14/10/2011 – City & Colour @ Newcastle City Hall | iShootGigs

Oct 14

14/10/2011 – City & Colour @ Newcastle City Hall

Posted by admin on Friday Oct 14, 2011 Under Past gigs

Fresh from the official announcement of Alexisonfire splitting up, Dalls Green brought City & Colour to Newcastles most prestigious venue for an intimate concert chocked full of stunning songs.

When I first heard about City & Colour a year ago, I never imagined what I would be getting myself into. People in metal bands often have ‘side projects’ that turn out to be ….. well ….. shite.

Dallas Green can most certainly NOT be put in that category. I heard two songs from ‘Sometimes’ and I was sold. I bought the full discography immediately.

You see, City & Colour have that special ingredient. Dalls is not only one of the best singers in the world, he is also a master craftsmen. His songs are tinged with saddness and truth, but they are also filled with technical yet refined excellence and stunning harmonies.

The set tonight introduced a lot of new material from latest album ‘Little Hell‘, the natural progression meaning that there is a full band present tonight. I confess to not knowing any of the other members, but it’s pretty clear as the show goes on that they are all on the same page as their leader and they really groove.

Watching Dallas interact with the crowd is something special in itself. He admits on stage that he is shy and struggles to communicate, yet his introspective outlook only brings an extra melanchonic meaning to the words he delivers to the audience.

I could go on and on about each and every song int he setlist tonight, but I’ll stick to two and be done with it.

1: ‘Body in a box’ was absolutely sensational for the reason that Dallas demanded everybody in the audience put down their mobile phones for the duration of the song and actually listened as a collective instead of having their minds elsewhere. Everybody obliged.

2: ‘Coming Home’. I have NEVER had the hairs on my neck stand up in the way they saluted when this was played. My favourite C & C song, slightly reworked and breathtaking.

I guess I’d best mention the ‘incident’ before Weightless as well where the band took it upon themselves to eject two drunks from the front row as they were talking too loudly and making a nuisance of themselves. This typifies for me what the band is all about. If you’re into them, you respect them. If not – well, leave.