Having spent the majority of the year on tour and not looking like they’re due to slow down any time soon, Crown The Empire took to The Haunt this week with support from Volumes and Coldrain. 2018 has seen them support bands such as Black Veil Brides and Asking Alexandria, along with performances at the likes of Slam Dunk Festival and Warped Tour. Since forming in 2010, the band have released an EP along with 3 studio albums, with plenty more music on the way.

As opening band Coldrain took to the stage, it was evident how passionate and pumped the fans in attendance were for the evening, filling the venue and even forming a mosh pit minutes into the first set. The band were the perfect way to kick off the evening and with such an atmosphere they could’ve easily headlined themselves. As they powered through their set the energy filled the room. The involvement from both the fans and the band themselves was electric and as somebody who had not heard the band prior to this, I felt like I’d been invested in them for years.

Second to take to the stage were Volumes, a band from Los Angeles. As with Coldrain, they felt bigger than a support act and it became clear the evening was packed with bands full of stadium status, a bargain at £15 in such an intimate venue. While this was a night of Hardcore/Metal influenced bands the softer vocals from Volumes were incredible, and I’d love to hear more of them. The only downside to the bands performance was the similar sound to some of their songs, but it’s a signature sound that their fans seem to revel in. The band performed a setlist of tracks across their discography, but the newer tracks in particular seemed to impress most. Overall it was good to see a band clearly pushing themselves and advancing with each release give their fans a show to remember.

After two already hectic and intense performances, it was time for fans to flush out any energy they had left over, for the main band, Crown The Empires performance. Having never seen them in person before, the band looked a lot more youthful than I had initially anticipated when taking to the stage, but pulled off a monster of a set. Despite the bands success they seemed super humbled and appreciative of the audience response and were keen to put in all the stops for the first night of their tour. Ripping through belter after belter, it was clear to see how the band have become so successful. Their catchy melodies combined with their aggressive side struck the perfect balance between both. For a Tuesday following a Monday Freshers night (which the band said they were fully aware of) the crowd were fully enticed by them, jumping endlessly from start to finish. Along with receiving shots passed along from the bar from a fan, lead singer Andrew Velasquez took the opportunity to give back to his fans, passing out an unwanted beer which was pierced and held above the crowd. Along with tracks fans know and love, the band used the opportunity to showcase new material, which received an equally enthusiastic response. The vocals and overall performance of CTE were definitely the highlight of the evening, it’s crazy that they’re still playing such minuscule venues, but it’s a definite win for their fans.

This show saw 3 excellent bands giving everything they have to blow their fans away, not just musically but visually, the energy in each performance was captivating. While Coldrain were on pretty sharpish after doors had opened, they were certainly worth the effort of getting down early and it was great to see so many people arrive on time for their set. Above all else, this evening was a statement of the fans, a showcase of the passion and commitment each of these bands huge followings has given them.

Dan Whitehouse

Website: crowntheempire.net
Social Media: facebook.com/Crowntheempire