Silverstein at the O2 Academy, Islington

Two weeks ago I received an email reminding me about my 'upcoming event', Silverstein at The Islington Academy. Erm, what now? You would think I would remember purchasing tickets to see one of my favourite bands, but no... and it wasn't until I had trawled through my emails that I finally remembered the slight credit card-bashing ticket-buying spree I went on last November, that included none other than Silverstein in Islington. So a big thank you to me from the past for buying such a wonderful present!

Canadian post-hardcore band Silverstein are currently celebrating the 10th anniversary of their second album Discovering the Waterfront (featuring the classic My Heroine amongst others) by playing the record in its entirety. As if that wasn't enough, they are opening shows with a handful of their most beloved from across the band's back catalogue.

So last Thursday, after a classy dinner of burritos and beer in the park, we went to Islington and found a pretty packed Academy waiting for us. (Word to the wise, if you can nab a spot at the back by the bar you can enjoy unobstructed views and easy drinks access.)

Making friends in the park...

The last time I saw Silverstein was at the Underworld when they were promoting their latest album This Is How The Wind Shifts (you can read about that night here) and I said that it was the most excited I had been about a gig in a long time and that it would be very tough to beat. They set the bar high but yet again they killed it!

They opened on a high-energy note with Smashed Into Pieces and Massachusetts, followed by a mix of old and newer material including Sacrifice, Bleeds No More and my personal favourite, Vices. I think everyone in the room was singing along to every word, no surprise really considering this band's knack for combining amazing music with ridiculously catchy lyrics. Silverstein kept the momentum going whilst working their way through the entire of Discovering the Waterfront, finishing on a high with Call It Karma. A perfect night.

At the end of the show we were all on beer-fuelled high and went to meet front man Shane Told, who was happily taking photos and chatting to fans. This is surprisingly rare for a band that can easily fill a venue the size of Islington Academy and gave me a new found respect for a band that I already love. Thank you Silverstein for another epic show, here's to the next one!

My good friend Christopher and I after far too many beers, with a patient Shane Told...

www.silversteinmusic.com

Silverstein at The Underworld, Camden

28th November 2013

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that this is the most excited I had been about a show in a very long time. Not only are Silverstein an amazing live band, who haven’t been in the UK for a few years, but their latest album This Is How The Wind Shifts is nothing short of fantastic.

©Deanna Wordley, courtesy of www.soundscapemagazine.com

Normally it’s pretty hard for a band to make you fall in love with an album in the same way as the first one that drew you to them. They can keep making music you love, but that first album you fell hard for always has a certain magic that is near impossible to beat. However a couple of listens of Silverstein’s latest offering had my gig-buddies and I exchanging looks which said, ‘is this actually as awesome as I think it is?!’ To which the answer is, categorically, yes.

Formed in Ontario, Canada in 2000, Silverstein have released six studio albums and cite Dead Kennedys, Green Day and NOFX as influences. They are the kind of band that can successfully cover a whole spectrum of emotions in one carefully crafted album, from the heaviest screams to the most beautiful melodies.

They had stuck to a very similar set list for the first leg of the tour, but the European portion came with the promise of a few changes. So five weeks ago I was at The Underworld in Camden, filled with excitement and festive beverages (mulled cider? winter Pimms?… erm, yes please!)

Clad in a NOFX denim jacket, Shane Told filled the venue with his powerful vocals, keeping the audience hooked from start to finish. We grabbed ourselves a good position; towards the back but with a perfect view that was unobstructed by those bloody Underworld pillars! The energy was electric.

Opening with Your Sword Versus My Dagger and moving straight into the incredible Massachusetts, they played a good mixture of old and new material. They even included a few songs that, in my humble opinion, had been missing from recent set lists, such as a personal favourite Vices, cleverly sandwiched between A Great Fire and Broken Stars.

Another addition was guitarist Paul's beautiful rendition of Arrivals and the entire band's subsequent delivery of Departures – both highlights from the latest album – followed by Giving Up. This section was a nicely executed change of pace, which only served to hype the crowd up more for the powerful finale of My Heroine and Smile In Your Sleep which followed.

The band returned on stage for an encore of To Live and Lose followed by Smashed Into Pieces. Aside from To Live and Lose, the last few songs were in fact the one thing that barely changed throughout the tour. And although elsewhere the changes were welcome, here I was glad that they stuck to the tried and tested. As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it – and these songs are far from broken.

I hope Silverstein will be back in the UK soon. I’ve seen some great bands at The Underworld, but this was one gig that will be very hard to beat.

www.silversteinmusic.com
@silverstein

Today's Soundtrack: Silverstein – A Better Place

Today's soundtrack is A Better Place by Silverstein. The official video was released last week and it is the fifth track on their seventh studio album, This Is How The Wind Shifts.

The album was released in February and I thoroughly recommend getting your hands on a copy if you haven't already. Make sure you get the Australian or iTunes edition which has three bonus acoustic tracks, including my personal favourite, Massachusetts.

Silverstein will be back in the UK next month and I'm very excited to see them as it's been a couple of years now. I'm also thrilled to have a few gigs on the horizon as this summer has been a real gig drought! You know you've missed my 'insightful' reviews...

Anyway here is A Better Place. Enjoy!


www.silversteinmusic.com
@silverstein

Today's Soundtrack: Silverstein – Still Dreaming

Today’s Soundtrack is Still Dreaming by Silverstein, for one reason and one reason only… they’re finally coming back to the UK! That’s right people, get the date in your diary, because on November 28th Silverstein will be playing at The Underworld in Camden.

After their performance at Download in 2011 they declared pretty angrily that they were never coming back to England again (I never did find out why but apparently it had something to do with dolphins...). However it appears they've changed their minds and I for one am thrilled about it!

So sit back, relax, and listen to the sweet sounds of Still Dreaming. Perfect song for a rather gloomy Tuesday morning.

See you in November!

www.silversteinmusic.com

@silverstein