Taking Back Sunday are held in very high regard by a lot of people my age (26); their music got us through some tough times ten years ago when hormones were flying around as quickly as our fringes. They have been a mainstay in the public eye since then and although their recent output has had less of an impact than the likes of the classic ‘Tell All Your Friends’ and ‘Where You Want to Be’, we still turn to them in times of drunken sing-alongs and introspective wallowing.
Taking Back Sunday – Koko, London 26.02.14
Tonight, we get to see our emo-heroes in the intimate yet grandiose settings of London’s Koko. We arrive to see newcomers Lonely The Brave receiving a great reaction from the crowd with their touching songs and it’s no surprise that their on so many ‘ones to watch’ lists. That said, this show is pretty much all about TBS. Friends have travelled from all over to be here and we’ll be damned if were not going to throw our fists in the air and sing as if it’s just us, a hairbrush and a mirror. Thankfully then, Taking back Sunday help us to fulfil this wish from the off with a grand opening of ‘A Decade Under The Influence’ and ‘Liar’ (LIIIIAARRRRRRR). Though Adam has a somewhat sullied reputation these days from questionable performances on various live occasions, tonight he seems happy and on good form, being jovial with the crowd in his North Carolinian drawl. Old favourite ‘Timberwolves at New Jersey’ brings with it plentiful screams from the packed Koko audience and new song ‘Flicker, Fade’ fits in the set perfectly with a whirlwind chorus that you can’t help but be swept up in, before we’re completely swept away by ‘Bonus Mosh, Pt. II’. Adam is bouncing around, spinning his mic with a new lease of life and the rest of the band are just as enthusiastic throughout as they bash out song after song of singalong glory. ‘What’s it Feel Like to Be a Ghost?’, ‘Number Five With A Bullet’, ‘Error: Operator’, ‘You’re So Last Summer’, ‘Set Phasers to Stun’ – The list goes on and on and it’s great to see a band that many of us grew up with in our formative years not fading into tired obscurity. Another new track, ‘Beat Up Car’ gets a warm reception before the inevitable ‘Cute Without the ‘E’’ finishes of the set. Inevitable it might be, but it’s bloody glorious. Coming back out for rousing renditions of ‘You Know How I Do’ and massive set closer ‘MakeDamnSure’, Taking Back Sunday proved tonight that they aren’t past it and are on fine form again. Good news for those of us who still love to dance around in our rooms singing at 26, give us more ammunition boys. 7/10 Stream their new album ‘Happiness Is’
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Taking Back Sunday – Koko, London 26.02.14