Gig: The Menzingers at The Electric Ballroom, London

Gigs

6 Feb

American punks The Menzingers, delivered a mesmerising performance at their sold-out show in The Electric Ballroom in Camden on the 3 February. From the moment they stepped onto the stage, the band delivered pure passion and raw energy, with Eric Keen on bass owning the venue by planting his foot on the stage monitor speaker and the audience feeding out of his palm.

The Electric Ballroom is a cornerstone of the live music world - hosting rock legends such as Joy Division, Prince, The Killers and, served as an ideal location for The Menzingers to follow in their footsteps in this intimate and powerful venue. Fans were pressed against the barrier to be as close as possible to the band, turning the concert into a shared, special experience.

The audience's energy as a united front really did make the performance feel close-knit, giving it a beautiful communal atmosphere. Fans sang in unity, fists raised, and emotions pouring - ranging from joy to tears that echoed through the venue. This sense of connection, love, and passion is a feeling that is often missed in larger arenas, making The Menzingers' choice of such an intimate and historic venue a respectable and commendable decision.

Before the headlining act, support acts Gladie and Prince Daddy & The Hyenas, were both amazing and we urge you to keep an eye out for them! With a successfully amped up crowd, The Menzingers took the stage at 20:25 sharp, opening with 'Hope is a Dangerous Little Thing' which felt like a perfect choice with its light rock to get the audience pumped up for an hour and a half of pure energy and passion.

You might have thought that after performing just the night before at the same venue, the band would be tired, but nope, lead vocalist Greg Barnett, who was also on the guitar, showed the audience that he was more than ready for a second show for London. Barnett had an unmissable aura of energy, jumping up and down the stage... making him very missable for the photographers in the pit.

All this energy by the band resonated with the audience as it wasn't long until the crowd needed to release some energy. By the time ‘Good Things’ was performed which brought in a whole new level of excitement with its slightly heavier rock’, the crowd started surfing - something that Tom May, who was on guitar and vocals couldn’t help but look down at smile at whenever someone went flying over the barrier.

The Menzingers not only took over the stage at The Electric Ballroom but also created an intimate atmosphere of nothing but pure energy that totally threw the initial criticism of their latest album out of the window. The night meant a lot to the band, being a sold-out show and they did not want to disappoint... and you know what? They did not disappoint, I think it's fair to say that they exceeded all expectations, which were already pretty high.