Live Review: Press to Meco, I Cried Wolf, MSRY & Lest We Forget - O2 Academy, Oxford 23/11/2017
Opening the show were local band Lest We Forget, after never checking these guys out before I was certainly unprepared but the band however this opening act were great to see, the energy they bought to the room throughout their time on the stage was undeniably what an opening act is there to do. The set consisted of fans moving their heads to the beat, the excellent combination of clean and unclean vocals that worked perfectly with the strums of their guitars. They ended their set with a round of applause from the room and in all honestly it was a set that stood out and I’m looking forward to catching this band again in the future.
Next up on the line up we’re local boys MSRY, after seeing these guys only a few weeks before in a room more than half the size of the O2 Academy I was certainly excited to see what energy they were going to bring to the room, and let’s just say they did not disappoint. From start to finish of their set the strobing lights, heavy vocals, drums and riffs were killers. MSRY we’re doing what they do best and owning the room, whether it was the fact they were constantly moving from one side of the stage to the next or jumping into the crowd to sing with the fans, this band sure as hell know how to get a room going with their high energy performance, fans were cheering, head banging and applauding the band throughout their time on the stage. The set shaped up what was going to continue on being a great night.
Following on from MSRY’s energetic performance we’re I Cried Wolf, the last time I saw these guys was in this exact room last September, and honestly I was hyped to see what they were going to bring out tonight. This is a band that if you’ve not already checked out I would highly recommend before I go into details over their set. I cried wolf put on one of the most energetic performances I’ve ever seen and that is one thing that keeps me excited about seeing them live. In the split second where I looked up from my camera the band were in various places about the room, the vocalist had climbed over the barrier and into the crowd, their guitarist had ran into the crowd at a similar point and handed his guitar over to a member of the crowd and strummed away. Even though the band were ready to call it time on their set, the fans weren’t done with them just yet and the chant of ‘ONE MORE SONG” and sure as hell they did. The entire set was filled with some of best vocals my ears wanted to hear, the music was so fluid, and the crowd thoroughly enjoyed every second of their set.
Lastly were headliners Press To Meco, in comparison to the previous bands Press to Meco are a lot more chilled out than I anticipated. Press To Meco started as they meant to go on for their time on stage, From what I saw the band weren’t one to worry about whether they were playing a sold out room or a smaller crowd, because the passion this band come with, is undeniably one of the best things about watching musicians perform. This trio are so intricate and have portrayed a lot of skill that went to pulling it all off. Even with the release of their latest record being held off this did not prevent them for performing their new tracks and honestly the crowd loved them, and personally so did I, and if the newest tracks they performed tonight were anything to go by this album will be more than worth the wait. The moment this band appeared on the stage it was certain that the trio take on one an-others energy, they bounced about the stage as much the previous bands. There wasn’t a part of their set where the room weren’t applauding and cheering as soon as the last beat of the drums and strings were strummed. Press To Meco certainly kneww how to work the room and it was incredible to see. I can’t wait to see where these guys go next.
Photography and Review by Heather Lowe