You Me At Six, Tonight Alive @ The Hi-Fi Bar, Melbourne (10/09/2014)
Impressively selling out Melbourne in under a day, fans packed the Hi-Fi to see Punk-Pop favourites Tonight Alive and You Me At Six take the stage. It was my first time of seeing both bands play, and I walked down the stairs of the Hi-Fi not knowing exactly what to expect.
The lights went down, and a strobe light sequence mixed with a deep, rumbling, electronic track kicked off the night. After the stimulating introduction, I was left a little deflated with the energy Tonight Alive brought out. It was understandable however, with vocalist Jenna McDougall left sick after been playing huge sets around the world including the main-stage at the Warped, Reading and Leeds festivals. She told the crowd a couple of |
songs in that she “had been spewing up almost every hour”.
Stoically, she trooped on and put on a charismatic and enjoyable show. With their relatable and simple lyrics, positive messages and cool chilled out vibe, it’s easy to see why they are so beloved by their fans. Looking around the room, I saw many faces that would have listened to Tonight Alive to get through the hard times of teenage-hood.
The highlight for me was when Jenna took to the stage alone to play Amelia acoustically. “That wasn’t the first verse”, she said after quickly slipping up. She started again and showed the beautiful tone of her voice. The crowd even sounded angelic when she paused to give them a chance to sing!
The bands gratitude and humbleness shone through all night, with Jenna taking out time between song to talk to her fans. Messages such as “Melbourne is a second favourite home” and “Live the life you want to live, it doesn’t matter what colour your hair is” emphasised the community spirit and the positive messages the band believes in.
Although I have only heard frontman Josh Franceschi do guest vocals for Bring Me the Horizon, and their song Stay With Me, what the British band brought out was pretty similar to what I imagined.
The band had a playful energy that was lapped up by the girls in the crowd. They played their songs in a light, fun way, with lots of movement and interaction with the crowd.
Pop-punk is fantastic hybrid between the two genres, bringing the tempo of punk, but also the melody and a light hearted spirit of pop.
On performance, it was a solid show, but it didn’t excite me or add anything new. The music and vocals were spot on, sounding almost perfectly like their records. Nothing really stood out for me.
All in all, it was a fun night. They both are definitely worth seeing.
Ryan Hyde
Stoically, she trooped on and put on a charismatic and enjoyable show. With their relatable and simple lyrics, positive messages and cool chilled out vibe, it’s easy to see why they are so beloved by their fans. Looking around the room, I saw many faces that would have listened to Tonight Alive to get through the hard times of teenage-hood.
The highlight for me was when Jenna took to the stage alone to play Amelia acoustically. “That wasn’t the first verse”, she said after quickly slipping up. She started again and showed the beautiful tone of her voice. The crowd even sounded angelic when she paused to give them a chance to sing!
The bands gratitude and humbleness shone through all night, with Jenna taking out time between song to talk to her fans. Messages such as “Melbourne is a second favourite home” and “Live the life you want to live, it doesn’t matter what colour your hair is” emphasised the community spirit and the positive messages the band believes in.
Although I have only heard frontman Josh Franceschi do guest vocals for Bring Me the Horizon, and their song Stay With Me, what the British band brought out was pretty similar to what I imagined.
The band had a playful energy that was lapped up by the girls in the crowd. They played their songs in a light, fun way, with lots of movement and interaction with the crowd.
Pop-punk is fantastic hybrid between the two genres, bringing the tempo of punk, but also the melody and a light hearted spirit of pop.
On performance, it was a solid show, but it didn’t excite me or add anything new. The music and vocals were spot on, sounding almost perfectly like their records. Nothing really stood out for me.
All in all, it was a fun night. They both are definitely worth seeing.
Ryan Hyde