StereoFire

When I passed the Glasgow Garage at 2PM, there were already people queuing outside. And with good reason: Florida’s finest Christian noisemongers Underoath were returning to the UK for the first time in two years, hot on the heels of new record Lost In The Sound Of Separation. Many people were very excited: and I won’t lie - I was one of them.

Within minutes of the doors opening, Texas-based Oh Sleeper took to the stage. It was clear that, in amongst the army of Underoath fans who had arrived early to secure a good place, there were many people who had come just to see Oh Sleeper perform. The band were genuinely chuffed with this, with the singer pointing and gesturing at every person he saw singing along. Oh Sleeper delivered blistering track after blistering track as their fans chanted along with every word: “Twenty-four teeth in each of the three makes seventy-two white knives, your new ending!“. Even Underoath’s poppier fans (from the days of They’re Only Chasing Safety) were captivated by the intensity and sincereness displayed. If you ever get the chance to see Oh Sleeper live, don’t miss it! Dreadlocks flail. People get hurt. You will love them.

Second up was Long Island’s Envy On The Coast - by far the least hard band on tonight’s bill, and possibly thrown in to add something interesting for the softer fans Underoath picked up when Reinventing Your Exit was all the rage. It didn’t seem as if many people had come to see Envy On The Coast, and from speaking to fans, I gather that most people had only checked EOTC out after hearing they’d be supporting Underoath. Despite many people not knowing their songs, Envy On The Coast pull off an impressive set. Frontman Ryan Hunter moved about the stage like a man possessed (or stoned), making strange gestures with his mouth during instrumental interludes and throwing shapes left, right and centre. Bassist Jeremy Velardi spends the entire set barefoot, walking and stooping backwards around the stage. Their set finishes with an extended rendition of Sugar Skulls, and most of the crowd is singing ‘whoa-oa whoa-oa-oa-oa’ long after the band have departed from the stage.

After quite a long equipment change (which mainly consisted of Aaron Gillespie’s Truth and Meinl equipment being set up), Underoath finally take to the stage. But not before waiting for the crowd to get impatient and start chanting ‘underoath, underoath’ over and over again - while I could see Spencer and Aaron limbering up backstage. And it’s just as well they did limber up.

As soon as Underoath take to the stage, they thunder straight into Breathing In A New Mentality before diving headfirst into In Regards To Myself. The scene is set for the rest of the evening, as Underoath roar through tracks from Lost In The Sound Of Separation and 2006’s Define The Great Line, occasionally dipping into tracks like It’s Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door from 2004’s They’re Only Chasing Safety. Everyone is jumping. The front of the venue is packed so tight I can’t move. I am literally dripping with sweat and my T-shirt is soaked right through. I’m stuck below and endless sea of crowd surfers and I’m screaming along at the top of my voice to every song.

The songs from Define The Great Line were very well received, and the place erupted with every song from They’re Only Chasing Safety. Despite the fact that it had only been out for a week, there are people singing along to the songs from Lost In The Sound Of Separation.

All in all, it was a brilliant night. The only thing that didn’t impress me was the getting-too-big attitude that seemed to eminate from some members of Underoath. One one hand, Aaron Gillespie and Chris Dudley (awesome chap) were willing to talk with fans, and on the other, Spencer Chamberlain totally ignored people trying to talk to him outside the venue, and guitarist Tim McTague gobbed in fan’s faces during the set. Note that he didn’t spit water into the crowd - he actually gobbed in at least one person’s face. Which is minging. Underoath lose marks for that.

Underoath: **** (Brilliant set, marks off for attitude)
Envy On The Coast: ***** (Stunning set that holds everyone’s attention well).
Oh Sleeper: ***** (Can’t fail to be impressed by these guys)

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