The venue opened at 6pm and everything was over by 10pm. I quite like nights like this in London, especially as I was not staying that close to the venue, and when I got to the venue just before it opened there was already quite a long queue forming. The show was sold out, and the heat in the room made this very apparent as the evening went on, but thankfully the evening was a snappy one in terms of changeovers so, despite the doors opening a little late, the show flew by. The two support bands on this tour were both very different - so the evening was also extremely varied. Up first were In Search of Sun, a funky hard rock/metal act that certainly felt like the late 1990s/early 2000s reborn. There were strong doses of both pop-punk and nu-metal in their sound, but there were also some more traditional hard rock and metal influences, too, and the band's half an hour on stage certainly warmed the crowd up for what was to come. The venue was not too hot yet, so there was quite a bit of energy in the room as the band took to the stage. In Search of Sun were full of energy for the next 30 or so minutes, then, and there were clearly quite a few in attendance who were already fans. There was a bit of singing to be heard from the crowd during some of the choruses - and the band had a likeable stage presence and energy which drew more people in. In truth, the band were not really my thing - but it was hard not to get swept up in the energy of their music. The riffing from the two guitarists kept the tracks feeling pretty bouncy throughout the band's set - whilst frontman Adam Leader really helped to get the crowd going with his big personality and strong vocal presence. His voice was sometimes a bit low in the mix, which was a shame, but generally the mix was pretty good - and the band impressed despite them not really being my thing. I cannot see me listening to them in my own time, but as a live act they were a strong addition to the bill - and they kicked the evening off in fine fashion, adding some unadulterated fun to the proceedings.
High Parasite, who followed, were very different. Fronted by seemingly AWOL My Dying Bride frontman Aaron Stainthorpe, a real legend in the British metal scene, the five-piece gothic metal band were easily the heaviest thing on the bill. Whilst High Parasite are not exactly a million miles away from Stainthorpe's day job sound-wise, the band's album reminds me more of mid-period Paradise Lost with the addition of harsh vocals - so for the next 40 or so minutes the underworld was filled melodic gothic/doom metal with the dual vocals Stainthorpe and Tombs (vocals/bass guitar) - alongside the melodic guitar leads of Jonny Hunter. I listened to the band's debut album Forever We Burn a few times before the show, but it did not really stick with me. I like a lot of the ingredients, but the songwriting was not really connecting. Despite this, though, I enjoyed seeing the band live - so I intend to persevere with the album. Whilst the band somewhat stuck out on a bill of what was generally more up-tempo hard rock, High Parasite still garnered a strong reaction. There were plenty of High Parasite shirts on display throughout the venue - and the band gave it their all despite being crammed towards the front of the stage. It must be strange for Stainthorpe to be playing somewhere like the Underworld and not evening headlining. He did not seem to mind the less than salubrious surroundings, though, and the band looked like they were having a great time despite the gloom of their sound - with Stainthorpe being witty between the songs and the rest of the band throwing plenty of great rock and roll shapes. I recognised many of the songs played, which suggests that the album stuck with me more than I thought, with the opening cut Parasite being a strong first impression - whilst later tracks Concentric Nightmares and Hate Springs Eternal saw plenty of headbanging from the large crowd. Stainthorpe was in fine voice throughout, mixing harsh and baritone clean vocals, whilst Tombs added some occasional more melodic clean vocals - all whilst being the most active musician on the stage in his face paint. The band's performance and demeanour added a lightness to what could have been a very downbeat set given the slower grooves of their doomy material - but a number of the choruses stuck, as did the plentiful lead guitar moments. The heaviness and atmosphere were a great addition to the night, though, and it was a treat to see Stainthorpe live given his standing in the metal world. The band ended on a high with the title track of their debut album, with plentiful vocal melodies from Tombs, and it seems that, currently at least, this band is where Stainthorpe's heart lies - so it will be interesting to see how they progress from here.
Following two very different support acts, which had both been well received, South of Salem were ready to take things to the next level. Despite the extreme heat in the room by this point, which definitely effected the energy levels of the crowd, the band delivered a strong set which showcased why they are one of the most exciting prospects on the scene currently. The show was the final night of the tour, too, so spirits were high - and from the opening drum barrage of Let Us Prey it was clear that the band meant business. Whilst the set was generally dedicated to Death of the Party, the first few numbers took in both the past and the future. Let Us Prey always works well as an opener, and the band were joined on stage by two cheerleaders who would resurface occasionally throughout the set. The gang vocals during the chorus were handled well by the crowd, too, and frontman Joey Draper did not have to do much to get anyone on side. The band's newly-released cover of Savage Garden's To the Moon and Back came up next, which saw plenty of singing despite it only being a few weeks old, whilst the smooth hooks of Pretty Little Nightmare also impressed early on. It is clear that the band are not wanting to rest on their laurels, either, as this tour has also seen the debut of a new song - which I assume will end up on album number three at some point. The song in question, Fallout, may well be the band's heaviest yet - at least in terms of riffing. The chorus was easy to latch onto, and packed with the band's usual hooks, but the rest of the song felt more metallic overall - and I would certainly be keen for the band to explore some heavier territories in the future. It has made me look forward to what will come - but then it was time to turn our attentions back to last year, as the rest of the main set was made up of a full performance of Death of the Party. The debut might still be slightly stronger overall, but Death of the Party is fantastic - as the opening trio of Vultures, Static, and Jet Black Eyes proved. The latter two are two of the band's best songs, and both were sung loudly by the crowd. I had seen a number of the songs done live before, either before it dropped or on that tour with Kris Barras, but there were a few which I had not. Stitch the Wound was one that was new to me in a live setting, with the riffy track really working well live. Two of the main highlights come later in the album, though, with the sleazy Bad Habits (Die Hard) again seeing plenty of singing thanks to its Glamour of the Kill-esque hooks - whilst the title track is a real party anthem which again saw the cheerleaders joining the band to perform some dance routines. Following a brief drum solo from James Clarke, the last two songs of the set were then delivered - with A Life Worth Dying For really coming alive on stage. The set came to a close with Villain, which I think is the weakest song on the album - but it nevertheless came across well live, and the band took a brief step off stage following the song's conclusion. Despite the crowd being vocal throughout the show, the cheers to bring the band back for an encore were pretty weak. I imagine the heat was catching up with everyone by this point - but the band still came back anyway. The slow-burn of Demons Are Forever kicked off the two-song encore - before their signature anthem Cold Day in Hell brought the night to a close, with plenty more singing despite the heat. The setlist was:
Let Us Prey
To the Moon and Back [Savage Garden cover]
Pretty Little Nightmare
Fallout
Vultures
Static
Jet Black Eyes
Stitch the Wound
Left for Dead
Hellbound Heart
Bad Habits (Die Hard)
Death of the Party
Drum Solo
A Life Worth Dying For
Villains
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Demons Are Forever
Cold Day in Hell
Despite the heat, South of Salem delivered another excellent set in London which showcased why they are really climbing the ranks when it comes to newer British rock bands. A sold out Underworld is always a good achievement for an unsigned band - and many of the other shows on the tour also sold out. I would imagine that the next time the band come around as a headline act they will be playing bigger venues again - and it will be very much deserved. The new song played has got me looking forward to the future, too, and I am sure that I will be there again when South of Salem next tour.
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