Tonights show is full of pressure for the Blackhole boys, they are set to take the stage at Islington’s Bar Academy, in front of a crowd consisting of fans, which is also brimming with industry moguls. That is not all they have to contend with though, as frontman, Rich Carter, continuously and unfairly, has the pressure of keeping up with brother Frank’s progress and vitriol fuelled vocal delivered with Gallows. As support band, The Plight, take to the stage they unwittingly make things a lot harder, playing a storming set that sounds part Black Sabbath, part Iron Maiden, and full of Rock and fuckin’ Roll. This band is actually amazing,and as they leave the stage we feel saddened that we hadn’t discovered them earlier! They leave the stage vacant for Blackhole, who now have an almost impossible task of topping The Plights solid show. As Blackhole pile onstage ripping straight into tracks including,’I’m Failing to See How This Is A Good Thing,’ it sounds like someone has turned the volume down, in fact we are sure they have. Tonight’s crowd seem like they have rigourmortis setting in, as a large section remains annoyingly stiff throughout, watching curiously to see what Blackhole can deliver in the shadows of Gallows. As they close the set with ‘We Are Dead Hearts,’the majority of the crowd are finally getting into it, sadly it’s too little too late. As Blackhole leave the stage we feel confident that aided by a more energetic crowd, and better sound quality, they truly have the capability to blow The Plight and many other bands out of the water. 7/10
Words Ian Arnold
