Crown The Empire LIVE, February 2015 (My 5th Concert)

My 5th Concert was pretty intense and full of metalheads who all had the burning spirit and the enthusiasm to mosh. All to see a band of 6 who I have recently gotten into back in November, so last night I had good company and enjoyed myself at the Electric Ballroom in Camden Town, London for the Post-Hardcore band that is Crown The Empire!

My 5th concert didn't really outdo the previous 4 due to the tough and intimidating atmosphere that I was swimming in at the venue but it was still eventful in it's own little way. It was more heavier than when I was in a tight crowd seeing Linkin Park except I was trying to balance in the crowd from the constant pushing that shook the crowd like wind in the hayfields and I did get involved in a mosh-pit during one of the videos I uploaded but somehow I came out not hurt and last night's crowd would have certainly bruised or injured me badly.
But let's see the videos and see how it did turn out fair and enjoyable.

My original plan a couple weeks ago was to go with Caleb and another friend. Then Rebecca (Sis) asked for 2 more additional tickets to take her friend Katie as an early 18th present for February. To cut a long story short, Caleb couldn't make it after telling me on the day that he had thought it was next Thursday  and I never found the third person to go with us, so on Wednesday evening, I met Katie's great boyfriend Sean and my sisters mate Dean. We all got chatting about mutual interests that night and I knew these were my 2 guys for the concert the following night. So my gang was Rebecca, Katie, Sean and Dean.

Waiting at Three Bridges Train Station

I finished work on Thursday at lunchtime and headed home, after chatting with the others we all made our plan of getting there. We met Sean at Three Bridges Train Station at around 7. I drove the rest of us there and parked at the train station and we all ventured up. Seeing as CTE made an announcement under a week early that these bands Alive Like Me, Dangerkids and Set It Off were all supporting acts for them, it came to my attention that the gig would actually be delayed and that the main act might even come on later than expected and we'd all need to head home early to catch the last trains home to Three Bridges.

Made this with the "Diptic" Mobile App

After we all finally got to the Electric Ballroom at around 8, we saw that Dangerkids were just starting since the concert supposedly began at 7. I purchased myself a Concert T-shirt and a Cog & Crown Wristband for £25 and at the end, Rebecca purchased a £35 CTE Hoodie (extortionate, right...)

Dangerkids

Set It Off

While there, I listened to Dangerkids who seemed quite similar to CTE but I wasn't as hyped up as some individuals in the crowd were since I hadn't done my research and the same goes for Set It Off. Though Set It Off seemed similar to Hands Like Houses and weren't as shouty as Dangerkids and CTE from my point of view but the lead singer from Set It Off even stood ontop of the crowd when singing one song and throughout the show did spit out some inspiring words of wisdom whilst gaining my interest in some songs such as "Dream Catcher", "Tomorrow" and "Ancient History".

Whilst waiting for CTE, I was afraid honestly to mingle and meet new people since the crowd and range of people was big including age and gender. Most girls looked too young whilst wearing very little, some had boyfriends who were being very protective and even gave me a look that just read "F**k Off!" Plus the girls looked out of my league and I'm not really the type to meet people at such a place that's full of danger and eccentric people, despit how attractive and busty most were (even if they had cool tattoos). But I was here with the others for the same reason and by 10.00, that reason came on stage.

Crown The Empire - Oh Catastrophe & The Fallout (Opening)

I had a big question around will they start off with the first 2 tracks from either "The Fallout" album or "The Resistance: Rise Of The Runaways" album? So in the end it was first album and it went off to a heavy start including beginning the mosh-pits ha ha and I jumped up and down (as you can tell during the videos). In the crowd, there was a Sound System box area in the middle and I positioned myself in front of it, whilst the others were on the other side behind it and being a big bro, I did spend a lot of time checking back whilst recording to make sure Rebecca and the others were enjoying themselves and feeling alright.

Crown The Empire - Initiation

I'm glad this came straight on after the first 2 tracks to kick off the show. This one is one of my major favorites and I knew all the words too. Setlist is here.
I actually felt a little anxious as I have admitted at past concerts on not knowing all the words or failing to recognise tracks being played and how I worry that doesn't make me a true "qualified" fan. I had been listening to 3/4 of the second album for months and completely forgot about the first album (which had even been re-released as a "reissue" which included their first EP tracks. I spent all of this week and the previous week listening to the first reissue album whilst driving to and back from work and whenever I had the spare time. But due to the short concert, it was all not worth it (I can't really say that since it satisfied me a little but the concert wasn't exactly as long as all my past ones).

Crown The Empire - Voices

Crown The Empire - Johnny's Revenge

I actually missed my chance at recording the previous track "Johnny Ringo" which is the first part in a threeway story (similar to the track layout in Green Day - Jesus Of Suburbia in a way though not as long and the "Johnny Ringo" and "Johnny's Revenge" are on the first album and "Johnny's Rebellion" is on the second. They sliced up all three songs to make it into a 5/ 6 minute combo song and the fact it was altered made it hard a couple time that night to tell what song was being played right then.

Crown The Empire - Johnny's Rebellion

Crown The Empire - Machines

After the triple compilation song, on came the first song that I discovered the band by. This was my song. The song that made me say that day during my lunch break at work back in November whilst I was watching Hands Like Houses - Lion Skin and Issues - Mad At Myself (which now has a music video), this song "hook line and sinkered me".

The Wall Of Death

The show was full of many moments of the crowd expanding like an explosion and then getting ready for the scream drop to rush back in like an implosion.
There was even a "wall of death" during one of the videos I recorded (you know that scene in war films where you see both sides getting ready for the first clash, well that was this!)
As I was watching the show, I couldn't help but ponder over this little nudge in my head as to if I should "partake" in the shenanigans which I could have come back out in pain or worse. But due to the crowd's intimidating actions and the brutal players going around tonight wanting to hurt others maybe for personal gains or just to start a riot, it made me start a war of my own in my head and ask myself "am I a wuss or a brave fool for not joining in since everyone else is?!" But after analysing through the show and chatting with Katie and Sean later at the end of the gig, they even reassured me that it was much more intense than other mosh-pits they've either been in or witnessed (though that didn't stop them from partaking a little tonight ha ha). I was beginning to doubt myself to be a true fan because I was too chicken to join in and be impulsive (even use the camera to record me doing it) but I didn't wanna hurt myself since I had work tomorrow afternoon and I didn't wanna damage myself or the phone and go home f**ked off... Why not look for yourself in the videos and ask yourself the same question "would you go in there?"

Crown The Empire - Bloodline

Crown The Empire - Millennia

It was shocking and disappointing to see that the band was now playing their 14th and last song for the night and all within an hour's play though thanks to the 3 supporting acts that deep down I felt were unnecessary (I'm not dissing them or anything, it's just I had no clue on any of their work and my main attraction was cut short thanks to the generous performances that delayed my excitement, it even made me worry if we all had to head home by 11 before the band even finished playing like when I saw Rihanna). It took me a small while to realise "Millennia" was being played because due to the change in tone, crowd vocals and instrumental flow (as we all see in live performances) it messes up my clockwork/ cog and gear-like brain to realise suddenly plus this band was deffinitely different live compared to the almost identical vocal and instrumental performances that I saw in Owl City and Ellie Goulding, even Linkin Park and the other bands at Download Festival 2014, but not every live performance can live up to your expectations because people need to get the crowd hyped, go off topic and even delay the songs but at least it's all rehearsed rather than cutting the flow drastically unless it's an emergency or something, I dunno it's just the way my mind works on flow and routines and how having high hopes can sometimes affect my feelings but at least that night I managed to keep my cool and keep smiling whilst telling myself "at least your here and actually went out and did it, no matter the circumstances and atmosphere that followed!" Plus the bass level made my feet think the earth was shaking which was a cool/ thrilling feeling during the night!

Crown The Empire - Makeshift Chemisty (Encore)

The crowd and I weren't satisfied and all shouted "We Want More!" and like most concerts I've seen on YouTube or actually been to, the band/ singer actually gives in as it's all "part of the plan" and always come on for an Encore. They played my second/ third favourite song from the first album and I always enjoyed singing along to the chorus whislt driving in the car. Good choice in Encore song and it was a good way to end the show despite it's short performing time.

I was a little gutted that this little number wasn't included in the setlist since this was my second song I listened to that day when I discovered Crown The Empire after watching the music video for Machines.

Left to right: Me, Rebecca, Katie, Sean and Dean

So as we all made our way back to London Victoria at 11.00 after Sean and I grabbed our jackets and bag from the coatroom, it suddenly hit me like being jabbed by a needle that after we had gotten on the Northern Line going Southbound that we were on the wrong tube train... S**t! We were going the long way around back to Victoria instead of the way we came, it was thanks to seeing the station "Angel" that I realised something is wrong here! So Sean, Katie and Rebecca managed to calm me down after the shock hit me and aggrivated the tense moment I was feeling thanks to the pressure of coming home from London and we managed to swap over at "Bank" and take the Central Line going Eastbound to "Oxford Circus" and swap over one last time to go Southbound on the Victoria Line and arrive back at "Victoria". We got there for 11.53 and I was bummed out to think we had missed our one shot home but Sean and Katie were right when they said "their will be more trains mate, to take us home!" So we caught the 12.05 and got back to Three Bridges for 1.00 and I drove everyone home whilst Sean walked back to Crawley thanks to my car being a bl***y 4 seater, but I gave everyone their tickets as a souvenir and got hugs from everyone for selecting them to join me on this raving night. It's lucky I was able to re-plan during a crucial moment and didn't really snap as badly as some people may assume or imagine, I sometimes surprise myself too.
Oh and in the underground as we made our way home train swapping, there was a guy with a huge Didgeridoo... Gosh how I wish I could try playing one, one day for laughs (though I won't be going to Australia to do it... I hate the thought of encountering the deadly spiders, eugh xP).

But hey, things don't always outdo the previous events but if you sleep on it and still see the small pieces of excitement then it was sorta worth it in the end instead of missing out on something and regretting it forever, right? The goodside is that now, I guess us lot are now part of The Runaways?!

So what's next?! I still wanna see them again live someday (possibly Download this year) but I'd also wanna see Hands Like Houses (Australian Rock) and Issues (Metalcore). BTW I do like how a lot of bands including Issues and Hands Like Houses actually do videos for their songs and put up the lyrics in such creative and cool layouts like in "Antarctica" and "Mad At Myself", even CTE have done it like in "Initiation!"

  

Hands Like Houses were the first band from Rise Records that I was shown by Lewis and Rebecca right after Download and the song Lion Skin caught my attention right after the first listen. I don't know much about them other than their 2 albums which are not really screamo stuff but more heavy rock music with passionate vocals and have acquired another fan who is hoping to see them live someday.

  

Issues were the heaviest stuff I had heard around August thanks to Lewis again, I think it's the obvious opposite in the band's style (it even sounds a bit like R&B or Nu Metal) that makes it so outstanding like CTE how one guys screams and the other sings either both angry or one is hurt/ sad and the other is angry and vengeful, if that makes any sense. They have 2 EPs and a self-title album so far and are dynamite!

The band's singers are Tyler Carter and Michale Bohn who were originally in the band Woe, Is Me and their stuff is where Tyler sings (clean vocalist) and Michael screams(unclean vocalist) (bit like Andrew "Andy Leo" Velasquez singing/ screaming a little and David Escamilla in CTE). I do wonder if I saw either one of these two bands live, would it be as eventful and heavy as to when I saw CTE or would it be more easy going (not as calm and peaceful as when I saw Owl City live with Lewis) though I do wish to see him again and this time record on a better camera just to fill in that crater in my mind that must be filled up to end the annoying and irritating pain I felt when I played back my work... ugh.

Aside from those, and seeing as it's super late right now as I FINALLY finish this long post, I'm heading to London all weekend, Saturday for London Anime & Gaming Con with a friend Beki to meet new people and hot cosplayers and even take a look at the Gaming area which has a talk on "How To Become A Game Designer" I hope it's worth it. Plus I'm hoping this atmosphere at The London Metropolitan University will be much less stresfful, claustrophobic and overwhelming compared to MCM Comic-Con, I'll just wait and see.

Oh and on Sunday, I have a date! Well I don't know if it's classed as a "date" or not, but this really pretty girl that I've been chatting to, well we are meeting up for a fun day in London and it'll also be the first day we meet each other too. How exciting my weekend looks. I hope your weekend will be awesome too!