It’s been five incredibly long years without any music or shows from UK Alternative rock legends, Young Guns. Finally returning for a short and sweet four stop tour, Young Guns performing again has been met with phenomenal excitement and demand. With this return, shows have been taking place at smaller and more intimate venues; a truly fitting welcome home that has created such special nights for fans and the band alike.
Opening up the evening came a heavier act in the form of State of You. Feeling slightly out of place on the line up, the band still put on a great performance which had some members of the crowd really getting into what they had to offer. It’s easy to see the appeal for this band, but compared to second support act Lacey and headliners Young Guns, it wasn’t much of a surprise to not see a massive atmosphere. In a different setting, this may have been a band I’d want to check out again or dive a little further into their discography, but as the opening act for the evening it felt jarring more than anything else.
For our second act of the evening, we were treated to rising stars and alternative rock band, Lacey. Even when faced with technical issues and a rocky start to the set, there was nothing that would stand in the way of winning our hears with an incredible set. Feeling much more suited to Young Guns sound, Lacey truly elevated the evening. It was clear from watching the crowd this band have worked hard to build their name and fan base; with some audience members seeming just as excited for them as our main act Young Guns.
Going into this show I was relatively new to the band. Having only gone through the reliable Spotify artist shuffle a few times prior, within the first few tracks it was clear you’d want to see them again for their own headline show. One of the most stand out tracks of the set came in the form of Run Away. An older track from their catalogue, but one that gives a massive atmospheric punch. With insanely catchy guitar riffs, this was the definition of a song you need to hear live to fully appreciate it. Having a chorus thats so quick to get stuck in your head, this is always such a selling point for a track that needs to sung at the top of your lungs. Easy Way Out showed off the range in sound Lacey deliver on. With an electro and almost pop sound this track was super catchy. Going out with a bang, their latest release Dream in a Little Less Colour came shining through with its electric moments while having a strong influence of Deaf Havana. If you came to this show not knowing who Lacey were, you were definitely leaving with a new band to add to your playlist.
Four our headliners of the evening Young Guns, it’s find the words to do justice of what an incredible performance they put on. This band never fail to impress, and the performance put on at The Asylum was different. Going above and beyond all expectations, this set was non stop fun from start to finish. Even with five years away; the standard would make you think no time had passed at all.
Between bands changing over, there can either be a lull while we recoup our energy or a second wind of excitement. The energy and anticipation for young guns walking on stage was hard to be contained within these four walls. Even something as simple as stage lights being turned on was met with eruptions of cheers, and from these moments we knew it would be a non stop evening of bangers.
Opening with old school track I Was Born, I Have Lived, I Surely Will Die, this anthem gave an early indication the evening would be full of hits that are irresistible to sing along too. With an upbeat and fast pace, it’s the best kind of way to open a set.
What’s so great about Young Guns music comes from their incredible lyrics. You can listen to so many tracks and be left feeling like nothing will defeat you and with this performance it felt like a much needed boost to push through the final days of a tough year.
Throwing it all the way back to their debut album, Weight of The World gave us the first taste of heavier and more angst filled tracks of the evening.
It goes without saying, this set was put together with hardcore Young Guns fans in mind. Hosting a variety of tracks across their albums, it was an evening you didn’t want to end. It can sometimes be easy to let some bands slip your mind when they drop off the radar for a while; but if you’ve been missing Young Guns, this was the show to reignite your love.
Personal all time favourite track, Daylight, was incredible to hear live once again. With incredible guitar riffs punching throughout met with a truly addictive chorus that even better live, its one of those tracks you’ll hear once and find it almost impossible to get out of your head. Daylight is a perfect example of Young Guns power to uplift you that even on the darkest of days, you’d be able to drag yourself up again.
Another personal favourite and all around crowd pleaser came as I Want Out from 2015 album Ones and Zeros. A slow opening that builds up into a punchy and jump around track is a match made in heaven for live shows. What shines through so much about Young Guns is how even with no new releases for five long years, they still deliver as one of the best British rock bands on offer.
With Frontman Gustav Wood encouraging everyone in the room to let loose a little; given it was a Friday evening, sure enough we had our first and only crowd surfer of the evening. Even this far into the show, The Asylum still faced a host of technical issues which made it hard for everyone in the venue to hear the true extent of these stunning tracks. With a hugely cheeky nature, Gustav kept the crowd entertained, cracking jokes and showing his appreciation for the crew while the sound was fixed. Things like this can be so frustrating at gigs when you just want to kick back and enjoy the music, but owning the situation and making light of it makes it sting a little less.
Throughout this show it was hard to tell who was having more fun, the lads in young guns or the fans making the evening a beautiful and long awaited reunion. The biggest take away from the evening was that it’s clear the demand for Young Guns music remains high and their live shows unmatched. If anything else is for certain, we’re hoping this is just the start of a return and new music is on the cards. Young Guns look so at home on stage performing to their fans with the biggest smiles; if there is ever a chance to catch their gigs its always an opportunity you should take.
