Alkaline Trio: Live Review, Nottingham Rock City, 14th February 2009

2009-02-15 10:40:53

Valentine’s night then. A night to throw your arms around your loved one? Wine and dine that special person in your life? Gaze into the eyes of the one you love the most? All good, but a heaving crowd at Nottingham’s Rock City suggests that spending the night with Alkaline Trio (not in that way!) is also a very popular choice for Nottingham’s residents.
    
A stroll in the park for The Audition
    
Before the Chicago punks take to the stage though, their fellow countrymen The Audition are given the task of warming the hearts of the Rock City masses. On paper, this should be a stroll for the pop punk quartet. America churns out bands like this by the truckload and they usually make it look so easy.
    
Yes, they are very poppy which definitely isn’t a bad thing, but after a while you begin to realise that The Audition are firmly in the Paramore camp but crucially without the killer hooks. If they were a colour, it may be beige. It goes well with lots of things but doesn’t overly excite the imagination.
    
Raise their game as the set progresses
    
The tried and tested pop punk formula does raise a smile though, and the energetic combo certainly manage to raise their game as the set progresses. They save the best songs until last which is a good idea, meaning that a sour taste in everyone’s mouth is thankfully avoided.
    
The last time Alkaline Trio graced Nottingham with their presence, the place was packed and tonight is no exception. Opening with Calling All Skeletons from the latest album, they follow this with older songs Private Eye and Mr Chainsaw. The fact that these songs fit well together is testament to the band’s longevity and importance in the punk world.
    
Questionable sound quality at RC
    
Unfortunately, the early part of the set falls victim to the venue’s questionable sound quality. This really is something that Rock City needs to sort out soon. Imagine listening to your iPod being filtered through mud and you’re halfway to realising how frustrating this problem is.
    
However, the sound does improve and the band seem to wake up a bit with We’ve Had Enough, Donner Party All Night and Emma, all from their classic Good Mourning album. Their bite and conviction when playing these songs just serves to remind us of how good that album really was, and of how good this band really are.
    
Alkaline Trio prove their class
    
By the time Stupid Kid comes around, the band are preaching to the converted and although frontmen Matt and Dan are fairly static, when you have good songs this isn’t much of an issue. Sadie from the Crimson album is easily the highlight of the evening. In a world of extremes where punk bands are either overlooked by everyone or doted on by the masses, Alkaline Trio have always flown under the radar a little which is baffling, but songs like Sadie prove their class.
    
At the end, singer Matt Skiba’s beaming smile says it all. He knows they’ve played well and that he’s warmed the hearts of all. It’s just a shame that the sound at the venue has, and not for the first time, marred an otherwise excellent performance.
    
Review: Alex Mitchell
    
Images: Lucy Bellamy
    

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