Shout Out Louds
Live @ Dingwalls, London 08/06/08
Has a stage invasion at a gig ever been an enjoyable experience? The ones I've witnessed have been nothing but annoying. Yesterday's sad affair was no exception. For some reason lots of kids decided that it was a great idea to get on stage during the first song of the encore ("Tonight I have to leave it"), and high-five each other (as well as trying to high-five the band members to various success) and taking photos with their phones. I can understand why a stage invasion at a big venue could be fun for the invaders, but Dingwalls is a small place that holds about 500 people - hence a stage invasion just looks silly. Shout Out Louds' singer Adam Olenius didn't seem too impressed either and it was all rather awkward after the song's finished when he had to repeatedly tell all the grinning fans that were shuffling about to "Get the fuck off the stage" so they could play their last song. Charming! I don't blame him though, it wasn't exactly as the band invited anyone and it really messed up the flow of the gig. Despite this little boring incident, Shout Out Louds played a blinding set. They played nine out of the twelve songs from their latest "Ill wills" and even though I'm not a massive fan of their new album, I thought the songs sounded fantastic live. The venue was packed, the sound was good and the band were great – what more can you ask for? (except no fans on stage, that is)
- Simon Tagestam
