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- Lostprophets
London
Astoria
Wednesday 11th
June
Support: Attack!
Attack!, The New 1920s, Flash! Flash! Flash! Photography
Rationing
themselves once again Lostprophets play just three warm up shows
before their headline date at this years Download Festival.
The air is stuffy,
and the walls of the London Astoria drip with condensation as the sweaty
crowd wait through the long set change. The lights then dim and the
audience are buzzing. Red lights beam across the stage highlighting the
huge backdrop. The tension builds with a very 30 Seconds to Mars
epic style intro, and hysteria masses as the six slick members stride onto
the stage.
Pounding straight
into We Still Kill in the Old Way Prophets start as they mean to go
on, spilling out all their most popular songs with chorus’ shouted back to
them, word perfect by their devout crowd.
The energy is as
high as the temperature, and working up a sweat front man Ian Watkins
strips off after the opener. His skinny white jeans riding low showing off
his tattoos, and occasionally a bum cheek as his belt fails to do its job
through the singers’ wide movements and arrogant twists. His style is
unique as he takes the blinding lime light. His characteristics, steps and
sways are like no other, they are all his own.
The Fake Sound
of Progress hits the set list like a club to a windscreen; shattered
carnage erupts as the entire floor turns into a giant mosh pit. Bodies
swirl in circular movements and shoulders bash the edges. There are few
sights like it, and few bands that can cause it.
Watkins takes time
to talk to his crowd; he talks about the status of the bands next release.
He knows that he has kept eager ears waiting a long time but they are
aiming for perfection. We already wrote about half the album, but it
wasn’t good enough. I’m not going to disrespect my mother like that. It’s
almost done and I guarantee it’ll be the best album of the year. The
six move into playing a complete track they have ready. The sounds and
vocals are a little Billy Talent in places, but the song is still
built with the ingredients common to all of the Lostprophets
biggest singles. Sometimes you may wonder at this bands success, for they
are not spectacular, they are not particularly different or out of this
world, they are not the most gifted of musicians and Watkins is, although
on pitch, not the most vocally ranged singer. What they do have is
continuity. Each of their releases is a step up from the last. They are
fantastic song writers who know how to please. They know what people want;
sing out loud choruses, steady build ups, epic ends, and line after line
of well written words.
No member of the
sell out crowd is left disappointed, they bought their ticket knowing what
to expect; to hear their favourite tracks sung out live and to be given
the space to move to the noises with fellow fans in a bond of Rock.
Headliners they are, and headliners they will remain. The next album will
be highly criticised and widely adored. Singles will be aired and videos
shall play. Lostprophets will stay the favourite band of many, and
become the favourite band of discoverers still to find.
lostprophets.com
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