Reviews

Renowned as London's borough of live rock and metal music, there's no better place in the Capital to host a festival than in Camden. The annual Camden Rocks Festival was upon us at the end of last month, completely taking over the venues across Camden High Street and beyond - here's how we spent our glorious Saturday afternoon!

Since the release of their debut album Never Happy, Ever After in April 2015, As It Is have gone from strength to strength. From slots at Warped Tour and Reading and Leeds festivals to the re-release of their debut album with additional tracks, this is a band going places and fast. We headed down to the second of two dates at Camden’s Underworld to see their sold out show with support from Jule Vera and With Confidence we were hopeful for a sweaty night of musical fun.

Every once in a while, the British scene gets graced with a truly great band, Fort Hope are one of these. Following on from the release of their Manne of Lawe EP they’ve embarked on a hefty 22 date tour, including a sold-out date at London’s Barfly. We couldn’t help but have a feeling feel that tonight was going to be something pretty great.

You want to invite us to a ‘Hometown Brodown’ tour you say? Well, okay - we don’t mind if we do! With some of the UK’s best up and coming talent on offer in Adelphia, Breathe In The Silence, Pavilions and of course, the almighty dirt, it would be hard not to. Each of the four shows have been catering to each bands’ town of origin, and tonight it’s the turn of London, where (at least a few of) the lads in dirt hail from.

A crowded room with a sticky floor, other people’s bodily fluids, and an almost inevitable hangover looming the next day might not be everyone’s idea of a good Wednesday night, but if we’re perfectly honest, there’s not many other places we’d rather be. Tonight, As Lions are out in force to dominate Camden Barfly, and they achieve their aims entirely.

Any losses on bar tonight are easily made up in the droves of young fans who’ve parted ways for tickets to see what we can comfortably assume are their idols. It’s clear that this is a tour that has worked very, very well, merging You Me At Six and All Time Low - the crème de la crème from both sides of the Atlantic - in such a way that’s so commendable, it’s almost genius.

When you’re genuinely questioning whether or not a band are miming for the best part of 30 minutes, something’s either gone horrifically wrong or very, very right. Fortunately for dirt, it’s the latter. Tonight, the band play their debut - and sold out - show to celebrate the long-awaited release of EP Mirrors at London’s Islington Academy 2.

When you're involved in the music journalism community, you'll often get a tonne of requests asking to review what seems like every album under the sun. Within reason, this is fine; but when it's people you know, people you've essentially grown up with or that you see around every day, it's understandable that you're filled with something kind of resembling dread when faced with this panic-inducing request. Thankfully, with Pavilions, this isn't the case.

Tonight’s Enter Shikari show at the Hatfield Forum sold out in 30 minutes flat – at least that’s what we’re told by countless excitable fans dressed head-to-toe in their merch (literally) as we prepare to go inside. So, no pressure then guys… the fans are out in droves.

With the line for The Used well and truly snaking around the block hours before doors, it’s safe to say this is a band who have retained a certain level of relevance over the years.