My final gigs of 2022 and What to look forward to in 2023

The new year is well underway and I want to take a look back on the gigs I didn't get the time to review in 2022 and what I'm going to do with SnapNote.

Parkway Drive at Alexander Palace

While I went to many concerts between September- December 2022, I did not get much time to write about them for many reasons, partly due to the challenge of writing about Reading Festival and my experience. This meant that all the gigs I went to after festival season did not get the attention they deserved. So, in today's post, I'm going to briefly review the gigs I saw near the end of 2022 and talk about my plans for 2023.

Wargasm

Tunbridge Wells Forum- 5th September

Wargasm tour plans near the end of the summer got curtailed due to Limp Bizkit postponing their UK tour due to illness. So, the band decided to play some independent venues to promote the upcoming release of their Mixtape 'EXPLICIT' which would come out a few days after. Fortunately for me and my mates, they came to the legendary Tunbridge Wells Forum and put on a chaotic show.

Nothing beats seeing a band of Wargasms calibre in an independent venue. It makes it more intimate and in this band's case, more energetic. This gig took place on one of the hottest days of the year so you can imagine the heat inside a fully sold-out Forum, but this would not stop mosh pit from opening and the band from blowing the roof of the venue. The Duo of Milkie Way and Sam Matlock is infectious, and they have a stage presence like no other. They got everyone in The Forum moving with their screams and rifts. There is no doubt in my mind that we won't get another opportunity to see Wargasm play in these small rooms so I'm glad I took the opportunity at my local grassroots venue.

BRYN

Camden Assembly- 26th September

Performing at her debut London headline show, BRYN has been one of my favourite artists of 2022. That's saying a lot considering I'm much more of a rock and metal fan but her shows supporting KSI and S-X had really caught my attention, plus her single 'Clouds' has been stuck in my head since she previewed it at the KSI Wembley show in February. So, I was excited to see her at her own show.

The show was a fun experience, with BRYN pulling up a member of the audience to perform with her as well as performing some of her well-known tracks as well as unreleased tracks which demonstrated more of her alternative side which I was interested to see more of but overall this was a rap show with a lot of energy and a crowd which was treated to an appearance from S-X and Yxng Dave for 'The Come Up' which the crowd went wild for.

The show wasn't perfect however as BRYN did use backing tacks on some of her songs which was a bit of a shame as she has a fantastic voice and is not really needed but overall, it was a great first London show for the rapper and I'm excited to see what the future brings for them.

Parkway Drive

Alexander Palace- 30th September

Later that week, I swapped rap for metal as I went to Alexander Palace to see Australian Metal titans Parkway Drive as they toured the UK. They also had British Metal band While She Sleeps with them as support, and you could not ask for better support to get the crowd warmed up for Parkway. The band put on a great show which got the crowd moving as they finished their set by playing 'SYSTEMATIC' and announced their own headline show in September 2023 which I'm looking forward to seeing.

This night however was Parkway drives night and they brought all the pyro with them to Ally Pally which was spectacular and really took their show to another level with flames arising around the band as they opened their set with 'Glitch' The band were also fantastic playing a range of songs from their back catalogue and some of their new album 'Darker Still', making all the fans happy.

Considering that this band almost broke up at the start of the year, it's incredible that the band still go out on stage and puts on a sensational show which puts them up with some of the best live bands on the planet. Parkway Drive are back and now bigger than ever and their set at Ally Pally is just a demonstration of what they can do on a big stage.

As December Falls

O2 Academy Islington- 16th October

From Australian Metalcore to British pop punk, the next concert I went to was As December Falls at the O2 Academy Islington. The band was having an amazing 2022 touring all over Europe supporting their latest album 'Happier', supporting Bowling For Soup across the UK and garnering radio play from the likes of Kerrang and BBC Radio One. I saw the band earlier in the year and I was excited to see what they would be doing on this tour and hear their new singles.

After great sets from The Tyne and Led By Lanterns, ADF came on stage full of confidence and looking to work up the London crowd into a frenzy by opening with 'Go Away', 'Afterglow' and a cover of My Chemical Romances 'I'm Not Okay'. Having everyone singing along to the 2000s classic really set the tone for the night.

One thing I will say is that the band have learnt a few things while on tour since I last saw them as lead singer Bethany Curtis not only captivated the crowd with her vocals but with her stage presence as well. She was talking much more to the crowd and getting them riled up throughout the set which kept the energy levels up. Guitarist Ande Hunter also wowed the crowd with his outstanding guitar work and awesome guitar solos. While this may have been drummer Lukas Grahams' last UK show with the band, ADF has a very bright 2023 ahead of them and if their show was anything to go by, they may be a band to look out for this year.

Kaiser Cheifs

O2- 5th November

The Kaiser Chiefs are one of Britain's most well know live acts. With an expansive back catalogue of hits from the last twenty-plus years, It is no wonder that they have built this reputation. For me they were the first band I went to see live all the way back in 2015 at the O2 with my friends. So it only felt fitting that we come back to see them seven years later to relive the night I got into live music.

The band also brought along some support as well, with The Sherlocks and The Fratellies playing the same night. The Sherlocks put on a solid show however we were disappointed with the performance from The Fratellies. I don't know what has happened to lead singer Jon Fratelli, but he sounded awful and nothing like he did on the recordings of songs such as 'Henrietta' and the classic 'Chelsea Dagger'. Also, they were not very entertaining, so we got bored quite quickly. You know it's bad when the backing vocalists are doing a better job than the lead singer.

As for Kaiser Chiefs, they were better, but the performance was a bit disappointing. It was clear that lead singer Ricky Wilson had too much to drink before the show which he has since admitted and apologised for. This led to the start of the show being quite poor vocally for Wilson which saw songs such as "Born To Be A Dancer" and the new song "How 2 Dance" being the worst offenders with Ricky awkwardly dancing on the B stage in the O2. I'm glad Ricky has apologised for this and is putting in the proper measures to make sure this doesn't happen again. I don't mind an artist having a drink before the show. Artists such as Post Malone are well known for having a few and still putting on a good show but you need to consider that fans have paid a lot of money to see you play so getting drunk before the show can be seen as a bit disrespectful to fans who have spent £50+ for a ticket.

Thankfully things picked up by the end of the set with 'Predict a Riot' and 'Oh My God' saving the show with the crowd singing along which also picked up the atmosphere a bit. Overall, not the best show I have been to but I'd argue it wasn't a complete write-off with the second half of the show being much better. It was also a fun nostalgia trip with me and my friends at the place where it all began.

Biffy Clyro

O2-12th November

One week later, My friends and I came back to the O2 for another night of music. This time it was Scottish rockers Biffy Clyro who I saw headline Download festival in the summer and was very excited to see once again. Not only did we have Biffy but we had UK Metalcore, band Architects joining them as a special guest on the tour. Two of Britain's biggest lives bands coming together for a UK tour? You didn't have to ask me twice if I wanted to go.

TV personality Joe Dommett opened up the show to introduce his mates in Architects to the stage and the band walked out and played 'Deep Fake' to kick things off. One thing which was impressive was the number of biffy fans giving the band a chance. Everyone on the floor was happy to mosh to the like of 'Black Lungs' and the crowd lit up the O2 with their phones for 'Dead Butterflies' which was a beautiful moment. While the band only played songs from their last three albums, It was a solid show from the band who time and time again prove that they can play on the biggest stages of them all.

As for Biffy, they put on a long but energetic set which was filled with massive hits which they have had over the last two decades. 24 songs made up for the band's best work which no Biffy fan could complain about. In some respect, It was similar to their Download set but a bit more extended with deep cuts such as 'Glitter and Trauma' and '57' as well as much calmer moments like the beautiful 'Opposite'. For any massive fans, this would have been a case of Christmas coming early. Their imagery behind them was also fantastic and kept you hooked throughout their long set and all of the band members performed with so much passion it was clear to see. Was it as good as their Download set? I don't know but it was another Career defying moment for Biffy Clyro and sees them immortalised as an arena rock band.

Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes

Underworld- 7Th December

After Florence Welch postponed her show after she broke her foot at night one of Florence and the Machine's dates at the O2, this left me with two very special concerts to sign off the year in style. The first one was one of the once-in-a-lifetime gigs which I was never

going to turn down. Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes announced a residency at Camden Underworld. The band, who spent their summer playing at festivals such as Download and Reading and Leeds to thousands of people was now playing in a small room filled with 500 people. I was one of the lucky 500 who got to experience one of these very special sets of gigs.

The atmosphere of the gig was electric. After a wild set from Lambrini Girls, the crowd waited in anticipation for Franks and co to take to the stage, singing whatever the DJ would play. There was a charity present as well. Safe Gigs For Women aim is to create a safe space and fight assault and harassment at gigs and where there give out information on how this can be achieved. It was great to have them there and the vibes were very good going into this show. The band would come on stage and play 'Juggernaut' as the crowd opened the mosh pits and screamed the chorus back at Frank. Frank would then join the crowd and create a mosh pit of his own and be hoisted up in the air by the crowd afterwards.

The rest of the set was a mix of Frank Carter classics such as 'Lullaby' and deeper cuts such as 'Cobra Queen' as well a stage drive from Frank that almost went wrong while playing 'Fangs', Mimi Barks performing with frank on 'Devil Inside Me' and even though their set was troubled by their equipment failing, they still put on a brilliant performance of 'End of Suffering' while they fixed the issue.

This will go down as a legendary set of shows by Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes which harboured back to the band's early days playing in pubs and clubs and making a name for themselves. Now they are playing on the biggest stages across Europe. Just goes to show how important these grassroots venues are to the industry.

Boston Manor

Tunbridge Wells Forum- 10th December

The final gig of the year for me was the brilliant Boston Manor who went on a tour across the UK playing grassroots venues across the UK. Not only that but the band also where helping local charities by encouraging fans to make donations. The charity at the Forum that evening was DAVSS which is a charity that supports Women who have been a victim of abuse. We were encouraged to bring toys which would then be given to the children of the women. I gave them some toys knitted by my nan which the people working for the charity loved as the toys were the same colour that the charity uses. This was a lovely gesture from the band and also helped out local venues as well in their fight to keep alive in these hard times.

In terms of the music, it was another fantastic night at The Forum. not only we had Boston Manor but two of the best up-and-coming bands in the UK scene right now. Both Heriot and Graphic Nature put on great shows and should be two bands you should keep your eye on in 2023 if you are into the metal scene. As for Boston Manor, they were sensational. Breezing through their latest EP 'Datura' and then playing a mix of their hits and fan favourites. Highlights included everyone singing along to ''Passenger', lead singer Henry Cox splitting the crowd for a wall of death for ' You, Me & the Class War' and of course, the band singing off with 'Halo'. What a way to end the year!

2023 and beyond

So there you go. I have finally done all my 2022 reviews, It's been a long grind but I got there in the end. I have also realised that Shapenote is nearly a year old as well! When I started this project I just want to have a platform where I could express my love for music. Never did I realise that the likes of Zoe London, Mikey Demus (Skindred), S-X and more would be reading my content and leaving comments. It has honestly blown my mind. I want to thank my girlfriend Leia and my mate Paul for helping me set up this blog and helping me throughout the year. Also a special thank you to another mate of mine josh, who helped me get a quick word from The Karma Effect and for their help with writing the review on disabled accessibility and giving me a different viewpoint from another person with a disability. Last but by no means least, thank you to anyone who has taken the time to read my blogs. It means the world.

As for 2023. I have already been to four amazing concerts this year. Reviews for The1975, Sleep Token, Florence + The Machine and Holding Absence will be coming soon. There are more on the way later in the year which includes:

• Pendulum

• Enter Shikari

• Beartooth

• Tom Grennan

• Don Broco

• Limp Bizkit

• Paramore

• Måneskin

• Tenacious D

• Muse

• Spiritbox

• While She Sleeps

and more!

In terms of festivals, I only have two one-day festivals booked. I feel that most line-ups are weak this year in my opinion. I am gutted that I am unable to go to Download as their line-up is incredible. Also, I'm not totally convinced by Readings line-up currently, but more acts are to be announced so I'm interested to see what they will book and if them announced acts will perform. The two festivals that I have booked are Lume Festival and Slam Dunk Festival. Lume Festival is a new festival based in Camden which takes advantage of the brilliant live music scene in Camden with many bands playing in different venues. Dream State will be headlining the festival at Underworld and I'm excited to see them after their comeback last year. Meanwhile, at Hatfield Park, Slam Dunk will have Enter Shikari and The Offsprings headlining with a host of artists booked which will be a great day out for any rock or metal fan.

I'm looking forward to the rest of 2023 and excited to see all these bands and tell you all about them in the months to come.