Well, the rain has been relentless here on this Thursday night in Leeds and I mean nonstop since the early hours of this morning. To most, they wouldn’t even think about leaving the house if they didn’t need to. But to us metal heads… what’s a bit of rain, ey? Around a thousand of us lined the streets soaking wet and ready to mosh. Tonight, the Not Without My Ghosts tour is ready to take the city by storm. Now if you don’t know the tour by name, you’ll sure as hell know the guys who put it together, Aussie metalcore monsters, The Amity Affliction. Accompanying the lads this tour we have a stacked, three-bill support lineup; Mugshot, Alpha Wolf and Comeback Kid. Get your fishnets on and your black band tees because this is gonna be a night for the Metal Heads books.
Six o’clock hits and out of the pouring rain we go. A short half an hour later, the first band of the night takes the stage; Californian metal lovers, Mugshot. Now these guys were awesome. The band’s energy… the stage presence was just off the scale. Their set was short but sweet and left me wanting more. I’d never heard of these guys before but they surely left their mark on me. The crowd absolutely loved Mugshot. For the first supporter, they were insane. The way the band as a whole got the crowd up and moving within minutes was exemplary. Playing some of their fan favourites such as; "Egodystonic", "Good People" and "Death Has a Shadow", there were no complaints amongst the crowd tonight, only good vibes, thanks to the phenomenal performance from Mugshot.
Next up is the band I was probably here for more than the others. Once I knew these guys were on the lineup, I just had to go. From all the way across the pond, Australian metalcore royalty, Alpha Wolf. What. A. Show. These guys need to announce a tour like tomorrow because I will tell you now, it would be a sellout. I think it’s safe to say, Alpha Wolf stole the show. The crowd went completely wild from start to finish. With such a visually striking vibe, you can’t help but be transfixed by these guys. Sabian Lynch (guitarist) is definitely a force to be reckoned with. His stage presence is one of its own. One minute he’s jumping, head banging, moshing and the next he’s stood on top of the speakers…. Like what? Is this guy a ninja or something…. Vocalist Lochie Keogh is just incredible on the stage. The way he works the crowd is indeed admirable. Again, another short set but my god was it good. Might I say it was probably in my top 5 for 2023… If you haven’t seen these guys live, you’re definitely missing out.
The third and final support band are now up, Canadian hardcore punks, Comeback Kid. Diving straight into the action with "Heavy Steps", the bodies were already flying over the barrier. The crowd surfers were a bit like the rain tonight, nonstop and landing right on your head. Being in the pit, it was crazy. Legs, arms, and feet are all flying everywhere. The experience was crazy but, one thing about this scene, they will always pick each other back up.
The lead vocalist probably spent more time off the stage than on, he was constantly down at the barrier, interacting with the crowd and they were absolutely loving it. I reckon he came down five/six times, easy. I always love it when band members do this, makes a show so much more intimate and memorable (makes for good photos too). Comeback Kid are definitely a hardcore delight, with a set list filled with all the classics, no one was missing out tonight. We were treated to, "Do Yourself a Favour", "Dead on the Fence", "Wasted Arrows" and of course, "Wake the Dead". All of which created maximum chaos. CBK properly destroyed Leeds tonight with no remorse and we’re here for it.
Finally, the time has come for the headliners to take the stage. By now, this venue is fully packed to the brim, you can’t even breathe without being in someone’s way right now. A couple of hours ago, we were all cold and damp standing in the rain, oh how the tables have turned… we’re now hot, covered in sweat all packed in like sardines. But we love it. Without further ado, it’s time for The Amity Affliction.
The stage set-up itself was incredible with a large screen that lay the length of the stage, used as a backdrop playing an array of insane visuals. Kicking it off with "Death’s hand", the crowd went wild. I’ve never seen such dedication and love like this from fans before. They loved these guys and the sheer amount of bodies flying over the barrier was proof also. The band's talent is indescribable. Whether it’s the gritty vocals from Joel or Ahren’s ability to play the bass whilst pulling off some pretty impressive gutturals, there’s never a moment where you’re not stood there entranced by these guys. Although the setlist was made up of their heavy stuff, we were treated to a couple of slow, “take a breather” songs, "Drag the Lake" being one of them. It was definitely special seeing the crowd go from moshing their hearts out to singing their lungs out. And then obviously straight back to moshing.
"Open Letter", "Show Me Your God" and "Pittsburgh" were some of the clear fan favourites tonight. As well as the incredible encore, "Soak Me in Bleach". Now that one sent the metal heads into a frenzy. It was an unreal conclusion to the set. I can definitely say that this gig was full of passion from both sides of the stage; the band's tight musicianship and the crowd's way of showing their love make live music worth every penny spent. Now go get yourself some tickets to see The Amity Affliction!
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