Coheed and Cambria must have lost the toss and were up first, announcing themselves with Keeping The Blade spilling out into the darkened room, its swirling strings and brooding atmospherics setting the tone perfectly. Through a sea of cheers, frontman Claudio Sanchez picked a few subtle chords, and guitarist Travis Stever launched the Academy into the bombastic rock operatics of Welcome Home.
 | | Coheed and Cambria (pic: Andy Stubbs) |
Having graced Manchester’s stages with varying degrees of success the past few years, it was magnificent to witness such a sonic barraging; igniting all the senses with their truly original blend of prog ideas with an irresistible pop heart. Their newer tracks fitted in perfectly with their older, more road tested numbers. Closing the set with The Final Cut, the band departed, leaving their existing fans stunned and new converts clamouring for the merch stall to snatch up the back catalogue. It was up to Thrice to try and maintain the standard. In some places, quiet and augmented by keyboards, in others crushing and caustic, Thrice’s broad range of material made for a greatly entertaining and diverse set, from the anthemic and rather menacing Music Box to the punishing Paper Tigers.
 | | The fans (pic: Andy Stubbs) |
Closing the set with fan-favourite Deadbolt, and then encoring with Red Sky served as a jarring, but rewarding finale, the scene moving from fast and frenetic to something more akin to an Explosions In The Sky concert. Whilst Thrice put a well rounded, eclectic set on, covering many bases, the crown this time round must go to Coheed and Cambria for their sheer ambition, bombast and ability to deliver that all important knockout blow.
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