Tonight sees the last date of The Blackout’s Final Party tour hit The Fleece in Bristol. It took two attempts to get here: the original Final Party tour was back in October but several of the dates got postponed due to singer Gavin Butler’s ill health. Nevertheless, they’re finally here, and it was most definitely worth the wait to see them and their tour buddies Rat Attack and Lost Alone.
Exeter’s Rat Attack are here to get the crowd pumped, and they do an incredible job. Considering they’re the new boys on the scene, they get a brilliant response. Frontman Mike Hodges wears a top that closely resembles a disco ball, yet somehow pulls it off, and the crowd love it. Songs like ‘Saturday Night Feeling’ go down a storm, and this is largely down to the infectious energy they show at all times. They have some great potential.
Next up are Derby’s LostAlone, who are slowly getting more and more recognition. Despite being influenced by Queen, the three-piece have an incredibly distinctive sound and don’t make the mistake of taking too much from their idols. Their sound is big, and frontman Steven Battelle’s voice is just as strong live as it is on record. Keep an eye on these ones.
Last but not least are tonight’s main event: The Blackout. They have a great turnout at The Fleece tonight, and the crowd are clearly a dedicated bunch. It’s a great send off for The Final Party tour: the setlist is absolutely spot on, and their performance is fantastic. One thing you can guarantee from seeing The Blackout live: they will put on a brilliant show, and if you want to have fun, then you’re in the right place.
Frontmen Sean Smith and Gavin Butler bounce off each other, and the whole band are on fire tonight. Playing all of the hits keeps the crowd wildly happy for over an hour, which is a pretty impressive feat. It’s hard to pick a highlight from tonight, but it could be the banger that is the excellently named ‘Shut-The-Fuck-Uppercut’, or the part when the whole crowd get down on the ground for ‘Save Ourselves’ without even being asked. The Blackout have got such a great live presence that the crowd know exactly what they need to do without even being prompted.
And so The Final Party tour comes to an end, and The Blackout should feel victorious. Along with being hugely good fun to watch and having a discography full of bangers, they still mean something to every single person that watches them. From their onstage banter to their unstoppable energy, they are still right up there with the best.
LAIS MW