It’s been 5 long years since New Years Day has graced our shores. Their last UK tour took place in 2020 just before the world shut down due to a little thing called Covid. To say it’s nice to have them back would be an understatement. Tonight’s show at The Engine Rooms in Southampton is the first night of the UK leg of the tour and anticipation is high.
This evening’s openers Fearless Vampire Killers weren’t even a band when New Years Day was last here. Striding confidently onstage to the Goosebumps theme song (and aging several people in the audience in the process) They waste no time getting down to business. FVK are clearly enjoying their second life as they rip through a half hour of high octane bangers. They seem refreshed and with a renewed purpose, even throwing in a new song for good measure. On this night they are the perfect opening band, who have lost none of their appeal, they wake the crowd up and set the pace for a good evening to follow.
Conquer Divide is a band I am less familiar with. Tonight is my first real introduction to them, and what a first impression they make. Their Melodic metalcore is more in line with tonight’s headliners. They put in a spirited performance rallying the crowd behind them. Despite a portion of the audience being less than willing, the more enthusiastic part of the crowd more than makes up for it. There are flashes of brilliance in their set that showcase how good of a live band Conquer Divide are. As an appetiser for tonight’s main course they certainly hit the spot.
Everyone is here to see one band and one band only. New Years Day is greeted with a thunderous reception. Launching into Vampyre from their latest album Half Black Heart, the place goes off immediately. Ash Costello is in fine form, playful, menacing, engaging. Among the tightness of the bands performance there are some genuinely funny moments as well. Whether it’s Ash forgetting how to get back onstage or which song is next, it’s these moments that lend an endearing human quality to the show.
We are treated to 2 covers, with the band rolling out their version of Gangsta by Kehlani from the Pop Goes Punk album series & a now customary cover of Fucking Hostile by Pantera, both of which go over extremely well.
The rest of the set is made up of material from the last decade of the band’s catalogue. Cuts like Hurts Like Hell, Come For Me & Defame Me provide crowd pleasing moments, turning the whole place into a frenzied mass of black clothes and flailing limbs. When Ash & Nikki Misery jump into the crowd, to play in the the pit security soon realise they are going to have to earn their money tonight. It’s a highlight in a set full of them, that also showcases how deep New Years Day’s connection with their audience is. The crowd themselves give the band back just as much energy as the band are giving them, singing every word back to the stage as loud as they can.
It’s clear that New Years Day has made a real impact on the UK. Every time they come back the venues are bigger, the shows are crazier and the band themselves seem happier and more appreciative to still be doing this. With this being their first UK show in 5 years, it seems absence really did make the heart grow fonder. Here’s hoping it won’t be another 5 until we see them again.
9/10
For more information on New Years Day including dates & tickets for the rest of the UK tour click here