REVIEW: Billy Talent wins over the Leeds crowd.

Rhiannon Boden
Nov 4, 2016
2 min read

WORDS: RHIANNON BODEN PHOTOS: CAI DIXON

Post-hardcore music has a very specific vibe. It’s aggressive, filled with unbridled power and aggression, and is unapologetic to the core. To put it simply: Post hardcore, as a genre, is decidedly un-Canadian. And yet, Toronto based rockers Billy Talent have dominated the scene since 1993 with a sunniness and sense of humour that could not be more at odds with the music they play.

This tour, in service of July 2016’s album Afraid Of Heights, cemented the effectiveness of such a juxtaposition. Both self-confessed Canadian dive-bar lovers Say Yes and Buckinghamshire heartthrobs Young Guns were full of praise for their more experienced tour mates, though both bands delivered blistering sets in their own right.

Young Guns in particular managed to win over even the most grizzled old punk fans with their undeniable vocals, in a set designed to ensure that those arriving with no idea who the band were would be incapable of leaving the same way. Thanking Billy Talent for the opportunity to reach out to so many new faces, the five-piece won over the crowd with both newest offering Echoes and older, choice cuts, forming a whistle-stop tour through the band’s eight year discography. From the anthemic ‘Rising Up’ to modern emo classic ‘Bones’, the five piece crashed their way through a set powerful enough to prove they were a force to be reckoned with.

However, nothing could hold a candle to Billy Talent. From the outfits designed to match the backdrop, to the effortless patter of frontman Benjamin, every ounce of their experience was present in their performance. Add to that a truly formidable back catalogue, and they proved unstoppable. After the obligatory confusion over the famous “Yorkshire” chant, and a touching tribute to drummer Aaron, currently fighting MS and thus not present on tour, the set was a whirlwind of diving on and off monitors and favourites both new and old. From wall of sound opener ‘The Crutch’ to the unbeatable triple whammy encore of ‘Try Honesty’, ‘Fallen Leaves’ and ‘Red Flag’ – the show was the exact mix of politics, humour and great music that has been winning fans over for decades.

Despite the dedication of ‘Viking Death March’ to Donald Trump, and jokes that we’d all be fleeing to Canada for “beer and lumberjacking – that’s what you guys think we Canadians do right?” in the wake of Brexit, the message of the show was one of quintessential punk optimism:

“We need rock music,” posited Benjamin, “because there’s only so much fucking Nandos and Netflix you can take.”