I was in attendance for all three acts at Rock City last night – Polar Bear Club, Frank Turner and Gaslight Anthem. The main reason for going was to catch Frank, but both other bands were good fun to photograph too.
Polar Bear Club, Rock City.
Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.
I've heard good things about Polar Bear Club, and lo and behold, I enjoyed them immensely. They gave the impression they were very comfortable as a band on stage, and had an impressive following in the crowd, especially for an opening act from the States.
Frank Turner, Rock City.
Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.
Frank Turner was up next, and I was keen to see him on form after his unfortunate exit due to illness halfway through his Rescue Rooms set a few months ago. As it turns out, it was awesome. The lyrics are exceptional, the between-song banter is great, and the integrity and feeling come across loud and clear. Stunning.
Gaslight Anthem, Rock City.
Copyright Haydn Williams 2009.
Gaslight Anthem were the main act, and I didn't know any of their stuff either. They seemed pretty polished, and the crowd were loving it. Pretty good to photograph, but not really too exciting musically, for my taste. As I say, everyone else seemed pretty stoked, so I left Rock City full of happy people – excellent.
