Edit note: I was too busy "fan girling" over I Killed the Prom Queen to take any photos... my sincere apologies. Text heavy.
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The Progression Tour arrived in Preston Friday night to play at 53 Degrees, the UCLAN Student Union venue.
First up were the German-greats Caliban, whose discography spans almost two decades. Unfortunately, their deeply-rooted history in metal was not greatly admired by the early static crowd that had filled into the club as only a handful seemed interested. And whilst their set did not include personal favourites like "Nothing Is Forever", "A Summer Dream", or "I Will Never Let You Down", their set was constructed like a story, much like recent effort Ghost Empire. The five-piece played tracks such as "King", "We Are the Many", "Chaos Creation", and "Wolves and Rats". For an opening act, they were tremendous -- a massive name in metal, very professional, and tried a countless number of times to engage a difficult audience. Andreas Dorner and Denis Schmidt's vocals were spot on. The way in which Dorner sings seems so emotionally invested and Schmidt makes the huge choruses on the albums really come to life -- they sound massive.
Next up were I Killed the Prom Queen, a total surprise to me as promos I had seen had inconsistently had them listed and also not listed so when I saw Jona's Caparison guitar I knew what I was in store for. It was the culmination of what had been ten years in the making. It was a return back to those moments in high school walking the halls listening to IKPTQ in 2-3 minute bursts between bells. Their reunion in 2011 made it all possible. From their latest effort Beloved, the band played the likes of "Thirty One & Sevens", "Brevity", among a few others (drawing a blank on names). Though the ones they did play have made me fully invest time into Beloved. Of the old Prom Queen, they played "Sharks in Your Mouth" and "Say Goodbye", which are arguably their most recognisable songs alongside "Your Shirt Would Look Better...". Jona Weinhofen is one of the most gifted guitarists out there. The ability to play riffs and leads with precision is one his best talents and it in turn makes the rest of the band very regimented in their playing. Jamie Hope's vocals are very unique and raspy. Overall, he has a good range of highs and lows. They are definitely a must see band under this latest lineup.
The Devil Wears Prada hit the stage third and the energy that had built up during Prom Queens' set carried over. The Dayton, OH outfit played through a solid mix of the last three (four if you count the Zombie EP) albums -- including "Assistant to Regional Manager", "Danger: Wildman", "Dez Moines", "Escape", "Mammoth", "War", and "Sailor's Prayer". Correct me if I'm wrong, but for "War", Mike Hranica jumped out into the middle of the pit as the crowd engulfed him to sing along. TDWP added so much energy to the show, which was something expected from seeing live videos on YouTube so they definitely lived up to the billing. I have always felt that Daniel Williams was a solid drummer and he proved that one-hundred-percent.
For a show that had four could-be headliners on the bill, The Ghost Inside must have won the contest of spoons or something. LA's finest entertained the crowd with the tracks (of course in no particular oder), "Unspoken", "Between the Lines", "Thirty Three", "Provoke", "Faith and Forgiveness", "Destined", and "The Conflict". The group encored with "Dark Horse", It was a solid crowd showing for TGI.
Overall, the show was worth the £20 note -- for FOUR headlining bands in their own right, you got your money's worth. Throughout my time in England I have gotten accustomed to these Student Union gigs and it is a very cool concept that is put on as they're accessible to a variety of people.
