Sunday December 11, 2011

Review and photography by Frances Roach

Support from: Hostage Calm, Apologies, I Have None

After witnessing the high interaction and intensity seen from both band and audience via the Liverpool show at The Magnet last Friday (which was rather impressive considering the last minute venue change due to the closure of The Masque) and despite the band calling the Liverpool show “the best show of the tour so far”, I still had rather high expectations of the Manchester show at Moho.

Starting with current album opener ‘Holy Fuck’, and including a string of classics ‘New Disaster’, ‘This Is Dungeon Music’ and crowd favourite ‘Green Eyes’, taken from the self-titled album, I Am The Avalanche play their way through an enduring set- tight guitars, even tighter backing rhythm and vocals loaded with integrity.

The only disappointment was not from the band itself, who provided an exciting set that was more than pleasing, but from the abnormally lackluster crowd. Maybe this was due to the majority of the audience being relatively new listeners of the band, since their latest release Avalanche United is their first since 2005, or purely for the fact that it is a Sunday night leading up to one of the most stressful weeks of seasonal calendar.

Despite the bizarre lack of movement for a typical punk show, the audience were still fully attentive and appreciative and I Am The Avalanche continued to display their impressive collection of songs to the fullest, with constant heightened levels of energy and rawness, which subsequently encouraged the crowd to get more involved. The second half of the set was much more receptive, with singer Vinnie Caruana and the crowd singing in unison to ‘This Drink’s On Me’ and current single ‘Brooklyn Dodgers’ which received the loudest sing-a-long of the night. They continue to express their appreciation before ending the show with aptly titled ‘Gratitude’ and ‘I Took A Beating’.

The acutely solid performance from the New York five piece was definitely worth the wait and will have certainly left the dedicated fans more than satisfied and the hesitant audience members eager to return next time round. Luckily, UK fans won’t have to wait long to see them again-next up is a support slot on the highly anticipated UK Tour with Brand New in the New Year. Let’s just hope Manchester actually represents in February.

4/5

ALBUM REVIEW: I AM THE AVALANCHE- AVALANCHE UNITED CAN BE FOUND HERE

BRAND NEW UK TOUR TICKETS CAN BE FOUND HERE

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