Since April 20th Crossfaith have been touring the country with California’s own Of Mice & Men, hitting a total of 16 different venues, ending with The Joiners in Southampton on May 5th. This wasn’t enough for Crossfaith, though! Before jetting back to Japan, the band performed one last show on the Red Bull Bedroom Jam stage during the Camden Crawl. Rumours have it that the organisers cobbled the show together at the last minute, so was a great opportunity for an even more intimate gig than those previous.
I didn’t know what to expect from a free outside gig, with this being my first time attending a show at the Camden Crawl. When we arrived at the ‘venue’, I was surprised to find it located under the bridge of the local train line, but this didn’t distract from the rather outstanding set-up, with the edgy brick work backing actually suiting the bands gritty style. The head count seemed to be lacking somewhat, probably due to little advertising prior, though this didn’t dishearten the crowd, and why would it? A free and personal show with the band is what every fan could want. As the band took to the stage to prepare for the performance, drummer Tatsu managed to grab the crowds attention with a test solo which was quickly followed by applause across the floor, out shining the job of any roadie.
After an understandably lengthy set-up, the band kicked off with their latest single Monolith. This fresh new track got the crowd moving, followed then by the rather unknown, ‘Jägerbomb’ which featured on the VANS x BANDS compilation CD released back in March. This was definitely the ideal head bangers choice with its subtle electronic sounds complimenting the fast paced tempo, and overall, served as a personal highlight for the night! Next up was their cover of Prodigy’s ‘Omen’ which was bound to gain the interest of newcomers in the crowd, allowing everyone to get involved with the chanting. This was a good choice considering previous acts had attracted a somewhat more ‘urban’ crowd. Taking a step back to their first album ‘The Artificial Theory for the Dramatic Beauty’, Crossfaith performed the blistering track ‘Blue’, and then continued onto a handful of songs from their 2010 album ‘The Dream, The Space’, including the likes of ‘Snake Code’ and ‘Stars Faded In Slow Motion’.
Overall, we were treated to a variety of some of the most memorable Crossfaith tracks yet, and although the turnout was nothing to rave about, the band gave it their all and performed with vigour, interacting with the crowd throughout. The tiny venue allowed the band to really get involved with the audience; Terufumi frequently dived toward the barrier to dance along with the crowd, and toward the end, Kenta somehow managed to crowdsurf across the audience!
This year’s Camden Crawl lacked the publicity of previous years, and to go alongside this, the weather wasn’t amazing, especially not for an outdoor gig, but all things considered, the turnout could have been worse, and the band still put on an amazing show. We’re sure they gained some new fans, whether those who attended were curious passers by, or general music junkies.
