Those Damn Crows // James & The Cold Gun // Valhalla Awaits // Live Review // The Nightrain // Leeds

After a hugely successful summer of festival appearances, Those Damn Crows have been one of the most highly regarded bands on the scene. With their brand new album ‘Inhale/Exhale’ released less than a week ago, this supporting tour has been one I’ve been looking forward to since their killer performance at StoneDead in August. Many of the dates have been sold out for weeks and it seems that I’m not the only one eager to see them live tonight is finally the night!

Before our headline act takes to the stage however we have two supports tonight both of which are also Welsh natives. Up first, however, is Valhalla Awaits. The crowd is already strong for this sell-out show and pressed up against the barrier. As the guys take to the stage, to a short intro track they soon tear straight into “Door Of No Return”. Their heavy blend of rock is well received by the crowd and the band themselves remain ever the professionals despite the red and green balloons which made their way onto the stage from some fellow welsh supporters. They make use of every bit of the stage with an incredible amount of energy despite it being a mid-week night. As the set continues with heavy hitters such as “Slave” and “Black Waters”, the crowd are eating up every bit of what this band has to offer. Ending the set with “Diggin The Grave” I’ve no doubt that Valhalla Awaits will have gained some new fans tonight after that impressive performance.

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Up next are James and the Cold Gun and they certainly know how to make an entrance. With an opening track like “Chewing Glass”, this is a band that means business and put its all into each track. Their performance matches the fast aggressive punk sound that they play. As they head into “Plug Me In”, the band are well and truly into their groove and the crowd have warmed up to them. Frontman James Joseph was born to be on a stage and during “It’s Mutual” got the crowd jumping around. These guys have a unique sound that is amplified by their live performance and are definitely worth checking out.

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It’s finally time for Those Damn Crows to take over and a wave of energy spreads throughout the venue. The crowd are packed in from the front all the way to the back and heading to the bar is more than a mission. The stage has cleared out of the opening acts’ gear leaving the Crows plenty of room to do what they do best. The house lights go down and the stage lights begin to flash as the crowd cheer and the band take their places. Kicking things off with “Fill the Void” from their latest album, the crowd is quickly singing along with Shane. Speaking of, Shane has become known for his incredible stage antics often leaping into the crowd and straight away he is on the barrier of the stage leaning into the crowd. The whole band is in excellent form tonight but then I wouldn’t expect anything less from these guys as they continuously put on one incredible show after another. The crowd here tonight are ready to give as much as the band themselves and despite the new album only being out a few days,

they are singing along to these tracks included in the set with “Wake Up” and “Takedown”. The entire middle of the set is full of older songs that have the crowd singing even louder. As they go from “Sick Of Me” through “Sin On Skin”, Blink Of An Eye” and “Who Did It”, to “Send The Reaper” and “Rock n Roll Ain’t Dead” the band and the crowd get an added injection of energy bouncing around and singing along. The mix of old and new songs is expertly crafted into this setlist which is made to keep the high of the show going throughout the night. Before long however, we do need to say goodnight to the band but there’s time for two last singalongs. Finishing things off with “This Time I’m Ready” and “See You Again”, its another masterclass in putting on a show as it’s the perfect ending. While we might not be ready to go home yet, I’ve no doubt everyone who came out tonight will absolutely be seeing Those Damn Crows again and as soon as they can. From the performance of the tracks to the crowd interaction, the whole show is an experience that you don’t want to miss.

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