Animals as Leaders, Apollo's Arrows and Bloodworks at Joiners

It must be really difficult to pick support for Animals as Leaders. They've carved out a niche as a ridiculously technical, progressive metal jazz fusion band. I mean, how many other bands are like that?

Bloodworks seem pretty aware of the fact that a narrow-minded individual might not expect a death metal band at a show like this. Having said that, an incredibly tight set, great musicianship and brutal vocals more than justify their presence here. Local, too.

I accidentally discovered Apollo's Arrows this week through a friend. I'm not sure if he knew something I didn't about tonight, but either way I enjoyed them then, and I enjoyed them live more. It must be pretty intimidating to go on straight before a band like Animals as Leaders but, once they settled, they played brilliantly. A sort-of combination of Saosin, At the Drive-in, (post-hardcore, not crazy experimental) The Sound of Animals Fighting and in:aviate. A very entertaining and talented frontman made for a brilliant opener for AAL. I hope these guys do well.

Animals as Leaders are just amazing. The Joiners is a tiny venue and it gets hot. So hot, in fact, that my awareness of my own soaked clothes dissipated. Tosin was worse - his black shirt was shining by the end of the set. Still, the band put on a fantastic show. Three astounding musicians working perfectly together. Playing seamlessly with a backing track, you wouldn't have believed what they got away with. The venue was packed with sweaty, smelly, inconsiderate metal-heads but I didn't care. We even got a track off their new album, which was more jazz than metal and I wasn't a massive fan, but still got it!

Some more famous light at The Joiners forced me to shoot with black and white in mind this time. Pleased with these, actually. Unfortunately, there's a lot of band members missing. It was so packed, I had to stay where I was throughout the show. Luckily, that was about five feet from Tosin during AAL's set.

Bloodworks

Apollo's Arrows

Animals as Leaders