To see an arena size band in a smaller almost intimate venue you just have to jump at the chance of it at any given moment – that was certainly the case when America’s A Day To Remember stopped over in Glasgow during their venture across Europe’s elite rock and metal festival circuit. It has been a number of years since they headlined a Glasgow show and even longer since they played the iconic O2 Academy – here’s what went down on their epic return.
Due to the events of covid, the band had to put on hold the album tour for 2021 record You’re Welcome, studio album number 7 from the Florida rockers. The album itself had to be delayed due to issues with mixing and artwork meaning the gap between this and their previous drop Bad Vibrations was the longest fans had to wait for an album release in the bands career – despite its delay the record made it top 10 in the album charts in the US, Germany & Australia.
Our Hollow, Our Home
First to take to the stage were Southampton’s Our Hollow, Our Home – the 5 piece melodic metalcore band were the perfect start to the night making an explosive introduction. On day 3 of an extensive European and UK tour across the summer that includes a hometown headline show in The Joiners.
Before kicking off their tour, the boys dropped their first piece of music since early 2021 with single Shaterdome – giving fans a good taste of whats to come in the not too distant future. Opening a night for any band is never an easy thing to pull off, but this show was nothing short of incredible and exactly ADTR brought them on their portion of the tour – discovering a new band will never be a bad thing and this band have certainly gained a new follower.
The O2 was filled nicely from doors and this was a great opportunity to showcase why they below on the big stage – controlling the crowd with ease setting off circle pits and even crowds surfers at any given moment. The set was mixed with the old an new with a spin of their new single and some hits from their debut album Hartsick before throwing in their more recent album from 2021 – rounding off their set with the explosive Overcast straight into Burn in the Flood.
Oceans Ate Alaska
Next to take on the already pumped up Glasgow crowd was Birmingham’s metalcore hard hitters Oceans Ate Alaska – founded in their hometown’s very own student union in 2010, the band have went on to live a successful career that’s saw them drop two studio albums 2015 & 2017. The name of the band comes with an interesting backstory – vocalist James Harrison named the band after the Lituya Bay tsunami that swallowed one of Alaska’s gulfs in 1950.
Signed by Fearless Records, the band show absolutely no fear on stage where they unite boundaries between multiple genres in modern metal. Their set came with the same kick their music brings in the best way possible – a heavy introduction to the night saw them open with 2017 banger Benzaiten showing the crowd it was a no mess around 45 minutes in store. The band spoke of a upcoming UK tour in September that will see them return to Glasgow with a headline show in the Classic Grand.
If this support slot was anything to go by you can be sure to expect a night of chaos – from mosh pits to circle pits and countless crowd surfers, these Birmingham boys will bring the heat.
A Day To Remember
The stage is set – the backdrop is down, guitars are tuned and ready and the kit is primed for a few kicks and slams. After two absolute killer opening support slots, its time for the main reason we are all here – after a 5 year absence, A Day To Remember are finally back in Glasgow. ‘LETS GO’ screams in pure Scottish as the confetti rains down on the Academy crowd, The Downfall of Us All ripples round the room and you can literally feel the floor shake.
All I Want is next to send the crowd into another frenzy, and this stage is a place the band can call their own – front man Jeremy McKinnon covers every inch possible of that stage from the start right to the end. ‘Open this place up and show me the biggest circle pit this venue has ever seen‘ and you do not need to ask a Glasgow crowd twice, the room is open as far as they can possible push it, Paranoia kicks in and the pit does what was expected as the band watch on, centre of the madness stands well known metal icon The Pit Troll.
There are endless amounts of things you can say about ADTR shows, but there is one thing you can be absolutely certain of is the perfect mix of old and new songs you have thrown at you in the best possible way. From classics like 2nd Sucks and Mr Highways Thinking About the End (and definitely not disrespecting our surroundings) – to latest drops like Mindreader & Last Chance to Dance (Bad Friend). The crowd are so fixated on the entire thing the scenes on show are to be admired and just show exactly what this band mean to so many.
By this point I and the rest of the academy want everything the band have to offer, before you know it the place is covered in flying loo roll thats been thrown from the stage as All Signs Point to Lauderdale gets the spectacular reception it rightly deserves, when prior you think I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of? gets the loudest cheer so far – Jeremy and co? Hold our beer.
The lights dimmer and the band head off to the chants of ‘one more song’ as expected – we were treated to 3 and what a treat it turned out to be. If It Means A Lot to You is a special song that has a more personal connection and anytime its played live, the emotion from the band and crowd alike is something absolutely beautiful to witness – between the loud powerful crowd vocals and the light from mobiles, I myself would be lying if I said my eyes were dry.
It was now time for a heavy close – I’m all for a band changing their set nightly on the tour because you really never know what’s about to drop. As far as closures go, this was epic – Sometimes You’re the Hammer, Sometimes You’re the Nail straight into a confetti finish for The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle was a sight to see – the boys bow off to a sea of sweaty hands applauding them off after what really was a night to remember in Glasgow’s Southside. Let’s just hope we don’t need to wait as long for the next meeting.
