‘Twas another cold winter night in the capital as I and many others made our way to the O2 Forum Kentish Town for what promised to be quite a special evening with some of the best voices in modern hard rock. This was the biggest headline show in the U.K so far for Dayseeker. On their Dark Sun Protocol Tour, they brought Rain City Drive and Heart Of Gold along for the ride.
Dayseeker – Rain City Drive – Heart Of Gold
O2 Forum Kentish Town – 11 December 2024
Words And Photography: Lawrence Potter
Dayseeker
The bar has been set incredibly high this evening, and we still had Dayseeker to cap things off. As the lights go out and the giant LCD screen starts up, the band enter the stage one by one. We are greeted by Dreamstate to kick off the set.
The O2 Forum Kentish Town might need to check the roof stability after this pop from the crowd.
I have been listening to this band for a few months now, and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with them. So, finally seeing Dayseeker tonight was quite the experience.
The band are on top form this evening, and it is really something to be in the presence of a vocalist as talented as Rory Rodriquez. But the whole band as a whole were incredible. I have seen a lot of bands live, but sometimes you are just left speechless, and that’s what you get with Dayseeker. The music, the production and the overall feeling that the band provoke are magnificent.
As this was the tour for their latest release, Dark Sun, the set was built around that album. Although the band have plenty of other songs in their repertoire, I believe Dark Sun is their best work to date. I find myself playing the album most days.
Highlights were numerous, but, to name but a few songs in the set, Without Me, Homesick, and a jaw-dropping rendition of Crying While You’re Dancing were standouts.
If you can grab a ticket, then I strongly urge you to check out these guys next time they are in the country. It was a truly incredible night of music, and as the band came to a halt for the evening, they ended with a stunning cover of Evanescence’s My Immortal and into Sleeptalk before one last encore of Neon Grave.
Heart Of Gold
Up first was Heart Of Gold, a band I have not heard of before. But they certainly impressed us all, putting on a professional performance that oozed raw emotion and class. Keeping with the theme of the night, these guys fit right into the vibe and set the stage perfectly for the other bands.
A band still making their name, the crowd were in sheer awe of the talent and stunning songwriting they were witnessing.
Rain City Drive
After a short break, the lights go out, and the Rain City Drive boys enter the stage and start their set with Frozen. The crowd erupts into a frenzy as Matt McAndrew enters the stage. You would be forgiven to think these guys were the headliners tonight with the reactions they received and certainly by their performance.
It’s been one of the most enjoyable gigs of the year for me so far, as Rain City Drive knocked it out of the park. Midway through, Dayseeker’s vocalist, Rory Rodriquez, joins the band on stage as they perform Medicate Me. I was curious whether they would do this one, and my god, was I not disappointed. Absolutely incredible.
This was my first time watching Rain City Drive, and I look forward to a headlining show in the not-so-distant future. The band finish on Neverbloom and finally Talk To A Friend to end their excellent 10-song set. 
