What happens to emos when they grow up? Quite a lot actually, and it varies. I learned this at
Finchs gig in
Brixton Academy to celebrate the
10 year anniversary of their debut album
What It Is To Burn. The crowd was a definitive grown up emo of the last generation type of affair. Myself and my accompanying friend? Wed grown into hoodies-under-denim, tattooed, facial hair sporting c***s, but there was plenty of variety in the crowd scene kids (or adults now), hipsters, punks, goths, metalheads and very mainstream (grown out of the attire) types. All bases were covered. In all seriousness though, it was clear from the crowd everyone was here because they were into
Finch the first time around and it goes to show
Finch are a band who have appealed to all walks of musical life in their time. I myself got into
Finch around the time
What It Is To Burn came out, thanks to a
VHS featuring a bunch of music videos (
Letters To You by Finch included) that came free with a
Kerrang! one week. Coinciding perfectly with my just starting to feel ways about things and stuff, which was also caught by both
Funeral For A Friend and
Silversteins debuts, though not to the same extent. Admittedly I was listening to death metal while also religiously worshipping
Iron Maiden and
Metallica as well, but Finch man, they spoke to me and I wanted
Nates curtained parting and chin beard. http://youtu.be/DLbHfOhJNR4 The point?
Finch played a pivotal role in my formative adolescent. Having only seen
Finch once previously in, the now dead and gone,
TJs in Newport where I sang until my voice was lost and moshed until I was drenched in sweat, there was no way I was going to miss this (at the time one-off) gig in celebration of the
10th anniversary of
What It Is To Burn. I wasnt the only one though as the initial gig in
Shepherds Bush that I had tickets for soon had to be scaled up to
Brixton Academy and initial dates added. So, ten years in the making, there I was to sing every word to their debut album right the way through this time in a sold out
Brixton Academy to the band themselves
instead of on my own in my bedroom using a remote control as a mock microphone. First up though,
Mallory Knox. An on-their-way-up five piece who have begun to make ripples in the music scene in the hopes of starting waves. Given the setting and the event, this is probably one of the biggest gigs theyve played to and its comprised of an audience who are diehards for the band their supporting some conversion required. However, they do a decent job of it. Whilst there seems a little uncertainty in the performance that could require a confidence boost and a bit of fight, the songs themselves are there. I found myself recognising a few songs based on very minimal prior hearings, but there I was singing along to
Beggars and when
Lighthouse came around both my friend and I were having a little sing-song with pints in the air. Theres definite promise here. The main event though, and the reason everyone is here; besides possibly wanting to relive their youth ten years, ten f***ing years. Quite content loitering at the still heaving back by the bar up to this point, its time to worm my way to the front. Dipped shoulders and evil eyes were not preventing me from doing what I came here to do; sing until my throat is sore. It is immediately clear from the moment the opening strains of
New Beginnings wash over the crowd, and the place erupts, that everyone is here to do just the same not a single lyric throughout is not sung right back. Or screamed. http://youtu.be/_DjwBqBAAac The songs and their accompanying sing-a-longs come thick and fast as the band work their way through the album, which encapsulates the songs that most might know like
Letters To You but also the album tracks that youve always wanted to hear live and finally are. Its not just a nostalgia-fest though, these songs genuinely mean a whole lot to crowd gathered here and beyond that the band are on spectacular form. In between tracks both
Nate and
R2K (
Randy) engage the crowd with some equal parts playful and grateful banter. It does make you wonder why they never quite struck it as big and lasted as long as some of their peers, of course not assisted by the hiatuses and break ups, but maybe this will remind them that were all still here ready to see them, and ready for new music, ya know, whenever theyre ready... The gig itself though is brilliant, with both band and crowd working in a considerable partnership together that finds the band announcing that this is the best
Finch gig theyve ever played. Now, Im far too cynical to believe that, and think it hasnt been said everywhere else but it goes down so well it doesnt even matter and everyone just sings back harder and louder. The long and short of it though? An amazing gig, from a band that could clearly still do so much more, that feels like a reward for the fans as much as a celebration of the band and their debut album. I got to the front at the barrier, I sang every word, I got crushed and heard songs live that I thought Id never live. What more could you ask for?