It’s December 3rd 2003. Lord of The Rings Return of the King is dominating the box office. Westlife are topping the charts. And on Dale End in Birmingham, this reviewer is waiting outside in the rain to watch his first ever live gig. A then unsigned Machine Head, with special guests Sikth and Breed 77. All for the now seemingly ridiculous price of £14.50. Needless to say, this was a canon event.
Fast forwards twenty three years and we find ourselves in a very similar position, wandering through Birmingham on the kind of miserable November evening that makes you regret that you’ve made plans. However, there’s a reason we’re braving the cold tonight. Having reunited after nearly a decade, Breed 77 are back out on the road again! With a brand new album poised to land at the end of the week. Which means that no matter how unappealing the capital city of heavy metal might look through the wind and rain. The chance to catch the five piece from Gibraltar that made such an impression all those years ago is too enticing to pass up!
We make it inside Birmingham’s o2 Institute just in time to catch the second support act of the night, Silo (6). Who, if we’re being completely honest, don’t do all that much for us. Full disclosure, the nu-gaze thing really isn’t our scene. So, while guitarists Laurance Crookall and Chris Barber-Shaw clearly know their way around a decent riff. We really struggle to find anything to latch on to beyond that.
As singles go, Crawl in a Bottle isn’t bad at all. And the rhythm section of Dario Leonetti and Darren Shields do a respectable job of propping things up. However, our pickle remains untickled for the majority of their set. Which isn’t to say they’re lacking potential. We just don’t think Silo have reached their final form, yet. We look forwards to catching them again and being fully converted.
On to the nights main event, Breed 77 (9). Who bring a whole different level of energy to the room. Kicking things off with Insects. Followed by their brand new single, End of the Line. Which everyone seems to know the words to, despite it being pretty fresh out of the box. While they sound fantastic from our side of the stage, we can tell all is not well however. Vocalist Paul Isola in particular seems to be getting a little frustrated with his monitors. As well as a microphone that occasionally decides to feed back like it’s hooked up to an elementary school PA system. Which takes a few songs to iron out and while the likes of Outside and Blind sound great from front of house, we can tell he’s struggling to pick himself out in the mix.
With the offending monitors now completely turned off, Breed 77 really get into their stride. The River, with it’s soulful flamenco verse and cathartic chorus hits every bit as hard as it did when Cultura first dropped. And it’s still an impressive sight to watch Danny Felice and Pedro Caparros López jump between their acoustic and electric guitars like it’s second nature. New songs like Don’t Give Me Up sit perfectly alongside the likes of Empty Words and A Matter of Time too. Despite having been written decades apart.
Then, in the second half of their set, Breed 77 really begin to bring out the big guns. Anti-war anthem, Zombie by The Cranberries will forever belong to the Irish quartet. But, we’ll be damned if Breed 77’s take on it isn’t up there with the original as the audience link arms and sing along. Wish You Well, another brand new track looks set to become a fan favourite too. Thanks to it’s thunderous chorus and razor sharp dual guitar harmonies. Then, before we know it, we’re all clapping along in unison to La Ultima Hora. Which you would think would mark the end of the show. Especially considering the ovation it receives. But, that’s not all folks!
Most encores at this point feel built into the set, the band leave, we all check our phones, debate getting an earlier train, then decide to stay anyway. However, that’s not the case here tonight. As soon as Breed 77 leave, the chanting begins and when the band re-emerge, it feels earned. The look on Paul Isola’s face as he asks us if we want one, no, maybe two more songs is one of pure gratitude. And the reaction they get from the crowd as they launch into a double bill of Petroleo and Worlds on Fire feels every bit as genuine. It’s moments of pure passion like this that etched Breed 77 into our memory nearly a quarter of a century ago and we sincerely hope that there’s another twenty five years of them to come!
Breed 77 are still out on tour. With tickets available for their upcoming dates in Manchester, London and Margate. Their brand new album, VII lands this Friday and is available to pre-save and pre-order now. For more information on the band and any upcoming announcements go ahead and give them a follow on social media.
