for 'Hang You Up' which enticed the crowd as they sang along, before starting the second part of their set which returned the crowd to their hectic jumping and pushing. When the time came for the band to play their final chords the fans were buzzing from what they had just been involved with and were reluctant to let Yellowcard leave the stage, hoping to entice them back for another song with their cheering and applause, yet now ready for the presence of All Time Low.
All Time Low
All Time Low are an American pop punk band from Baltimore, Maryland. The band's members are:Alexander Gaskarth - Vocals and Rhythm Guitar
Jack Barakat - Guitar
Zachary Merrick - Bass and Backing Vocals
Rian Dawson - Drums
When All Time Low came onto the stage the fans erupted into cheers and screams as the band began to play their opening number 'Keep The Change, You Filthy Animal', which of course the crowd sang along with. By the end of the first song the crowd was wild with excitement and many had begun crowd surfing, climbing onto other fans shoulders and there was a mad rush as everyone tried to get as close as they could to the stage, resulting in an almost claustrophobic environment.
The band continued to play songs from their albums 'So Wrong It's Right' and 'Nothing Personal' as well as revisiting the classic 'Jasey Rae' from their older album 'Put Up Or Shut Up'. The fans were not disappointed as they performed all the favourites such as 'Damned If I Do Ya (Damned If I Don't)', 'Poppin' Champagne', 'Six Feet Under The Stars', 'Lost In The Stereo', 'Stella' and 'Break Your Little Heart'. The band played impeccably well, sounding better than they do on their records. The well known hilarity of their inappropriate sexual jokes and ways of gearing up the crowd had the fans hanging onto every word. The band also included covers in their set such as 'Lights and Sounds' by Yellowcard, 'Brain Stew' by Greenday and an acoustic rendition of 'Teenage Dream' by Katy Perry. Their new song 'Time Bomb' was also included in the set which had the crowd hooked and desperate to hear the new material which will be released later in the year.
The light natured jokey atmosphere suddenly became very serious as the other band members left the stage, leaving Gaskarth to play 'Therapy' and 'Remembering Sunday' acoustically. The crowd was mesmerized by the intensity of the atmosphere as Gaskarth's signature voice filled the Apollo and the fans swayed in appreciation of the music and the meaningful lyrics. The audience sang powerfully with Gaskarth giving the impression of a slight echoing effect which could only be described as magical. Once the acoustic session had come to a close Alex left the stage and the lights went down. The fans responded to this by chanting "ALL TIME LOW" repeatedly in the effort to bring the band back onto the stage, demanding an encore. All Time Low responded to these cries by returning to the stage, where they were welcomed back with deafening roars from the crowd. They played 'Weightless' and 'Dear Maria' for the encore, which had the audience dancing and the party atmosphere was regained. As the band bid farewell to the fans they reminded them of the tragedies in Japan and urged them to donate to help those in need, which was the perfect end to a concert which meant so much to so many. All Time Low then left the stage for the final time and all that was left was the masses of bras which adorned Barakat's microphone and the memories of a night impossible to forget.
This concert was part of All Time Low's tour of the UK and Ireland, where they played venues such as:
Manchester, Academy
Dublin, Olympia
Nottingham, Rock City
Birmingham, Academy
Newport, Centre
Liverpool, University
Leeds, Academy
Glasgow, Barrowlands
Newcastle, Academy
Manchester Apollo
London, Brixton Academy
Alex Gaskarth March 11th 2011
Later that night @AlexAllTimeLow (Alex Gaskarth) posted on Twitter:
Best show of the tour. I feel invigorated. Thank you for the second round! Yeahhhh!!!
All Time Low are due to release their new album 'Dirty Work' over the coming months and they will return to the UK and Ireland in the summer for the 'T In The Park' festival, the 'Sonisphere' festival and the 'Oxegen' festival. However when they return to tour the UK again the British fans will embrace the band with undoubted sell out shows and there will be a faithful following of fans from the Manchester area waiting to relive the experience of the 11th of March. Until then Britain will wait for their return...
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