Roadrunner Records invited us to come and see the Hopesfall show in the Melkweg. Because of my Hatebreed interview on Groezrock I missed the biggest part of their show and I was hoping I could see them again in the Netherlands.

 

Alexisonfire played on the bigger stage right after we entered the Melkweg. I have seen this band playing before and once again they proved their value on stage. You could see most of the people were present for the bigger stage where this band and Rise Against were playing. With a good solid show they prepared the audience for the last band on this stage. Their style isn’t entirely my style of music but the show was great.

 

I saw this band earlier at Groezrock. I didn’t like them then, didn’t like them now. The two songs I saw them play added nothing to the musical spectrum. I wouldn’t care for that when at least they were good, but they weren’t. Uninspired is the word that comes to mind first. So no, I wouldn’t recommend to go see them live.

 

The first thing I noticed when walking into the room where Rise Against was playing, was the strong sense of unity in the crowd. They were eating out of the band’s hands. There were a lot of stage divers and the mosh pit got really poked up by the crowd pleasing anthems. I found it interesting to watch but didn’t really get taken away by it as much as the rest of the people there. I guess I’m not born a Rise Against fan. The political bragging in-between the songs sounded somewhat dutifully to me and the music didn’t kick in as intense as it’s probably meant to.

 

Last band on the bill this night was Hopesfall. I also saw Hopesfall at Groezrock and they managed to convince me then. In a full tent they played a steady set and got the crowd moving. This time they had to play in a somewhat cozier setting, the Melkweg’s small stage. The band is technically skilled and knows how to write good songs. Their record is great and they really play excellent live. But there is one thing that kind of bothered me. The singer is extremely passionate while singing, but gets very dull in-between the songs. He almost said nothing, except for some monotonous mumbling. Now that’s not very convincing to me. But that’s just a minor point, overall it’s an enjoyable band which seeks musical adventure and won’t bore you.