“When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam, may luck be yours on Halloween.” That’s right, it’s Halloween night, and I couldn’t think of a better and more fitting place to be than at a Metalcore event showcasing some of the best in the business. The Bury Tomorrow and August Burns Red co-headline tour has reached the City of Norwich at the LCR.
Bury Tomorrow – August Burns Red – Novelists
The LCR, Norwich – 31 October 2022
Words and Photography: Lawrence Potter
Unfortunately, Miss May I and Thornhill, who were due to perform as well on the bill, had to pull out at short notice. Luckily, Novelists were quick to accept the offer and, with about a week’s notice, hit the road to join the tour!
Novelists
At around 7 pm the doors to the LCR open, and the crowd make their way in to what promises to be a great night of Metalcore goodness of the highest order. So after the usual mooch around the merch stalls, Novelists are the first to the stage, which is filled with skeletons, may I add!
Something to mention, due to novelists coming in with little notice, their usual vocalist, Toby, was unable to attend but luckily for the band, they had a superb replacement in Kubrick, who did a stellar job stepping in and putting on a killer performance.
The band as a whole were fantastic and bought boatloads of energy. Powerful drum beats, boomy low ends and some stunning and melodic, at times, guitar work. Midway through their set, guitarists Florestan Durand and Pierre Danel treated us to an awesome guitar battle. I expect big things coming from these guys in the near future, and hopefully, this tour is the springboard for some more big shows.
August Burns Red
Next up is our first of two headlining acts, the mighty August Burns Red. I’ll admit these guys were the main reason I needed to attend this show. Growing up, they were one of my favourites in the genre and seeing them in person, they did not disappoint.
I even was handed the setlist from guitarist J.B Brubaker, so that’s a win in my book. Before the guys enter the stage, the lights go out and on comes their introduction song, System Of A Down’s Chop Suey! The band proceed to deliver an even more aggressive version of the song, and from the get-go, the fans are in the palms of their hands.
Throughout the set, August Burns Red certainly does not phone it in. The band were all over the stage, unleashing hit after hit from their repertoire. To name a few, Meddler, Composure, White Washed and Mariana’s Trench.
The security sure had a task on their hands, keeping crowd surfers at bay as they swarmed to the front. These guys delivered on all fronts, and this is why they are regarded as one of the giants of the scene.
Bury Tomorrow
It’s been a rollercoaster of a night so far, and we’re not quite finished yet. After a brief intermission, enjoying a few horror movie themes from the P.A, myself and the other photographers assume the position for our second headline band of the night, Bury Tomorrow.
The guys come on dressed in full hazmat attire to fit with the Halloween theme and burst straight into Choke. Straight off the bat, the crowd goes crazy, and the security has a second wave of surfers, along with several circle pits, to cope with.
Bury Tomorrow played some new material from their upcoming release, The Seventh Sun, which included their new single Abandon Us, alongside DEATH (Ever Colder) and LIFE (Paradise Denied), as well as earlier hits such as Cannibal.
About halfway through, vocalist Daniel Winter-Bates decided it was time to ditch the hazmat suit but asked for some crowd participation in ripping it off. So the band broke into Black Flame, and Daniel made his way into the audience. Unfortunately, during the song, there was an accident in the pit, and the show was temporarily halted.
The crowd showed a lot of respect along with the band in being patient as paramedics came to the scene. After the situation was attended to, Bury Tomorrow’s frontman gave a few words thanking the crowd for their patience. And with that, we were back on with the show.
With all things considered, the band did a fantastic job of getting the energy back to where we left off. After a blistering second part of the set, the guys ended on DEATH (Ever Colder) and left the stage to a roar from the attendees.
This was an exceptional showcase from all three bands, and if this tour stops by your town, it is highly recommended.
