With an (almost) overwhelming three support bands in tow – Paceshifters, The Homeless Gospel Choir and Dave Hause & The Mermaid, respectively – Frank Iero and The Patience headed to the UK in September and with new EP ‘Keep The Coffins Coming’ dropping mid tour, we headed down to The Dome for their London date.
Tonight – like many other dates on this run – has understandably sold out. The thing is, it doesn’t matter how many years it’s been since My Chemical Romance broke up, or how many stellar LPs and EPs Iero wants to release in that time, his sheer presence is always going to be enough to whip any adoring crowd into a frenzy. But is that a bad thing? Definitely not. That excitement and enthusiasm is evident from first act Paceshifters right to Frank himself and say what you want about the devotion of teenage fans, when was the last time you saw that at a show? It’s infectious and heart warming that the crowds are so receptive to each of the lineups additions.
Dave Hause & The Mermaid reaffirms the notion that everyone should be paying attention.It’s energetic and fun, basically everything you could ever hope for from a support act. But it hits home too, just how important a slot like this can be; Hause himself talks about the significance of My Chem’s ‘Black Parade’ in his teenage years. It’s a charismatic performance, the likes of which you’d think would be saved for a headlining band. And with 10/10 cover choices as a cherry on top, we’re really hope it’s not long before they’re back in the UK.
Latest release ‘Keep The Coffins Coming’ dropped just a week before the London date of the tour but you wouldn’t know that – every song goes down like an old school classic already. It’s almost too easy to forget just how much material Iero’s latest venture holds, but the likes of ‘She’s the Prettiest Girl at the Party’ fit nicely amongst the likes of ‘I’m A Mess’ and ‘Dear Perocet’. Original single ‘Joyriding’ still packs an almighty punch as part of the encore.
Here’s the thing – it sure ain’t easy to catch a second wind after you’ve had overwhelming success with a previous band. And whilst yes, Frank Iero (and The Patience, or whatever namesake comes next…) will never shake the My Chem shadow, shows like tonight more than prove he’s an artist in his own right. Each song is a frenetic, ferocious example of what a band can hope to be in 2017. There’s enough punk energy in each song without ever overpowering that consistently, traditionally good, almost (but not-quite garage rock) sound, the heartbreakingly relatable lyrics heard loud and clear.
Whatever incarnation Iero presents himself as, the guy can do no wrong. But more than that, the collective performance at The Dome transcends any preconceptions anyone could possibly have because at the end of the day, Frank Iero and The Patience are just a very very good band.
BECKY MOUNT
