Black Veil Brides
02 Institute 02/16/23
Birmingham UK
Claire H. Insomnia Photographer
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Live Review
In celebration of their latest release The Phantom Tomorrow, Black Veil Brides made their long-awaited return to the UK to headline some iconic venues. Including a sold out crowd at Birmingham’s 02 Institute, making it their first show in the city in over five years.
Kicking off the show was Sacramento’s own Cemetery Sun who unfortunately had their gear stolen when they were last in the UK, causing them to miss their penned Birmingham performance. Flash forward a couple months, and the band were back and ready to take the city by storm. Gracing the stage a mere twenty five minutes after doors opened, fans gathered in their masses to catch a glimpse of the action. Hits “Fake Love” and “Fly” proved to be crowd favourites from their short, but sweet energetic set. All in all, a punchy twenty five minutes long offering from Cemetery Sun successfully prepped fans for the night ahead.
Next to take to the stage was main support, Lilith Czar - a gothic goddess stroke singer songwriter. Performing tracks from her debut release Created From Filth and Dust, Lilith strutted about the stage, portraying a bold yet eerie presence. Slowed-down “Lola” tugged on the crowd’s heartstrings as the room was lit up by a sea of mobile phones - a sight you don’t often see before the headlining act. After negotiating the pronunciation of ‘Birmingham’ with fans crammed against the barricade, Lilith whipped up a solid cover of Stevie Nick’s “Edge of Seventeen”, a song that always gets people moving and proved to be a highlight of her ferocious set.
After a brief intermission, fans surged closer to the stage ahead of Black Veil Brides’ grand entrance. Formed in 2006, the band drew a crowd of emo veterans as well as a new wave of alternative gig goers. As the lights dimmed, the ominous sounds of Phantom of the Opera blared through the speakers in true gothic fashion. Diving headfirst into hit “Crimson Skies”, the band burst onto stage and unsurprisingly received the warmest of welcomes. Unfortunately, lead vocalist Andy Biersack fell victim to technical difficulties as fans gestured to the rockers that his vocals could not be heard. Thankfully, the issue is promptly resolved and the band kick things up a notch to make up for the mishap. “Coffin” and smash single “Rebel Love Song” followed suit, before multi-talented guitarist Jinxx wowed thousands with electric violin which made an appearance for “Shadows Die”. The intense nature of a Black Veil Brides show proved too much for some, as Biersack halted the show prior to performing “The Legacy” and thanked security staff for swiftly attending to the incident. Huge anthems “Fallen Angels” and “In The End” drew the spellbinding evening to a close. Ending on a high, the seventeen song setlist ticked every box amongst fans old and new, leaving each and every one wanting more.
Setlist:
Crimson Skies
Coffin
Rebel Love Song
Devil
Wake Up
I Am Bulletproof
Scarlet Cross
Overture
Shadows Die
Shadows Rise
Wretched and Divine
Perfect Weapon
The Legacy
Knives and Pens
Lost It All
Fallen Angels
In the End
