::Voodoo-People::

Papa Roach

WOW!

Ok let me just say that again to make my point WOW!

Right lets start from the begining shall we, we arrived at the O2 Oxford and I must admit I figured that this place was gonna be a little on the large side but I was really pleasantly suprised once we got inside and discovered that it was infact a very intimate venue.  So we got a drink at the bar and awaited the first act…. Dear Superstar.

No I hadn’t heard of them either, when they waddled out onto the stage I really wasn’t sure what to expect but my god these guys rocked hard, the vocalist had so much energy I was getting tired just watching.  I can only really describe Dear Superstar as a cross between AFI, earlish FFAF and perhaps a little of Papa Roach in there.  Worth checking out if you haven’t heard of them.

Next up after a short break was Buckcherry, which if I’m honest is who I really really wanted to see.  And they were everything that I hoped they would be! Now I’ve been a fan since 1999 when I first picked up a copy of Rock Sound and Buckcherry’s Lit Up was featured on the cover CD and since then I’ve been hooked.  As soon as Josh Todd begins singing in that Steve Tyleresk kinda way it just sends goose pimples cascading over my skin (Not in a gay way mind).  With 4 albums to cover Buckcherry did a good job of dipping into each and providing the goods, playing Lit up, Crazy Bitch, Sorry and Rescue Me although they didn’t get round to Dead Again which I was a little dissappointed with.  When their set was done I honestly wondered how the hell Papa Roach were going to follow such a performance.

Then Papa Roach turned up on stage and all my wondering was done.  Now I understood right from the very start that this was a tour to promote their new album, which after listening to a fair few times I condemned to the back burner with such immortal phrases like “Their old shit was much better” or “They were better when they were harder” but listening to them last night they truely are a live band. Jacobys stage presence is a frighting thing and his onslaught against the audience unrelenting I figured that they’d toned down a lot since I first saw them many moons ago following the release of Infest but I couldn’t be more wrong.  If I ever get a chance I’d see them again and again, and it just goes to show sometimes albums do not show a bands real colours, for that you need to see them live.  Infact I may bring myself to forgive Jacoby for having such a stupid haircut……. Maybe not.