Atreyu
Brandon Saller is an incredible vocalist with powerful pipes. I originally got onto them as a teen, admiring his multi-instrumental abilities - particularly that he could play drums and sing clean vocals simultaneously. Since a line-up change, he's become the main frontman, and another drummer has taken up the sticks. Believe it or not, they're not a favourite band of mine, but a tale of two halves makes them the best band I've seen live.
I was fortunate enough to see them early in 2023 while they supported Bullet For My Valentine. The venue had incredibly clear audio equipment that put the vocals front and centre. Usually, most local places drown the voice out with distorted instruments. Such is the sound of harder rock. That already tipped it to be one of my all-time favourite gigs, but it was the reason. Instead of a rinse-and-repeat routine, they felt more like a garage band. The whole crew had fun on stage, laughing, sharing inside jokes, and changing up who played what.
Surprisingly, they started playing Whitney Housten's I Wanna Dance With Somebody, a song no one expected from Atreyu of all bands. They stopped just as he started to sing and were met with a myriad of boos. We wanted more, but it was just meant as a joke. Atreyu promised that those who attend their headline tour later in the year would get to hear it in full.
https://youtu.be/09egYAqrXVk
Fast-forward to late 2023, and they were once again stellar performers. The crowd restlessly shouted and screamed for the cover in between songs, but the band played dumb. The singer and bassist shrugged and said, "I don't know what you're talking about." The curtain called, lights faded to black, and that was it. No cover... at least until the guitarist came out with a saxophone in hand.
Apparently, he'd only bought the instrument on Amazon a couple of months prior, so he could only tease a few things he'd learned. There was a snippet of Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up, Tequila by the Champs, and, of course, George Michael's Careless Whisper. They were a bit shaky at best but a great deal of fun. Then, the rest of the band joined him for the moment everyone had been waiting for. The crowd was in uproar, shouting the lyrics at the top of their lungs. It was the least rock moment at a rock gig and the thing I've enjoyed live more than anything.
https://youtu.be/1LCXRfruoOc
