Ella Selfe
The Eastpak Antidote tour of 2011 brought American hardcore punk band A Day To Remember back to the UK and after having not played here for a couple of years, except for Reading and Leeds festivals in 2010, a lot of people were thrilled by their return. The 15th November brought them to Manchester Academy, a simple 2,300 capacity venue which the band could have easily called their own by the end of the night.
Despite the Eastpak Antidote tour featuring Pennsylvanian metal band August Burns Red, it was obvious that A Day To Remember were the ones everyone were waiting for with almost half of the crowd wearing their merchandise. As they stormed onstage with “Sticks & Bricks” from newest album “What Separates Me From You”, the frenzy began, accompanied with the first confetti canon of the night. Two songs from 2007’s “For Those Who Have Heart” followed, along with the energy in the room constantly growing and the temperature rising, creating an atmosphere that both the crowd and band were delighted with.
2010’s single “All I Want” had the crowd singing more than ever and followed by album “Homesick” hits “I’m Made Of Wax Larry, What Are You Made Of?” and “Mr. Highway’s Thinking About The End” the quality of the set list was crystal clear. With such a perfect line up of songs accompanied by confetti, balloons and lead singer Jeremy McKinnon crowd surfing in a giant human hamster ball, it was undoubtedly a night no one would forget!
It was obvious the crowd was loving every minute, the mosh pits barely ceasing throughout the entire show, and a circle pit taking over the whole room at the request of the band. Even through the mellower “Have Faith In Me”, the crowd were looking nowhere but the stage and when the seventeenth song of the set, 2007 single “The Plot To Bomb The Panhandle” began, the crowd reacted with just as much energy as the beginning of the show. Jeremy mentioned on numerous occasions that Manchester was “where it started” for the band in the UK, making it a special show for them and their fondness was eagerly returned.
The encore brought the acoustic “If It Means A Lot To You” to the crowd’s delight, their voices almost drowning out Jeremy’s and it was clear that every member of the audience was entirely caught up in the moment. The final song of the set, obvious favourite “The Downfall Of Us All”, brought with it the return of the frenzy as everyone, both band and crowd, went for it for the final few minutes of the show.
The atmosphere in the venue once the band had left the stage was electric and it is without a doubt that A Day To Remember deserve every sold out show they get.
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