Alkaline Trio Live Review @ Academy [1, 2, 3 and Club Academy] (Manchester) - 24 Nov 2005

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Live Review

Following their busy summer here on British shores topped by their stints at the Reading and Leeds festival, Alkaline Trio returned in style with an impressive 10 date UK tour on the back of new album "Crimson." Tonight was the turn of Manchester and as the lights dimmed and the excitement topped boiling point, the crowd knew what was coming. The trio bounded onto the stage greeting us and pouncing straight into the interestingly entitled opener "Armageddon" which by all means did not signify the end, rather the beginning of an exciting night, giving long term fans the chance to hear material from earlier works "From Here To Infirmary."

The response was phenomenal and the band must have noticed, as we got 2 for the price of 1 from the aforementioned earlier works, the second being the excellent "Private Eye."

We were transported forward a few years to the present day, where we sampled the first sounds of "Crimson," in with the powerful "Back To Hell" proving the band have not lost their dark mood, and which received just as warm a reception as the desired early works.

"Good Mourning" got its turn with the striking favourite "We've Had Enough" which the band delivered with maximum energy, encouraged by a rapturous sing along from below, creating a unison between long-time fans, and newly gathered fans alike.

The crowd naturally didn't let up for the current single and powerful number "Mercy Me" which opened a "Crimson" threesome which was closed by the short and sweet, but dark and abrasive punk number "The Poison," and with story-like and very biting "Sadie" sandwiched between.

The set was turning into an epic with enough highlights, and noise to send you soaring through the roof, but it was well worth holding out, as the band introduced a song which needs little introduction, "This Could Be Love."

Dan Andriano continued his excellent crowd control skills, splitting the crowd and giving us a part to sing, and soon enthusiastic sounds of "This Could Be Love" from one side, were echoed with equally enthusiastic sounds of "Love For Fire" from the opposing side.

Both audience and band really put all feeling into this deep and driving favourite and immensely quality track to which they left the stage, how time flies when you are having fun, they say all good things must come to an end, but what about fantastic things? Fantastic things mustn't count, as the roadies shifted equipment and re-set the stage for the band to return, and return they did.

The lights dimmed once more, and on they came one by one to immense cheers and excitement. This one is called "Time To Waste!" Of which there was none! The three plunged straight into Crimsons fantastic opening single, which needed no introduction, and which sounded as haunting and as dark as ever right from it's eerie keyboard chord opener which sent shivers down your spine, as the calm before the immense sing along storm.

That was the newer fans catered for, and now came the reward of the loyal long-standing fans, as "Maybe I'll Catch Fire" track "Radio" echoed around the walls and beyond. The end was in sight, but we were certainly leaving on a high following an epic set which oozed rare and not so rare favourites, and made it impossible to choose a favourite.

Katherine Tomlinson