Bayside, O2 Institute 3, Birmingham - review

Last night, it was the intimate sold-out crowd at Birmingham's O2 Institute 3's turn to be astounded by the record in all of its glory, along with a select few carefully chosen singles to accompany it.

Opening for the band were pop rockers I The Mighty, who despite playing to a relatively motionless crowd, still packed their set full of enthusiasm.

With soaring guitar hooks, smooth vocals and intricate solos, I The Mighty valiantly powered through a difficult opening set.

Without a moment's hesitation, as soon as all stage checks were done, Bayside took to the stage and the entire crowd erupted.

This was a room packed full of die-hard fans, and the electric atmosphere they created made the show one to be remembered.

I attended this show with a group of fellow mega fans and one who had never listened to the band - this person was left hooked instantly on the show down to the sheer enthusiasm of the crowd.

This passion was matched instantaneously by the quartet, who set the tone of the show from the very start of album titled track The Walking Wounded, which sounded absolutely note perfect.

This polished guise remained constant throughout the show: through Anthony Raneri's soaring vocals on They're Not Horses They're Unicorns and I & I, through to the blazing guitar solos of Jack O'Shea throughout Carry On and Duality.

They were carried by the intricate and experimental drums of Chris Guglielmo and the booming bass lines of Nick Ghanbarian. Put together, their instrumentals were simply flawless and celebrated the record to the fullest extent.

The crowd played their part too; blasting through each anthemic chorus without Raneri even having to open his mouth.

This made slow track Landing Feet First sound absolutely spine-tingling, and sent the first portion out on a high as the floors shook to the whole room rendition of (Pop)ular Science.

"We love playing here, Birmingham always seems to give us the best welcomes" Raneri said, to shouts from the crowd.

"I can't understand what you're saying though, you're not really renowned for your interpretation of the English language" he continued, to be met with roaring laughter and further calls from fans.

The band's effortless charisma proved instantly endearing, and meant every simple movement they made on stage was greeted with absolute adoration.

The second half of the set explored the extensive back catalogue of the band - from early hits such as Blame It On Bad Luck and the raging Sick Sick Sick to new hit Mary.

Despite being separated by decades in some cases, each song was executed with the same passion, which highlighted exactly why Bayside are still at the height of their game.

Ending the set in expert fashion to immensely popular single Devotion And Desire, the whole room was left breathless after witnessing the sheer talent of Bayside in the flesh.

From start to finish their set was passionate and polished - a true testament to what has made The Walking Wounded such a celebrated record in the rock music community.