By Bastion King
Perhaps this is me placing my own expections onto the night, but for a band like Grey Daze that openly markets itself as "shaping Chester Bennington’s early career, showcasing his talent before Linkin Park”, you would think that performing on what would have been Chester Bennington's 50th birthday would be quite a moving thing to pay tribute to. Yet, from what we saw as the night unfolded, the expectation that his presence, his legacy, would be honoured was left hanging.
This evening definitely had a few hiccups and missing pieces. One in particular was the opening act, Grumble Bee, who has sadly pulled out of this and any future performances, citing that it's no longer sustainable. A shame, but we wish you the best and hope we see you return to the stage in future.
When the main support, PAVÉ, stepped on stage, they opened the evening with what seemed like a solid foundation. Sadly, this didn't seem to translate into confidence, especially when an early attempt at engagement with the crowd; asking if anyone had heard of them, flopped badly and was met with brutal silence. Admittedly, this is a tough moment for any band to deal with, and, to their credit, they pushed through it without completely losing momentum.
Performance wise, they started light, easing the crowd in, showing that musically, they definitely had something going for them. The set had plenty of energy which the crowd definitely picked up on, with heads nodding along, hands clapping in the air and a decent sense of engagement. Midway through, a sudden drum and bass section came out of nowhere, but instead of derailing things, it added a surprising jolt of excitement.
Vocally, there were some flashes of real strength, especially when the lead singer really leaned into the more powerful, sections that required belting out. Elsewhere though, it felt more inconsistent and less controlled, occasionally bordering on strained or slightly off-pitch. Admittedly, I'm no vocal coach, but it seemed less a question of ability and more one of control and consistency.
Stage presence definitely followed a similar suit, with clear potential being shown. The aforementioned lead singer and frontwoman could benefit from stepping forward more and owning the space with more confidence, rather than just periodically dancing around, which, while still entertaining, lacked substance. Other parts of the band also really faded into the background, with the drummer awkwardly positioned in the back corner and obscured by smoke. Sadly he was mostly invisible, while the bassist on the right remained largely static throughout. Despite my criticisms, I do think this is still a good band, one with a lot of potential. I'm just waiting for them to really blossom and put on an incredible show.
Our headliners, Grey Daze, a much more established band, definitely proved why they're able to draw such an incredible crowd. The moment they took the stage, the room was ready, providing a burst of energy to match. Easily making full use of the stage, the guitarists in Grey Daze and their frontman Cris Hodges were constantly shifting positions, ensuring the performance remained visually engaging. Sure, there were moments where transitions between positions could have been smoother, but it’s a minor note in an otherwise tightly executed set.
Vocally speaking, this band really stood out, not just for the evening but even from their available recorded music. I'd venture as far as saying that I enjoyed them more live than I did listening to them on the days prior to the gig.
Cris displayed a genuinely impressive vocal range, which moved from harsh, aggressive screams to softer, more melodic passages with clarity and precision. Admittedly, it was well balanced and changed up enough so that no one style got repetitive. It's this crisp diversity that really helps distinguish them as a band.
Crowd interaction was a largely impressive highlight beyond just passive participation. It was clear that this crowd knew the words and wanted to be part of the show.
Something that really elevated the entire set was when, on multiple occasions, Cris handed out the mic, still on its stand, to fans, allowing them to take over sections of songs. It was risky, admittedly, as it could have easily backfired, but I have no doubt it sits as a shared memorable moment between the band and the audience. Lighting and production also stepped up noticeably here, complementing the performance rather than working against it, something which couldn't be said about PAVÉ's performance.
As mentioned above, for all the strengths I've highlighted, the absence of any acknowledgement of Chester hit hard. Obviously, they played a number of songs that Chester had wrote, including 'Sometimes', but from what we saw, that was it. It just seemed odd that a band so closely tied to Chester Bennington’s legacy, on such a significant night, would leave out any mention, tribute or anything that would anchor the performance to Chester. Perhaps this was the band trying to come back into their own and out of Chesters shadow, but it was a strange omission. Purely because Grey Daze have more than proved they can stand on their own, in a compelling manner. So while they do attract people who are curious about Chester's time before Linkin Park, not touching on it on a night like this felt like a disconnect.
Admittedly, this was a strong night of live music, given that PAVÉ showed promise while they find their footing, while Grey Daze delivered a confident headline performance backed by an impressive vocal range and some genuine crowd connections. Sadly, the night will ultimately be remembered as much for what wasn’t said as it will be for what was played.
If you’d like to find out more about any of the bands playing tonight, just tap the links below:
Photography by In My Lens on behalf of Get Heavy UK. Images are not to be redistributed, reproduced, or used elsewhere without prior permission.
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