On November 21st, Cane Hill returned to the United Kingdom for their first ever headline tour, embarking on ten dates across the country to celebrate the release of their latest album a piece of me I never let you find. They began their tour at the Salt Box in Nottingham, boasting a capacity of around 500 that served to amplify a dynamic and energetic performance that longtime fans will have been waiting to see without any doubts.
To open this evening’s performance, two local bands take the stage to kick start the movement within the room for tonight’s occasion. Firstly, Derby’s Infirm Of Purpose wasted no time bringing a very animated presence to the venue, with their vocalist instantly jumping on stage and delivering a mixture of rapping, screaming and singing that definitely had the crowd hooked with a steady response of head banging and cheering. Their pieces were captivating through their abundance of sounds. Using electronic elements combined with breakdowns to create a fun and vibrant experience, alongside their performance and interaction on stage, it was definitely an entertaining sight.
In contrast, Nottingham’s own Those Once Loyal delivered a more stripped down approach, prioritising fast riffs, consistent and complex drumming with abrasive shouts, almost akin to a traditional hardcore band. The crowd responded to the vocalist’s prompts throughout their set and opened a more aggressive and fast-moving pit in the centre of the audience. They delivered an engaging and relentless drive of energy throughout the room and helped set the pace and exhilaration for the following acts.
Next up on stage, all the way from Australia, was The Gloom In The Corner who are joining Cane Hill throughout their entire run on this tour. Utilising the already brewing palpable excitement in the room, this four piece metal band immediately escalated the energy with their lively stage presence, with guitarist Jesse Abdurazak and (fill-in) bassist Nick Davies vigorously head banging and spinning with as much determination as possible to cover the entire stage. Vocalist Mikey Arthur displayed a range of abilities, opening their set with his captivating singing on the intro of ‘From Heaven To Hell’, before unleashing powerful, low screams, as the rest of the band introduced heavy riffs and intense drumming that would go on to set the tone for the rest of their set. In turn, the crowd reciprocated their approach and increased an already consistent display of moshing. It was evidently a contagious performance that had nobody standing still, on and off stage, and proved to be a mean opener that will certainly get crowds going throughout this tour.
Last but not least was the highly anticipated moment for longtime fans and a well earned milestone in the journey of this Louisiana band. When we last saw Cane Hill in the United Kingdom a couple of months ago opening for Resolve, they had put out two fresh singles as a taster for this upcoming album, that were released on the November first of this year, which left us on the edge of our seats and wanting to hear what else they had in store. Tonight they used this opportunity to debut several new songs and revisit old numbers that haven’t been played in years, delivering a mixture of mellow and melodic tracks versus fast riffs, aggressive breakdowns and fierce vocals.
They began by easing the crowd into the familiarity of their first single ‘The Midnight Sun’, of which the albums takes its name from; a fitting track to commence their first headline show and showcase the new and unique musical signature of this brand new era, and offer a glimpse of the promising direction this band’s work is headed. The crowd immediately echoed the lyrics as if this was an old classic taken from their first album. It was a moving sight to see this crowd embrace their newer sound as well as enthusiastically welcoming back several old features. Vocalist Elijah Witt estimated that it had been about seven years since they last played ‘You’re So Wonderful’. A notable moment that stood out within this night was the inclusion of ‘Too Far Gone’, which always generates an entrancing type of energy that immediately escalates the movement within the room and breaks out in a flurry of chaos.
This tour offers the best of the new and the best of the classics, and will surely ultimately entice longtime fans to battle this country’s subzero temperatures to get a spot at these shows. It also offers an appealing and entertaining performance for heavy music fans who are looking for something new to discover. Hopefully this marks the first of many more headline shows for Cane Hill in this country, without the long waiting time. This tour proves the band’s abilities, talents and determination and it most certainly should not be sometimes to miss.
Written by: Daniel Blake
Photographed by: Daniel Blake
Edited by: Noah F.
