Although this was the fifth night of their latest European tour, Rise Against chose this performance in North London to be classified as their ‘album launch party’, the widely well received Endgame having been officially released the day before. As a special treat to all their fans, the band had decided to record this show and stream it worldwide via their website, so as Tim stated during the gig, this smallest Rise Against show could also be seen to be their biggest show ever. How fun. In fact, due to the fact that this gig sold out ridiculously quickly, it was a top idea from the boys to make sure nobody missed out. Now I was accompanied to my latest musical outing by a real plethora of characters from both Uni and home, and it was a combination that provided for a very enjoyable, if not perhaps exceedingly banterful, experience. We arrived at the venue a good hour before the band’s stage time so proceeded rapidly to KFC for some much needed nourishment! Once inside the venue, and marvelling at how small it was for a band the size of Rise Against, we had to wait through half an hour of tedious support act before heading into the main hall.
On to the performance itself. Chicago’s finest bounded onto stage and immediately lead the crowd in chants of ‘Rise, Rise’, to which the mass of writhing bodies took to with great fervour. The excitement in the room was unbelievable, I am lucky that my earplugs saved me from the deafening screams from all around me. Without much pause for breath, Rise Against plunged into the depths of their opening song, the classic ‘Chamber the Cartridge’, a fantastic opener due to its slow build up and carnage inducing crescendo. With the last chords of this song drifting off into tinnitus, I had an overwhelming feeling that if the band stuck to their predicted set list, then all hell was about to break loose. Sure enough, as the deafening riff of ‘State of the Union’ blared from the amps, the crowd gave an almighty surge and it definitely ‘kicked off’! Always a good one to get the crowd into the performance, this song has been a staple part of a Rise Against gig for years and in fact has been played second in all three performances that I have been privy to from this Chicago foursome. The band were definitely on top form, as was shown by the massive grins on everybody’s faces, this was truly worth the wait. Next, a mixture of older songs, such as ‘Heaven Knows’ and ‘Like the Angel’ that were new to this fan’s ears. However, it must be said here that although the performance was flawless, the set list lacked diversity in the first half, with the first new song of the latest album appearing as the eighth song of the night. However, this fantastic performance of the BP oil disaster inspired ‘Help is on the Way’ was well received and a sign that this latest album has not disappointed those fans who have waited eagerly for its arrival.
Cue a list of songs from a plethora of albums, including a fantastic performance of ‘Injection’, a personal favourite that saw me expend most of my reserved energy by some frenetic ‘pitting’, which included Owen Lee head butting me! By the time of the predictable ‘acoustic encore’ I was spent, as were most of those in attendance and ‘Swing Life Away’ offered some much needed rest. This flawless acoustic giant was followed by a moving rendition of ‘Hero of War’, always a crowd favourite from the more mainstream ‘Appeal to Reason’ album. With inexplicable energy and impressive clinicism the boys launched into their last three songs, including a proverbial beast from their first, more hardcore punk, album ‘The Unravelling’, called ‘Alive and Well’ that definitely pleased the more hardcore fans. The gig drew to a close with an extended version of ‘Ready to Fall’ and i think it is safe to say that all involved were completely spent.
To be honest, this was not the best Rise Against performance that I have been privy to, that honour goes to their 2009 Brixton Academy show. The set list could have benefited from a few more songs of the new album, especially as this was their album launch show. It was also a bit disappointing that given this was a ‘special’ performance, the band did not deviate from the set lists of their previous shows on this tour. The venue also left a bit to be desired with a band of this size more deserving of a larger, more involved audience. However, overall this was another polished performance from Chicago’s finest punk rockers that definitely had the crowd going home happy, and in some cases covered in bruises. The band surely have a dedicated following here in the UK and I will be very surprised if they are not included in the Reading Festival announcement on Monday evening, either on the Main Stage or, preferably, headlining a tent. We can only wait and see!
Rating: 8/10
Set list:
1. Chamber the Cartridge
2. State of the Union
3. The Good Left Undone
4. Heaven Knows
5. Re-Education (Through Labour)
6. Survive
7. Like the Angel
8. Help is on the Way
9. The Dirt Whispered
10. Injection
11. Prayer of the Refugee
12. Audience of One
13. Architects
14. Savior
Encore
15. Swing Life Away
16. Hero of War
17. Alive and Well
18. Give it All
19. Ready to Fall
