I saw Joy Formidable earlier this year at Lee's Palace and they cemented themselves as one of my absolute favourite bands. Although I will try to avoid shows at Sound Academy in the future, I thoroughly enjoyed the opening set by the trio from Wales. Their show at Mod Club the following night would blow it away, but that's tomorrow's post.
"The Greatest Light is the Greatest Shade"
"I Don't Want To See You Like This"
"The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie"
"Whirring"
"This Ladder Is Ours"
I got to see The Gaslight Anthem as they were coming up the ranks of popularity, when they played The Opera House in 2009, just after the release of The '59 Sound. Then, they were the new band winning over fans on the road. This time, The Gaslight Anthem took to the stage to unbridled enthusiasm from a sold-out crowd. Hitting up tunes from their breakthrough album The '59 Sound early in the set brought a smile to my face. They faithfully recreated highlights from their entire discography, from 2007's Sink or Swim, through 2008's Señor and the Queen EP, 2008's The '59 Sound, 2010's American Slang and their most recent, Handwritten, plus a Misfits cover and the opening chords to an Asia classic mixed in for good measure.
"The '59 Sound"
"American Slang"
"The Spirit of Jazz"
"45"
"Handwritten"
"Here Comes My Man"
While I don't enjoy Sound Academy as a venue, both bands did a great job of their performances, leaving the audience well-satisfied. Great show!
The photos in this post are original pics by me, taken from well back in the venue, not the usual professional pics stolen from some other web site. You can tell the difference original art makes.