Simon Rushworth
@ Newcastle O2 Academy, December 9 2013
For one band, this was their first time touring on the other side of the Atlantic, while the headline act are seasoned veterans of the British live scene. For American Fangs, opening the set for Papa Roach is an experience that can only serve them well.
Riding high on the back of their RUSHONROCK Rated 7/10 EP Pomona, American Fangs started their set to a crowd still making its way inside the venue – due to the fact that doors only opened half an hour before they were set to take the stage.
But that didn’t stop the guys from Houston embracing the quickly filling Academy and providing them with something else to remember other than the Papa Roach set.
AF finished off their set in explosive fashion with two songs, including their single Pomona, that showcased the noise and passion that they bring to the stage. They performed in true rock and roll way, with plenty of energy and spirit to ensure that their second time in Newcastle will be even more well received than their first.
The main act of the night, rockin rappers, thrash metallers and hard rockers all rolled into one – Papa Roach – left it all out on the stage in front of a near sell-out Academy crowd who idolised Jacoby Shaddix and his band right from the first chord.
Shaddix is a master of entertainment and he was on top form on Tyneside. He worked the crowd from top to bottom, all the way through his set and beyond – where he posed for photos long after the final notes had died down.
Even though they were touring in support of their latest album, The Connection, the Roach still found time for a good number of their old hits, including Between Angles and Insects, Born With Nothing, Die With Everything and Dead Cell.
The Californians have been going since 1993, and it’s a testament to their energy and stagecraft that they can still bring such passion and energy to a show after two decades.
They do more than that though. They make the crowd love them as Shaddix directs from above and, on multiple occasions, confesses how much it all means it him.
But the best was left for the triumphant finale as Papa Roach proved that some of their hits are truly timeless. No matter how many times they play Last Resort it’ll always be screamed back at them with the same intensity and fervour.
Russell Hughes