It’s been sometime since Scotland had the pleasure of hosting this fantastic band, however at long last multi-platinum rockers Shinedown will make their return to the U.K with their headline tour in support of studio album number 7, Planet Zero – taking to the stage in the cities O2 Academy.
The American band will be returning fresh off the back of a jam packed summer which saw them take to the stage only once in Britain as they blew away the crowd at Donnington for Download Festival. Since the tour was announced, it has been one of the main shows my eyes have been firmly fixed on and it’s hard to explain the excitement for this.
The band will be joined on this tour with good friends in Zero 9:36 and British hero’s Asking Alexandria, a band with great love within Glasgow alone. UK hard rock sensation have been branded as the new bad boys of rock n’ roll by major mainstream media across the world and it’s definitely something the band isn’t shying away from. They play hard and certainly party even harder ushering in a new era of rock decadence.
The bill is jam packed with talent even before the main headliners take to the stage – for me it will be a first seeing ferocious rapper Zero 9:36, bring his aggressive style and angry world view to the stage – an artist rising from a cult figure in the Philadelphia hip-hop community to an alternative artist with a nationwide following by the time he was 22. However, I am no stranger to the Asking Alexandria experience having seen the boys do their thing back in the day, giving me the chance again to relive my teenage emo phase (that was never really a phase).
Being so long since Shinedown came to Glasgow, the excitement surrounding this whole tour let alone Glasgow has been on another level with every day selling almost instantly and now leading to a scramble for tickets on the buildup. The band bring their A game each and every time regardless of setting and it’s clear to see why the demand for these shows are so high.
Shinedown have taken their sound and lyrics from their 2001 beginnings to new levels, touching on points of emotional and political significance that had not recently been explored that really brings a special connection between them and their loyal fan base that’s grown by the millions since day one.
Despite parting ways with original member and guitarist Jasin Todd in 2008 amongst two others, the band have continued their incredible journey with pride and dedication to what they love regardless of any hurdle they made have faced – the passion they bring is spread throughout every show they do, and this tour will be no different.
Expect to hear recent drops from Planet Zero with the added classics from their lengthy backlog that includes personal favourites of mine Sound of Madness, Second Chance and the massive ear burster Devil from the bands 2018 record Attention Attention. Whether you’re a new fan or a long-term lover, this gig will be nothing short of jaw dropping and I for one can’t wait for those doors to open and the lights to dimmer.
