Shinedown, Manchester Academy, 31/10/18.

“We want to give you something you haven’t experienced before” claimed Shinedown frontman Brent Smith, accompanied by lead guitarist Zach Myers who was dressed appropriately as horror icon, Michael Myers- at least for the opening few minutes. In fact, they claimed that Halloween was a date most anticipated on their calendar, and with the Manchester date selling out in no more than 51 minutes, it was clear that the anticipation was reciprocated.

First of the support acts, Press To MECO delivered a very varied set. Consisting of a bassist, guitarist and drummer, the band swapped between vocal duties with the primary focus being on the latter two. The Croydon trio then harmonised their way through a multi-composite of genres, ranging from more pop-punk sounding songs to heavier and harder-hitting rock. The range in their material and the subsequent versatility in its delivery left their set feeling really jumbled and uncoordinated however, and the lack of a lead singer left it feeling like three musicians trying to cover the lead singer spot. The band’s saving grace was drummer Lewis Williams, whose performance was the standout aspect of their set.

Isolated by their unique nature were Starset. Their lineup boasted 7 members; the conventional vocalist, bassist, guitarist and drummer, with the added difference of two cellists and a violinist. Dressed in futuristic space suits with lights that change colour to match the beats of the song; the bassist, guitarist and drummer were the main feature of the lineup. The touring cellists and violinist, accompanied with an electronic eye visor, predominantly stayed towards the back of the stage; with the exception of a few theatrical parts in their material, where they would take centre stage in a choreographed and aesthetic crescendo. Their material thematically followed the band’s namesake and visual look. Lead singer, Dustin Bates, spent most of the set bouncing to and from his soundboard; vocally switching from a more lucid, flowing sound to a harsher, aggressive singing style. Three screens were also the background for Starset, with mixed media abstract animations and planetary footage helping deliver the band’s motif. Starset are such a hard concept to explain because they truly have to be experienced to be understood.

On the back end of their opening song, Beastie Boys’ ‘Sabotage’, headliners Shinedown entered the stage in true Halloween style, with guitarist Zach Myers wearing a full Michael Myers costume- jumpsuit and all. Before the opening chords to their new single ‘Devil’ had chance to be struck, his costume was quickly swapped, with the novelty mask sitting at the back of the stage. Brandishing material from their new album, ATTENTION ATTENTION, Shinedown wasted no time in diving into their new back-catalogue of arena anthems with the likes of ‘Get Up’, ‘Kill Your Conscience’ and ‘Black Soul’ all making an appearance mid-set. However, album promotion aside, what Shinedown really did well was building a regional rapport and making it feel personal between the audience and the band. The amalgamation of content (with the likes of, ‘Enemies’, ‘State Of My Head’ and ‘I’ll Follow You’) also perfectly combined to compose a poetic, ethereal story on which the listener is told a story of anger, sorrow and love; all composed vehemently by Brent Smith.

Each song seemed intertwined with humble monologues, with Smith then detailing his love for the city and it’s spirit. “We were only a few miles away when the Manchester attacks happened and what we really admired was the city’s spirit. We wanted to play your soundtrack,” before Myers performed Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ individually and acoustically, with the audience singing the chorus back. Subsequently, the band ended on a high. Their new song, ‘Brilliant’, seemed like a fitting conclusion to a night with so many different highlights; and as is Shinedown tradition- Smith then reminded the crowd, “it’s not a goodbye, it’s just until next time.”