It’s been a long time since I’ve seen New Years Day and it’s been even longer since I went on the boat Thekla.
But before the main event, we have the supports.
First up was FVK (or Fearless Vampire Killers). The band were one I really liked back in the day and was glad to see reunite a couple of years ago.
Unfortunately I hadn’t had a chance to see them live before now (except for Download Festival in 2023 but the sound wasn’t the best in the tent).
Thankfully it was a completely different story at Thekla where the sound was spot on for the band.
It was great to hear old favourites like All Hallows Eve and Maeby as well as a new single Back from the Void. There was some great banter between the members – particularly with Laurence saying Kier was trying to distract him – and with the crowd. It was a fab set and one I’m glad to have seen.
Next up was Conquer Divide and they put on a great show with tracks like Pressure, Paralyzed and NEW HEAVEN. It was great to see the crowd complying with the requests to open up the pit – with many starting in the latter half of the set on the command of Kia and Spencer. They really knew how to command the crowd and are definitely a good main support for NYD.
As the lights go down and Pantera plays over the speakers, the crowd starts to really get hyped up as New Years Day take to the stage. From the start it was immediate why the band were touring more intimate venues – it was a chance to be able to properly interact with the crowd, something they did from start to finish.
Throughout the set, drummer Tommy was a delight to watch as he not only showed off his skill but he also was clearly having the time of his life on stage.
Nikki and Jeremy were delighting the crowd with their interactions and tricks with their respective bass and guitar whilst Ash perfectly led the show. It was clear to see her interactions with many fans meant a lot to them.
Performance wise, the band were flawless, with Ash sounding better than I’ve ever heard her before. As it was the Half Black Heart tour (celebrating last year’s release of the album of the same name) it was no surprise that the setlist was full of tracks from the album including the title track, Hurts Like Hell, Vampyre and my favourite in Fearless. But there was a good mix of the back catalogue too, with Disgust Me from Diary of a Creep and I’m About to Break You from Malevolence amongst the hits.
From start to finish the energy was there from the band and the crowd to fully pull together a great night and a fantastic set.
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