Story of The Year have had rather mixed fortunes over the past few years. A very successful first album, both commercially and critically. A not quite so well received second album and we now have a third which is a somewhere in the middle. And here they are in London on tour, with a point to prove. And they slayed!

The band come storming on and the packed venue exploded. From the off they grabbed the crowd and kept them in a vice for the rest of the show. They gave a performance of total confidence and control, and an aggression that isn’t present on the albums.

The new single Wake Up was spat out, it’s not the most spectacular of songs but in this atmosphere it couldn’t fail. Our Time is Now from album number 2 saw frontman Dan Marsala jumping and surfing on the crowd. A couple of songs later bassist The Skull decides to join them too.
The medley in the middle went down a storm. This included Paradise City, Back in Black and an unexpected Panama. The band seemingly surprised that the audience weren’t familiar with Van Halen. There followed In the Shadows and Until the Day I Die which left the crowd drained, only to have Welcome to Our New War pummel them all over again. And then it was over: band and audience completely sated.

What was really appealing about the band was their whole attitude to the gig and their fans. There was great respect and genuine sense of fun and rapport. It was summed up when a member of the audience was plucked out of the crowd and strapped on a guitar and joined the band on stage for a few moments. The smile on her face said it all.

Finally a point on the Astoria 2 as a venue, it sucks. There’s been a lot said about the loss of these venues, and an argument can be made for saving The Astoria, but not the Astoria 2 in its present state. That’s mainly down to the very restricted viewing in the upper bars areas. In this day and age, with prices for tickets and booze what they are,punters not being able to see a band, is totally out of order.