Sleeping With Sirens
29th April 2018
Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Kidd. Photography by Matt Henry Mendonca.
On rare occasions a show can provide you with a veritable smorgasbord of music from around the globe from which to partake of. Tonight’s Sleeping with Sirens show at The Powerstation is one such show.
With doors opening literally around tea time (yes it was an early starter tonight) what better way to begin the proceedings with an entrée from our neighbours in Australia. The Faim are a name that you are going to want to note down as they are about to burst all over the airwaves. Having recently signed a global deal with BMG Music, this four piece who hail from Perth are not only a tight unit of friends who grew up together, but an even tighter band whose music cuts a path before them. Fronted by Josh Raven – who has a natural stage presence and an impressive vocal range – The Faim stormed the stage and hit the audience with ‘My Heart Needs to Breathe’. Easily holding the attention of all who were present, The Faim’s set list may have still been a little too new for some to know well, but the music drew you in none the less, even impressing several local photographers. A particular highlight was ‘A Million Stars’ where Raven incorporated the haunting howl from the iconic Pixies track ‘Where Is My Mind’ before The Faim finished their set with their huge new single ‘Saints of the Sinners’ which is so unbelievably catchy that it will undoubtedly be a bonafide anthem of 2018.
Moving onto tonight’s main course, fans were ecstatic to finally have English four piece Lower Than Atlantis play on NZ soil. Hailing from Hertfordshire the band immediately brought a heavier rock driven sound to the evening through the goodness of their guitars. While their set was plagued by some unfortunate technical issues – the fantastically dry humour of lead vocalist Mike Duce kept the crowd not only laughing, but glued to their stage performance. Having first formed in 2007 this certainly isn’t their first tour and with five studio albums under their belt, there is no shortage of material from which to choose. However for tonight’s set the band draw from their last two releases; the self-titled LP of 2014 and their latest release Safe in Sound. From the grinding guitars of opener ‘Had Enough’ through to the chant style chorus of ‘Work For It’ – Duce looking rather pleased with the audience’s efforts to sing along tonight – Lower Than Atlantis kept the tight-knit audience on their toes.
Despite the early set time (a fact that Duce struggled with but planned on curing with beer and lots of it) Lower Than Atlantis put on a set worthy of a headline spot. Noticing that the fans upstairs on the balcony were completely immersed in their music, Duce decided towards the end of the set that he wanted to pay them a visit. Advising the audience of his intentions; bassist Declan Hart and lead guitarist Ben Sansom kept the riffs churning in time to drummer Eddy Thrower as Duce disappeared off side of stage, only to reappear at the top of the balcony where he proceeded to do a running high five of all in attendance capping it off with a mini solo on the bar. With a performance that was part English charm, part humour and a whole lot of tantalising rock music, Lower Than Atlantis’ live debut definitely left a mark on NZ.
Of course when it comes to a smorgasbord, nothing is better than the dessert section, and as the fans pressed against the front barrier they could already taste the sweet tang of gutsy pop rock that Sleeping with Sirens would soon be laying down before them. As the stage was slowly illuminated, hazy smoke cloaking its edges the crowd began to cheer as before them the five members of the Florida band appeared, drummer Gabe Barham appropriately wearing a black tank top that stated boldly in white lettering ‘Thank God For Punk Rock’. ‘We Like It Loud’ opened the show with a bang, fans immediately throwing themselves into the music as both guitarists Nick Martin sporting the infamous Misfits skull on the back of his denim vest and Jack Fowler in a Marilyn Manson sleeveless tee moved forward to the edge of the stage, looming out over the fans as they played.
While the show gets off to a flying start, lead vocalist Kellin Quinn appears to be struggling a little; tossing his mic into the air he misses it on the way back down, a second attempt also failing. As a bottle of wine is passed around on stage, Quinn continues to pace; and while looking as if he would rather be anywhere else than here he continues to sing, hitting the impressive octaves that his fans have come to know and love. Quinn has often been vocal about his battles with both depression and social anxiety, an issue that has plagued him for a number of years and as the band moved into ‘Better Off Dead’ a change could slowly be seen to be coming over him; the track itself one of great personal meaning to him as it speaks of his dealings with mental health. To continue to place your yourself in a position that is open to scrutiny takes great courage, and it is this element to Quinn’s personality that many Sleeping with Sirens fans admire so deeply. Honest and open about his battles, Quinn has stated several times in interviews that he continues to make music as he understands that it can often be a lifeline… to not only himself but the fans.
As the evening progresses calm befalls Quinn; as the rest of the band move about the stage guns a blazing, bassist Justin Hills stationed next to the drum kit, hammering out the bass lines, a quiet power emanates from Quinn. Throwing his head back he delivers the final lines of ‘Hole In My Heart’ with such conviction that many of the fans in the front row can only stand and stare before erupting in applause. Little did they know that they would soon be treated to an even more stripped back version of Quinn’s vocals as the rest of the band took a break, leaving both Quinn and Martin alone. Swapping to an acoustic Martin began to pluck the strings, the opening notes of one of his own personal favourites (as he divulged in a recent interview) ringing out across the room; ‘One-man Army’ prompting an inspirational sing-a-long. In fact the fans this evening would receive three acoustic tracks including ‘Roger Rabbit’ and ‘Gossip’ the title track from their latest album, Quinn chucking in a little beat box action as an added bonus.
While ‘Strays’ began as an acoustic, the rest of the band soon returned to stage to provide an explosive finish; the crowd lapping it up and happily joining in as Martin and Fowler raised their arms above their heads and began to clap. Really slamming their foot down on the accelerator pedal, Sleeping with Sirens delivered tracks such as ‘Congratulations’ and the massive single from Gossip entitled ‘Legends’ with gusto. Exiting the stage the fans loudly demanded an encore, their voices and collective stamping of feet obviously music to the ears for the band as they returned full of smiles, Quinn’s one of the biggest.
Thanking the fans, Sleeping with Sirens took everyone back in time to their early work that first put them on the map, before descending into hilarity as Quinn collapsed on the floor and Fowler chugged back a can of corona without taking his hands off his guitar once; but not before Quinn executed a couple of his trademark mic tricks; the fans roaring in approval as he nailed them perfectly. While tonight’s show may not have reached the dizzying heights of Sleeping with Sirens last appearance in NZ, it was an authentic delivery of not only their latest work but well-loved nods to the past; and just like a good meal, it was one that left their fans well and truly sated.
Sleeping With Sirens:
Lower Than Atlantas:
The Faim:
Were you there at the Powerstation for this great rock gig? Or have you seen Sleeping With Sirens perform live somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Sleeping With Sirens setlist:
- We Like It Loud
- Go Go Go
- Better Off Dead
- Empire To Ashes
- Hole In My Heart
- One-Man Army
- Roger Rabbit
- Gossip
- The Strays
- Trouble
- Congratulations
- Legends
- If I’m James Dean You’re Audrey Hepburn [encore]
- If You Can’t Hang [encore]
- Kick Me [encore]
Lower Than Atlantas setlist:
- Had Enough
- Dumb
- Work For It
- Get Over It
- I Would
- Words Don’t Come Easily
- English Kids In America
- Here We Go
The Faim setlist:
- My Heart Needs To Breathe
- Infamous
- Midland Line
- Make Believe
- Summer Is A Curse
- I Can Feel You
- A Million Stars
- Saints Of The Sinners
If you enjoyed this content, please consider donating towards the running of Ambient Light, covering expenses and allowing us to expand the coverage you love by visiting our PressPatron page.