Papa Roach / Ho99o9 – Birmingham Academy – 05/10/17
Papa Roach took the O2 Academy Birmingham by storm with an astounding performance as part of the Crooked Teeth album tour. The setlist was a mix of songs ranging from the old to the new, satisfying all generations of Papa Roach fans that came in their masses.
Ho99o9 (8.5), the manic two-man unit, opened the show with an eclectic performance that left the audience stunned; yet intrigued. Ho99o9’s stage presence was fascinating to watch, their relentless energy was admirable and unpredictable, the light show matching their frantic movements and compelling stage presence. The choice for support band may be viewed as somewhat of a mismatch, yet Ho99o9 proved they were there to stay. If you weren’t aware of Ho99o9 beforehand, their performance was certainly one you wouldn’t forget.
Papa Roach (9) teased the crowd with an intro track, the fans getting restless as they await their highly anticipated performance. The band emerged on stage and went head first into the opening numbers which included ‘Getting Away with Murder’, ‘Between Angels’ and ‘Insects’ which sparked a wild reaction from the crowd, singing and head banging along passionately to some classic Papa Roach tracks. Jacoby Shaddix, the bands front man urges the crowd to start mosh pits throughout, enticing the audience to get even more rowdy, much to his satisfaction. The enthusiasm from the audience never seemed to die out, not even for a moment.
Tracks from the Crooked Teeth album such as ‘Born For Greatness’ saw Shaddix crowd surf with a mic in hand, Shaddix’s highly ambitious aim to get to the back of the enormous room was unsuccessful, only managing to clamber forward a couple of rows of people, but the keen crowd interaction saw Shaddix in high spirits nonetheless. ‘Scars’ saw the room booming with voices, all belting out the lyrics alongside Shaddix with the utmost passion and enthusiasm, the crowd almost outdoing Shaddix himself. This track was definitely a crowd favourite and was certainly a track that got everyone singing along to each and every word/ An unexpected number came along in the form of a cover of Blur’s iconic ‘Song 2’ which definitely saw the crowd bouncing along to Papa Roach’s twist on a classic track.
One poignant moment of the night was Jacoby’s mention of the passing of Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. Shaddix’s inspiring speech about mental health saw the crowd roar with cheers and applause, touching on such a sensitive topic brought forward the empowerment of a message of togetherness and community within the alternative music scene. One of closing tracks of the night came in the form of the popular hit ‘Last Resort’, there was no doubt this would be one of the highlights of the night. Papa Roach certainly did not disappoint, their stage presence and showmanship are still as dynamic as ever before.
Check out the full set of Papa Roach photos from this show here!
(PLEASE DO NOT CROP OR EDIT IMAGES)
Review & Photos: Steph Evans
