Live Review: Pierce The Veil at Newcastle O2 Academy 2 01/06/13

The first time Pierce The Veil played here in Newcastle they were supporting A Day To Remember, and were brutally met with boos from a crowd that were only interested in Jeremy McKinnon and his beard. The fact that they returned here for their fans, to play a tiny venue which they could have easily avoided, to me, says a lot about them as people. Evidently, they truly care about their fans and this is a vital aspect in putting on a convincing show.

By the time the band walk onto the tiny stage, the crowd are already hyped after support act Woe, Is Me put on an incredible and energetic performance that had even the back of the crowd moving, and as the first chords of May These Noises Startle You In Your Sleep echo through the room it already feels like the floor is going to fall through. The scene becomes even more surreal as confetti falls over the crowd during the first song, and even the people who were only here for the heavier support acts can’t resist getting into it.

Instrumentally the band are phenomenal and it’s hard to pick out a single fault; they provide the audience with a perfect balance of bouncier songs such as A Match Into Water and anthem King For A Day, lyrical favourites Disasterology and Bulletproof Love and even an acoustic performance of I’m Low On Gas and You Need A Jacket to which the whole crowd can be heard singing along to that can only be comparable to sitting round a campfire with all of your best friends during summer.

Yet the best thing about this show isn’t the flawless setlist. It isn’t the endless bursts of confetti or the number of times Vic Fuentes has a hissy fit with his guitar and picks a new one. It isn’t even the fact they’re Mexican. It’s how the band connects with their fans. Vic keeps the audience engaged by making conversation during song changes which is met with cheers and jokes, but also provides an emotional response by asking “How many people here can say music has saved their life?” and every single person in the crowd raises their hand.

The smiles on the bands faces are of people who are truly grateful to be where they are, and the faces of the fans are the same. This has not just been a concert, but an escape from reality. This band are exceptional in every characteristic, and everyone here tonight has, “had a really good time”.