Billy Talent, Young Guns, Say Yes, O2 Institute, Birmingham - review

There was no messing around in the O2 Institute last night; a queue stretched almost to the Rainbow Venues just waiting to step foot in the door, meaning the room was packed-out before the first support band even stepped foot on stage. No one was risking missing a minute of Billy Talent.

Toronto thrashers Say Yes took to the stage with the energy of a thousand suns and blazed right into their blend of grunge and punk.

Musically, the group was a cut above the rest boasting experimental odes and transitions between each song which took the crowd on a deafening aural journey - but that was also the problem.

Unfortunately, many of the vocals were drowned out by the instrumentals, creating a cacophonous and almost claustrophobic effect at times.

Pop-rockers Young Guns turned the amps down a little with their blend of harmonious vocals, swaying hips and crushing metal-inspired instrumentals.

They are natural showmen, their movements onstage seemed almost choreographed and they were not fazed by their repeated failed attempts to shout the crowd into moving. Their energy increased regardless throughout the set.

They treated fans to hits from their Mirrors E.P. all the way up to brand new album Echoes, which really highlighted the skills their years together have taught them.

The room had been almost dormant all night thus far, until the first doom-mongering chords of Devil in a Midnight mass reverberated off the walls, the soviet backdrop became ignited with demonic red lights and Billy Talent took to the stage.

The sheer force onstage was something I don't think I have ever seen paralleled. Through This Suffering, Afraid of Heights, Pins and Needles and Navy Song frontman Ben Kowalewicz threw himself across the stage like a man possessed and cried out the lyrics from the depths of his soul.

This raucous performance was swiftly juxtaposed by their immediately endearing stage presence; with Peaky Blinders impressions, commenting on the great parenting skills of a mother bringing her young daughter to the show, and stopping the gig mid-song to ensure the safety of a young woman. Billy Talent truly are the nice guys of punk rock.

As the band moved on to slower, spine-chilling hits such as Surrender and newer tracks that fans were perhaps less familiar with, the crowd still kept the Billy Talent train in motion by pouring their hearts out rather than swinging their limbs around.

Thoroughly evil Viking Death March brought the show to an atmospheric ending, dropping their intricate background to the simple, bold "Billy Talent" in stark white against a black hole. Before the encore of course.

I was thrown right back to my teenage years when I discovered alternative music from the first few notes of Try Honesty through to smash hits Fallen Leaves and Red Flag, as well as being reminded as to why I fell in love with Billy Talent in the first place.

Not one body was still throughout their set, not one mouth was quiet and every fan appeared to feel each lyric tug at their teenage angst. Billy Talent still know how to put on a live show that will leave you both breathless and exhilarated at the same time.

By Becci Stanley