Reviews

Mallory Knox at O2 Academy in Bristol gig review

Posted on: 2014-11-21

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves immensely and each band held with them an emotional appeal more than anything else. Those watching were predominantly young, and evidently moved by the lyrics, finding somewhere to identify and belong.

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Mallory Knox, Cambridge’s foremost alt-rockers, took to the O2 Academy stage in Bristol last night, supported by Fort Hope, Mooseblood and Frnk Iero and the Cellabration.

The night started with Mooseblood, a band also from Cambridge, who have a distinct emo sound. What marked this night out as different from many other gigs that I have been to is that people had turned up, crammed to the front, to see every single band that played. There were, in the audience, almost as many Mooseblood t shirts as there were Mallory Knox hoodies, and that only added to the building intensity of the night. The band played very well and a group of lads had evidently come just to see them, leaving after their set in rather high spirits.

Next up was Fort Hope. Again, the band had an appreciative crowd who seemed more than happy to aid the band in a little call-and-response exercise toward the end of their set.  It seemed evident that the vocalist was having the time of his life, jumping about and singing with such a punchy feeling it was nigh-on impossible not to feel drawn in.

FrnkIero and the Cellabration were the final support act of the night, and also win the prize for ‘Loudest Collective Fangirl Scream of 2014’. And for that they got a roughly 45 minute set. The set was excellent, and with just one album to choose from there was no fear of heckling ‘play one that we know’. The whole audience seemed to appreciate all 3 warm-up acts, with progressive frenzy building up to the headliners...

Mallory Knox have been around for a few years now, and have knocked out two relatively spot-on albums and won Kerrang! Magazine’s Best Newcomer Award in that time. Their career as a band has seen them collate a rather diverse fanbase among the young people of numerous countries, and tour extensively through festivals and prestigious live venues. Their sound, as a result, is exceptionally tight and well rehearsed. Always nice to see so many hands in the air, raised in celebration for a band that has spoken to countless young fans over the years. The gig itself provided a nice varied exploration through the tracks that have built up their career, and even a few very new tracks which were met with almost hysterical excitement. The band gave it their all on stage, there was a tangible aggressive passion that burst through every syllable and allowed for the audience to scream the words right back at them.

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves immensely and each band held with them an emotional appeal more than anything else. Those watching were predominantly young, and evidently moved by the lyrics, finding somewhere to identify and belong – and that is never a bad thing.

3/5

Photos and review by Miri Teixeira for 365Bristol

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