It was a long evening ahead with even three bands opening for Fit for a King last Wednesday at the legendary SO36 in Berlin.
Doors opened at 5:30pm and the fans who had been waiting in the cold on this Saint Nicholas Day could finally enter the venue. It was a very male-dominated audience which definitely shaped the atmosphere of the evening.
Hailing from Melbourne, The Gloom in the Corner opened the night with a good amount of “deranged cinemacore” as they like to call it. The band not only used their hands to play their instruments but at some point also the speakers. Bassist Paul Musolino dragged his bass’ neck along the speaker’s edge and created an odd sound. During the set the crowd grew tighter and people warmed up their necks and started to headbang.
Following up, the new Swedish quartet thrown, signed to Arising Empire, took the stage. Vocalist Marcus Lundqvist embraced the metal-hardcore-mix and put their songs on display while getting in touch with the crowd as he bent down for the screams. The first mosh pits opened and the level of energy rose even more.
Next up was Emmure from the USA. Aggressive growling and heavy screams were catapulted at the audience which in turn reacted with intense moshing and head banging. Guitarist Josh Travis made some creepy funny faces along the way and after the set the crowd was prepared for the main act.
Fit for a King entered the stage around five past nine and started off with The Hell We Create from their newest album titled the same. Being a photographer now got significantly harder as the mosh pits became a constant occurrence. More and more crowd surfers also made their way to the stage where they were often greeted by the band members. Bassist Ryan “Tuck” O’Leary engaged in the energetic ambience and swung his guitar around his body multiple times, sometimes even while doing karate-like jumps.
About half the set consisted of songs from Fit for a King’s most recent album but a few older songs also made their appearances. ‘Deathgrip’ from the same-titled 2016 album closed the set for the night. While maybe unexpected from a metalcore-band but a nice gesture, the band members showed their gratitude to their fans by forming hearts with their hands. Both bassist O’Leary and singer Ryan Kirby also fistbumped and shook hands with most of the first row which the fans happily engaged in. Around five past ten the concert had come to an end and the mob of people headed towards the doors.
Fit for a King will be playing their UK leg of the tour until December 16. Next year in June, German fans will have the chance to see them take the stage at Rock am Ring and Rock im Park.
