9th May - The Waterfront, Norwich
Review by Johnny Storm
I hate to benefit from other’s misfortune but the rescheduling of this gig due to Matt Skiba’s motorcycle accident meant I could attend! Although billed as the Damnesia tour (after the band’s semi-acoustic fan favourites album) the promoters took the trouble to stress that it wouldn’t just be an acoustic set.
Opening with a rendition of We’ve Had Enough powerful enough to knock the crowd over it was obvious it wasn’t going to be a quiet night. While I’m not a fan of “Unplugged” albums or “easier listening” covers, Damnesia added genuine quality and depth to the Alkaline Trio musical portfolio. So I was a little disappointed (God, that sounds harsh) that the set owed very little to the musical style of Damnesia. They may have decided not to promote an album seven months late, but I think this was a missed opportunity to try something a bit different.
Back to being positive I’m always impressed by a band who feed off a crowd’s energy and interact with them, even if it is to confuse dripping condensation with the crowd spitting at you!