I've been wanting to see these guys ever since purchasing their first album and EP back in June 2014, thanks to Lewis due to introducing me to the Metalcore genre after we went to Download Festival 2014.
It was pretty amazing (the recordings were affected like when I saw Owl City), still I'm glad that me and Lewis were with all the Hooligans singing and shouting our hearts out to a band that I've been relating to for a long time. I even had to create a YouTube channel so I could upload the recordings, since BLOGGER has a "100MB limit" and it wouldn't work. Who knows what else I'll do or upload on there. But I'd appreciate a Like or Subscribe as I add more concert recordings and someday make videos with music or animations (once I get good again)!
So last Thursday, I had the pleasure of seeing Issues at the KOKO.
My 6th concert was pretty darn good since I was seeing a band whose words have cloaked around me as I've been trying to deal with stress and anxious thoughts over the last year. Their lyrics have had impacts on relating to my life (not always, only specific moments) and I admire their honesty and words of wisdom/ comfort into the mixed minds of how some people's lives really are.
I do feel that the show was like when I saw Crown The Empire where the entire show was divided up by 3 bands to space the time and that the main act was on for under an hour or so.
Still, I'm glad I went overall and managed to record almost every song, so here's why Issues are a unique band.
This picture explains the honest truth behind why sometimes a dark and distasteful genre to many is actually more interesting when you look at it from another angle. I'd rather headbang, rock out or just listen to someone shouting to lyrics that I can relate to instead of some hotshot who brags about his lifestyle and treat it like you should enjoy yourself no matter what. When actually, sometimes we can't because we have issues or anxiety or even stress taking over us (me in this case) and I don't need a fake Happy Song to engulf me when all I want is to find comfort and a good pair of ears to hear me out when I get like this. That's whey I can get back into being the real me and enjoy things once I've gotten whats in my head out and just talked to someone or sometimes have someone shout for me since I can'd do so in real life without causing a scene, ya know? Does anyone else agree?
I bought the tickets back in the first week of December last year and it was a brilliant decision and purchase at only £17.50 a ticket. Of course, I had to get 2 since it's the rule for gigs and I knew the perfect partner for seeing the very band that he introduced me to.
On Wednesday 25th May, I worked 7-3 so I could leave early, head to my Grandparents house to shower and get changed. Head to Three Bridges at 4.00 to park the car for £6 (day fare) and meet Lewis there and make our way to London and get to the KOKO at Mornington Crescent by 7.30 (doors open).
We actually arrived by 5.20, so we ventured around Camden Town where the marketplace was and check out the food areas. Thanks to my Crohns, it was vital to pick the proper take-out food instead of succumbing to the illness during the gig which luckily I didn't end up doing. A KFC did us justice and we headed for the venue near 7.00.But we got to the KOKO by 7.15.
We got in and bought our merchandise first since it would save time at the end and when the others queue up to buy the last sizes, ya know. I was caught between 2 designs but ended up going for the Tour T-Shirt whose design reminded me of Limp Bizkit a little (if you can notice the similarity too). Lewis got a shirt too.That Flag did look super tempting but alas, I have little space anymore on my walls in my room *sigh*.
But I went for the First Album as well and I decided to buy the newly released 2nd album for Syd at work since he's been teaching me everything the last 3 weeks and also loves these guys too.
We decided to stay on the upper levels since standing downstairs in the crowd was a risk of actually seeing the bands at all (I hate being 5ft 6) plus Lewis didn't want his glasses to be smashed or dropped (let's not forget that I had work the day after tomorrow, so no moshing for us).Plus there was this huge Disco Ball hanging from the ceiling and as dazzling as it was throughout the night to see glowing stars around the room, I still had that fear in the back of my head questioning "What if it falls?..."
However, Lewis was really pleased to hear them play N*ggas in Paris cover that he heard a year ago. Even I knew the lyrics to most of the song and I thought it wasn't a bad cover (bit like Punk Goes Pop, but that's way better). Plus their song Hate is pretty good.
I think it's nice that the main band ask or agree for these smaller bands to get their moment in the spotlight (not that I'm downgrading them or anything).But I do wish that the main act would last longer on stage since it feels that the time is split 3 ways between the groups instead of the main band getting more time, but then again they've only released 2 albums so far. So perhaps in the future, they'll last longer on stage thanks to the practise sessions and longer duration of their work.
I'm glad I was wearing the right T-Shirt for the night. And I thought our spot wasn't too bad and it was nice to lean on a rail for the show and to see from a height which wasn't too frightening.I was actually pretty nervous that this gorgeous blonde girl who was next to me turned out to be the same woman who worked in the coatroom and smiled at me for a second or two as I was queueing up.
When Lewis went to get his Hacktivist shirt, I bucked up the courage to introduce myself (after asking her how her night was and which Issues song she was keen to hear).It went okay for 3 sentences but she ended up introducing her name first "Joanne Fowler" and I said mine. But then her hot friend returned and she put her arm around her which kinda made things clear as to how their relationship was... Oh well, least I tried and I gained courage in a public place to say hello to a gorgeous lady. I need to do this more often if I am to find someone, someday.
2 good songs from their newly and recent released 2nd album, Headspace.
"Ask me what I see in you
I don't see nothing, I see right through
You're transparent I know you do't wanna hear it
And I don't wanna be the person to slip up and hurt your feelings
I guess they don't wanna be the person to slip up and hurt your feelings
I guess they don't wanna say it to your face but I will cause somebody's gotta put you in your place
I'm not afraid to scream and shout
And f-f-f-freak out and throw my hands up
And let it out
Punk bitch walking tall like you got something to prove
Nah man, cause deep down you know it sucks to be you
Stingray Affliction
Masking small stabs in passing
But the pain is bigger than it seems
Stop holding me under and let me breathe..."
Those words mean a lot since it's like what I would say in an angry but also successful tone towards people who have put me down and now I finally have my say (especially to some difficult women I know in my life).
I'm so glad this song was played, it's a masterpiece (like Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis - Same Love) as homosexuality is depicted in both videos. This was the best song of the night thanks to it's powerful lyrics which relate to myself a little (my condition mainly).
I support LGBT since I have no problems with others being themselves or being happy plus I want to accept others for who they are since I want that same acceptance from others.
8. Life Of A Nine is an excellent track with aggressive lyrics at a b*tch that you can choose to imagine to be whoever. I always listen to this one when a woman has done me wrong or made me feel uncomfortable, I do love that moment where Tyler screams on one word at 1:55.
9. The Langdon House is a track that always grabs my attention when I play through the whole album, most of the time.
A crow sing-along is always a think to look forward to at gigs, am I right?
Number 10. The Worst Of Them along with the next song share the same vibe and were surprisingly short songs in the show.
Still it was good but I do really wish they had played the original version since it's lyrics relate to a very serious matter, abusive relationships.
"Guess I'll never know what I meant to you
This year's been lonely but at least it's through
I'll write a letter to my former self
Dear sad ghost, why'd you put your heart on a shelf"
I love that piece so much because it relates to my on-going struggle with finding love. Some people never respond to messages or polite first greetings since they seem to lack common courtesy.
It's like one day I'll be able to look back on my former self and wonder what would have happened if I gave up and put myself back on the shelf.
I'll explain more in a post in June/ July about my progress with Dating and what my new intentions are in order to move on and move forward with my life.
But I do wish they'd opened the show with this, Oh well at east they played it as Number 11.
Admittedly, I ended up recording 3 pieces of the song that night thanks to my iPhone 5S getting full up on memory and stuff, grr.
So I used iMovie to edit the 3 videos together and add titles to the cut off breaks and explain.
This was an amazing last song (so we thought) and having everyone sing to the ending like in the original track makes it more sensational and also makes me proud to have been a part of it!
It felt funny that they didn't play it at all during the show and when the show close with Disappear, I knew this had to be an Encore and I'm glad it was.
This song was my first after being introduced to the band back in June 2014 by Lewis (after we'd been to Download Festival).
You must go check out the original track for sure! It's Tyler's best in my opinion and the lyrics are easy to relate to and are so powerful.
Regrettably, I was deleting space on the phone during the song and only managed to make a little bit of space to grab only this amount from near the end of the song.
My favourite bit is always the ending when the band all unite in WOAH and this time, the crowd amplified that moment massively!
I wish I had recorded till the end but at least I got the Confetti Shower just as the memory became full up.
So as the Confetti rained across the theatre, we figured it would have been best to head off now as a few others were already doing so. Knowing the long journey home, we hurried out as the band played their instruments epically to finish the song, Lewis and I left smiling knowing we'd seen a good show.
We made our way back to London Victoria and grabbed a Burger King which was a bit disappointing thanks to only being able to order what was on display in the back and they refused to take everything out of the burger (yeah, I'm one of those people).
On the train journey home, as I was explaining to Lewis about some recent problems and soon to be fixed moments coming up, I was actually starting to doze off like a battery losing it's juice. Lewis said this happened 5 times and was worried if I'd be fit for driving home when we'd arrive at Three Bridges.
Don't worry, I definitely was and that cold wind woke me up as we got off the train and headed for the car to drive us both home.
I explained who things had been over the last few months with some anxious things bothering me and I was afraid to see them through (one was gonna happen at Comic-Con and another was wondering how to move forward with life).
I'll explain more in an important post in June/ July, but by then, I will have tackled some IT training after acquiring the apps off a friend. This choice which has been long delayed more times than I can count, will help divert my attention and pursuit from chasing after people and women who don't deserve my attention so I can turn it towards learning something practical and important.
But overall, we had an amazing time. I'm glad we went and he was my choice for the show. I can't wait to see them again sometime.
I do hope it'll be at a bigger venue since I've noticed that smaller venues seem to have a mixed playback from the video recordings compared to seeing concerts like Ellie Goulding at the O2 (where the playback was pitch perfect and so was the light show and screen displays!)
Bring on November when I head to the O2 Arena with Kathy to watch Bring Me The Horizon... standing. This will be a challenge since it'll be my first standing gig at the O2 and there will be an even more unpredictable crowd full of moshpits and even a wall of death.
Who knows if I'll partake or try to record it if I hold my phone close to my chest haha.
But I can't wait to be a part of and record songs like these live performances of Go To Hell, For Heaven's Sake, Shadow Moses, Happy Song. Oh and especially this song:
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