From the start, the excitement in the crowd is palpable. Most people normally only turn up after the support bands are finished but tonight, with the anticipation of Kill Hannah almost as high as the anticipation for Aiden, people are already flooding the Cockpit. Aiden tops and hoodies are displayed proudly, girls' eyes bat furiously at the roadies, cloaked in make-up as neon as the lights and the scent of hairspray reeks from scene kids' hair and mixes with the sweet smell of dry ice, pumped into the room. But it's not just scene kids out in their glory tonight. There are a fair number of goths, clad in hoodies and dark expressions; one memorable character has fake blood dripping from eyes and lips. Indeed everyone seems to have dressed up tonight, whether they are honouring wiL Francis' theatrics or Kill Hannah's stylishly dark fashions.
As the first band, Serpico, comes on the audience quiets, turning into a shuffling, murmuring beast, ready to be woken and moved, and the band does not disappoint. They're loud and the singer is energetic and enthused, getting the crowd onto its feet and starting the first pits of the night. They're a good start, if slightly more than reminiscent of Bullet for My Valentine. But some members of the crowd seem convinced and many are talking to the singer later as he stands drinking in The Cockpit bar, a cheerful smile on his face, slightly starstruck by all the attention. He seems to be a down-to-earth nice guy, away from the awesome stage presence that carries his band through from just-another-metal-band to a band that could become one of the big groups of 2008/9.
As the second band, Brigade, comes on the audience are ready to be impressed. Brigade, with their emo hair and indie clothes, seem slightly better chosen to support Aiden, however, they have nothing of the exciting stage presence demonstrated by Mikey (lead singer of Serpico). Indeed the singer, (essentially a blonde Brendan Urie), is just another clone who jumped on the emo bandwagon. His gyrating and writhing, but inability to connect with the crowd, cause shouts such as, "You're not Elliot Minor!" However the songs are good, if clichéd and the few fans of the band are happy to fill in for the rest of the crowd. But something tells me they've made no converts tonight.
As dry ice starts to pour onto the stage, filling the room with its sickly sweet scent, a glad change from the reek of sweaty bodies in hot air, the audience falls quiet once again. Then, as the first strains of guitar fill the room and Kill Hannah step onto The Cockpit stage the audience suddenly come alive, shrieks and shouts rend the air, particularly when Kill Hannah's guitarists reveal the green lasers coming out of the neck of their guitars and beam them around the room. Mat Devine knows stage presence and sex appeal well enough and happily teases the females in the audience, lifting up his flimsy, clingy top during the gig to rub his chest provocatively. It works well as a pair of panties are thrown on stage, to which the singer remarks "Only one? I assume the rest of you aren't wearing any then." This causes screams from the girls in the audience and one audience member to wish she hadn't chosen shorts. However, it's their music that causes the greatest excitement as they select a great mix of old and new. The best 3 being; Boys and Girls(?) which is played first, causing almost the whole audience to jump and scream the lyrics, united in their old or newly-found love for Kill Hannah. The second is an old favourite, "I Wanna Be a Kennedy". You wouldn't think anyone could make this song work at a gig. Its quiet utterances and simple melody make it a song to listen to rather than jump to. But Kill Hannah manage it and, with easy lyrics to pick up, by the end of the song everyone is screaming their desire to be rich and famous with girls on their arms. The third song is the last one to be played. It is one any fan, old or new, will recognise, and as the band does a resounding rendition of "Lips like Morphine" the crowd unites to jump in unison, digital cameras forgotten so they can absorb the moment and that awesome feeling that a truly rocking performance gives you.
You wouldn't have thought that anyone could top Kill Hannah, indeed Aiden should have been a disappointment after such a show. But they don't disappointment. The reaction wiL francis gets as he walks on stage is second to none and when they start to play everyone is moving. They play first songs from their new album, and then move onto the old favourites that everyone knows. As wiL commands it so it is done and a huge pit fills the centre of the room in the first song. Favourites would have to be Teenage Queen and Die Romantic. Teenage Queen, played first is full of energy and the excitement of hearing it live for the first time runs through the crowd with excitement. Many bands couldn't claim that at their first tour for an album all the audience knew the words to all their songs, but Aiden wears their badge proudly as the audience scream along to every song, buoyed up by wiL's enthusiasm as he shows Brigades singer just how its done. Die Romantic is possibly the best song played, an old favourite from their last album that everyone appreciates, even the guys in the pits stop for a while to shout along with the lyrics, till wiL reiterates his command. The sheer energy that fills the room during the song is intense and at the line "I don't think she'll make it through the night" the audience almost drowns out the music.
When Aiden finally leave the stage it's to rapturous applause and screams, and instantly the fans are pouring into the bar to meet the singer and the guitarist of Kill Hannah and then out round the back of The Cockpit to wait in hope for wiL. Overall, it has been an amazing gig, with every band offering something and every fan leaving satisfied, at least for now.
Gig Date: Tuesday, 8th April 2008 | 702 page views.
