Packing heat in a heatwave
After missing their set at Download Festival I travelled down to Brighton to catch Thornhill at the iconic Concorde 2 in Brighton. This was the first time I had visited the venue, I have attended quite a few gigs in the city but this was the first time attending this particular venue- a 600-capacity grassroots space.
Arriving around half an hour before doors was actually a mistake on my part. This is usually my plan when attending shows in smaller venues, alas this show was in the middle of an unrelenting heatwave. Getting in was a smooth process though and the staff were lovely, I bought myself a drink and got myself settled somewhere in the middle and off towards the side.
Eville, a female fronted local band, kicked off the evening and got the crowd warmed up. They played songs from their debut ep
‘BRAT METAL’ and I would argue that the title really speaks for itself in terms of the genre of their music.
Their set was very fun, sassy lyrics mixed with catchy riffs and a very energetic crowd. Eva Sheldrake is a vocal powerhouse and can really pack a scream too, guitarist and backing vocalist Riley Sweeney added lots of depth with some lower register growls which complimented her beautifully. The duo jumped into the crowd during their song ‘Fetch’ and poured their hearts out as they effortlessly commanded the circle pit that surrounded them.
There is some room for confidence to grow, but this band does know what they want and where the direction of their music is going alongside their visual performance. They really do have a strong future ahead of them and I have seen that they are opening for Lake Malice with their upcoming album release shows.
TheBoyShadow were the next opener and there was a striking contrast between them and Eville. This performance stood out to me more visually with graphics playing in the background tying in seamlessly with what was going on at the front- they had some serious theming. My main thoughts at the time were ‘how on earth are they wearing that in a heatwave?’, they were masked and fully covered. They shifted the energy in the room effortlessly to prepare for Thornhill’s set.
The music itself was brilliant, I do like to listen to the support acts before going to shows, but with Download Festival being the week prior it completely slipped my mind. Their songs featured rich vocals with heavy screams combined with some nasty riffs with an overall dreamy melodic sound. I do need to give these guys more of a listen because I really did enjoy what I saw and can see them taking spots in my playlist.
Thornhill took the stage by storm, diving straight into their set with ‘TONGUES’. The crowd were immediately engaged and the energy was intense- carrying through despite the growing heat. The passion from the people around me was astounding; every single lyric being sung back to the band coupled nicely with the bass shaking my bones.
The setlist was brilliant, heavily focused on their album ‘BODIES’, which was released last year, alongside fan favourites from their albums ‘Heroine’ and ‘The Dark Pool’. The music itself translates incredibly well into a live performance and you can really feel those deep riffs and heavy breakdowns on another level. One song that stuck out to me in particular was ‘Lily & the Moon’. It is one of my favourite Thornhill songs, but hearing it live really did add another level of emotion- especially with everyone singing along.
The band itself played incredibly well, Jacob’s talent is awe inducing with wide vocal range and piercing screams mingling well with the other instruments. The rhythm section takes a lot of lead with the drums packing a punch and bass coordinating to take control whilst adding the weight.
The guitars are layered perfectly with riffs that add to the overall dynamics, adding an extra impact in breakdowns and providing an airy, melodic influence in other areas. I am curious about the technical side such as effects and pedals though, I know that definitely has a lot of influence on the sound and how they are able to seamlessly translate their music from the studio to a live performance.
Unfortunately, due to the heat I did have to sit outside for the last few songs. It was just too hot for me in the venue which is of course not their fault. The sound did carry through to the back of the venue and out of the doors where I was sitting and I did get to enjoy their whole set. The overall sound was encapsulated wonderfully which is something I love about smaller venues, often when it comes to larger shows I feel like it’s easy for parts to become muddy or lose strength, especially if you’re in the back of an arena for example. I also enjoy the intimacy of the small venues and I feel like there is more of a connection with the artists and audience, it is so much easier for the energy to feedback off one another too.
I left the venue feeling very fulfilled and a bit sweaty, but this really was an incredible night. Thornhill are a band that I urge anyone to listen to, especially if you are someone who enjoys metalcore. They craft such a brilliant atmosphere that doesn’t fade after the set ends, it follows you through the night and creates such a natural high that is hard to replicate. Through those harsh breakdowns and melodic riffs, they have crafted such a beautiful sound that leaves you just wanting more. I do want more and I will be rushing to see them again when they next come to the UK.
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