Poets of the Fall Live Report

I saw my first gig of the year on a reasonably mild January night at the Islington Academy last week. The headline band in question was Finnish goth pop rock crew Poets of the Fall, a band who I've grown to appreciate greatly over the last few years. This is in fact the second time I've seen them. Their latest album Clearview came out last year and is as usual a very nice record indeed.

Two support bands were billed as part of this gig. I didn't quite catch their names but both sounded quite pleasant and suitable for the headline act. The first one was like a modern dream pop rock with very funky bass lines and clear vocals. The second band was a band in similar style but with more of a dream aspect. Their melodies were actually rather good and I need to try and find their names.

Poets came on and did what they did last time. Play fantastically well to a pretty much adoring crowd. Marco is a great front man for any band make no mistake. The guy can sing any old crap and the first few rows will be eating out of his hand. The band has a great list of material to choose from and every single song is blessed with a giant sized hook with which to reel you in. I even enjoyed the acoustic segments, something which I don't normally like. A good way to start off the gigging year no doubt, but there will be better shows ahead.

Drama For Life
Daze
The Child in Me
Dreaming Wide Awake
Diamonds for Tears
The Game
Stay
Someone Special
Sleep
Running Out of Time
Once Upon a Playground Rainy
Locking Up The Sun
Carnival Of Ruse

Poets of the Fall Live Report

Having missed out on the first Poets of the Fall gig in the UK in the Underworld a while back I was quick to nab a ticket for this gig in the larger Scala. It's a good job I was quick as the venue quickly filled up and was tightly packed to capacity. I was a bit tired from work and couldn't find a decent spot to view the gig so I decided to venture up to the balcony for this gig which at teh Scala is very high up indeed. It was a bit awkward watching the gig from there and admittedly the vocals just didn't quite travel well acoustically and got lost in the big booming bass sound.

There was one support for the evening. A young American girl by the name of Addision Mills. She played simple songs about emotion or love or whatever. I'm sure she'll be huge or maybe not who knows. But these type of delicate flower emotional girl singers can soon start to build a following. She got a reasonable response but she was a bit shy and cutesie but she has talent no doubt and will have her fans but a very odd support for Poets.

Anyhow the crowd was getting more than a little excited to hear the Finns again and it's more than a little surprising that they have such a fan base here in the UK. The band took to the stage and were cheered to the rafters by the packed crowd and finally lead singer Marco took to the stage as the band started straight off into Choice Millionaire a song from the new album Jealous Gods. In fact the band played quite a few cuts from the new disk although it's perhaps the least rock of all their previous albums though it is still very classy indeed.

The sound from my high up vantage point was a little bass heavy for my taste and I would have liked to hear Marco's super vocals a bit louder and clearer but I had a perfect view of the stage so I couldn't really complain. The band is instrumentally spot on but all attention is directed towards front man Marco in this band. he literally has the crowd eating of his hand the whole night. Directing them to whoop and yell and sing as each song needs.

The band are well known for their emotional ballads and I must admit the crowd sing along sections were very loud indeed and almost everyone seemed to know the lyrics as directed by Marco. My favourite songs were of course the upbeat and catchy ones such as the amazing Diamonds for Tears, Locking up the sun, Lift and newie Daze. carnival of Rust got a huge response from the packed downstairs and the first encore closed with the awesome and anthemic Dreaming Wide Awake. The band played acoustically at times to allow greater crowd participation and Marco to show of his smooth vocals.

Poets of the Fall attracts a very diverse crowd of people that's for sure. A few metal heads of course but a lot of regular people who have cottoned on to the magic that Poets of the Fall can deliver musically. The band left after 90 minutes to rapturous applause and a well appreciative and happy audience on this lovely warm London night. A perfect night in fact to listen to a band such as Poets of the Fall and their melancholic melodic rock hymns.



Intro
Choice Millionaire
Locking Up the Sun
Love Will Come to You
Clear Blue Sky
Temple of Thought
Rogue
Daze
Rumours
Diamonds for Tears
Nothing Stays The Same
Encore:
Scarborough Fair
(Simon & Garfunkel cover) (Acapella)
Late Goodbye
Lift
Jealous Gods
Roses
Carnival of Rust
Dreaming Wide Awake
Encore 2:
Sleep