The Academy Is…, Leeds Cockpit
After being instructed to "Love it, or leave it, or rip it apart, ", we reckon we'll opt for the first option.
Well, we've missed them to death, but it was all for the best. The Academy Is... have finally came back to the UK, and by God are we glad to see them. They're taking their chances with "truck stops and stage dives," and it's safe to say that it's paid off. We've never been more impressed with a performance of that kind.
"I'll sing you something you won't forget," William Beckett promised, and he didn't half deliver. After hearing dubious accounts of their live shows, we were a bit skeptical. Nevermind, boys, you can now class Rocklouder as True Believers.
From the first note, the crowd went wild. The atmosophere was electric! It was very hot, and very sweaty; William's teasing to please to the lines "I'm dying, I'm dying to... touch," didn't do a lot to lower the temperature. In fact, there were a few fainting girls. But who can blame them, really? "He's got a decent voice, he's got that crooked smile," and we, for one, would happily take him home for just $9.95.
Audience participation was the highest the Cockpit has ever seen, with fans screaming back lyrics louder than the singer. New guitarist, Michael Chislett seems to have settled in marvellously, not slipping up once and delivering a stonking solo mid set.
'Slow Down' proved to be an unanticipated delight, sounding about 2 million times better live than on 'Almost Here'. When they said they'd turn it up and play a little faster, we didn't actually think they meant it. We were wrong. And it was bloody brilliant!
The band's new material from upcoming album 'Santi' went down a treat, with some fans already knowing the majority of words, and the rest picking them up as it went along. 'We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands' was a great example of this, with William being able to coax the crowd into singing solo.
After being instructed to "Love it, or leave it, or rip it apart, ", we reckon we'll opt for the first option. They're living what they're singing, and that's a step in the right direction. Not to mention "the clever composition and the honesty, honesty". And they're so much better live. The Academy Is...fantastic. End of discussion.
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