Funeral For A Friend / Fightstar

It always amuses me how closed minded some of the 'alternative' crowd can be. Tonights support comes from Fightstar, and on taking to the stage, there is a significant proportion of the crowd booing and throwing bottles. The thing is, Charlie Simpson et al are used to it now, and react in the best way possible, with a blistering set which by the end has converted even the most cynical of those in attendance. Opening with the storming 'Grand Unification Part 1', they showed that they can cut it with the big boys of rock. 'Paint Your Target' was phenomenal, and new single 'Hazy Eyes' could well be the festival anthem of the summer if people give them a chance.

The only problem with having a support act which gets the crowd jumping is that often people are too burned out to move for the headline band. Funeral For A Friend did not have this problem. With a lighting rig to rival most stadium shows, and enough energy to power the city, Funeral hit the Academy stage like a train, and for the next hour or so, didn't even stop for breath.

The setlist is pretty much an even split from the two albums. 'Juneau' gets everyone in the venue jumping, whilst 'Rookie Of The Year' gets the obligatory rock show sing along. From the latest album, the biggest cheers are reserved for 'History' and current single 'Roses For The Dead'. For 'All The Rage', Charlie Simpson takes to the stage again for second vocalist duties, and he shows that he can scream with the best of them. Unfortunately though. the newer material has never quite lived up to the promise of debut longplayer 'Casually Dressed and Deep in Conversation', and this translates into the live arena, with the more recent tracks seeming to act as a stopgap between the ones everyone likes best.

The band close with standout track from the debut album, 'She Turned Me To Daytime Television' which gives Newcastle's emo kids one last chance to jump around, and they grab it with both hands. The Academy is bouncing by the end, and when the lights finally come up, it is clear that the people got what they came for. Overall, a very enjoyable night, with two good sets from two great bands.

FUTURE GIGS