Concert Review: One fans perspective of the Anarchy Musicfest
Not many websites have concerts, and those that do always bring you these silly reports about how amazing the show was, how everything went just as planned, and BOY isn't the website awesome!! Of course, the entire event could have been a complete disaster, but no one except those who were there would have any clue of the truth.
So, when we threw our first Anarchy Musicfest last week, I decided to take myself out of the equation. I ppicked a random concertgoer and asked her to write a report for us. Good. Bad. I don't care. This site is all about fan involvement, so I might as well let a fan give you the straight scoop. That fan turned out to be our Forum poster Sapphire Raine, aka Marina. Let's find out what she thought of our first concert...and I'll throw in some remarks when I feel like it.
The first band to perform was the local Myrtle Beach band The Hundredth. Though their music was good, the vocals could use a little work. There were a few people here and there bobbing their heads to the music but most of the crowd just stood around and watched the band. It seemed to me that the crowd didn't want to get involved. I'm not much of a fan of The Hundredth but I will give them credit, they put on a pretty good show.
The next band to perform was The Secret Handshake. I had never heard of them before and didn't know what to think when only two guys got onstage. One of the guys was on a keyboard and the other was on drums. Their music could be described as similiar to Cobra Starship, although the vocals were different. They got the crowd a little more involved in the show. The lead singer had qite a few people laughing when he made a joke about it being his first time in Myrtle Beach and finding a dead body on the beach. (Editors note: I didn't do it!)
Next up was Lydia, yet another band that I had never heard of. They consisted of six members, one of which was a female on vocals and keyboards. They really got the crowd pumped and ready for The Matches. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Their music was different than the previous bands. Their sound was a little more mellow but they put on a pretty decent show. I think that the sound guy should have turned up the female's vocals so that you could hear her singing, but it still turned out to be a good set.
Next was New Atlantic. They were from New Jersey. Their music was good but their guitarist didn't show much enthusiasm. The only one in the band who seemed into it was the lead singer. The guitarists just stood there and played, not even really acknowledging the crowd. I quickly lost interest in them.
A rousing endorsement for New Atlantic!
Finally The Matches were on. I only recently heard of them, from watching a video on Buzznet. They are signed to Epitaph Records, which is the same label as Escape The fate and I Am Ghost. The music was great! everyone had a blast. The two vocalists, Jon and Shawn, were very into the performance and were all over the place. At one point Jon accidentally knocked his microphone stand over. They went crazy when they sang "Shoot Me In The Smile". The Matches put on an amazing show. The only thing that disappointed me with themw as that they didn't play "Audio Blood".
To be honest, I was more than a little bothered that The Matches declined doing any interviews to promote this show...even declining an interview with THIS WEBSITE...but to be honest, these guys were tight as HELL. They got an incredible sound out of a PA that had been causing problems all night. These guys are destined for big things...well...they would be if they cared to promote their band...which in this case they did not.
For a completely outside opinion, here's a link to a review done by a local magazine called Weekly Surge. It's pretty spot on about the bands (though they missed two out of the five), but the reviewers complaints about the fact that the venue doesn't sell beer (it's a venue for teenagers) and the early start time (it was exam week and again...teenagers...the show had to be early so that kids could get home early for school the next day) seem a little silly when you think about it. Weekly Surge Review