LIVE FROM THE PIT: Miss May I, Crystal Lake, Great American Ghost and Diesect
- Izzy Sheldon
- Mar 25
- 4 min read
Bringing their co-headline European and UK tour to a close, metalcore veterans MISS MAY I and CRYSTAL LAKE made their way to the O2 Academy 3 in Birmingham. The night may not have gone to plan for a few reasons, but that did not stop any band on the line up from growing caution to the wind and giving it their all.
Making their UK and European performance debut, Australian Nu-Metalcore group DIESECT were up first. Being the opening support is already a tough job, especially when the crowd is a bit lack lustre. Pair this with a missing member due to a sickness that seemed to be doing the rounds through the touring company, a rough ride indeed. But, the band took this in their stride and delivered some crushing blows in the form of deep and heavy riffs which left a lasting impact.
Performing tracks from their latest release Hide From The Light, songs such as Four Walls and No Home Left To Find encouraged a few audience members at the front to let loose. Linking arms and bouncing around in time with the crushing beats and drops, the band were appreciative of the movement.
With only a ten minute change over between the bands, it was not long before the music started up again. However, it was not exactly a track the audience were expecting. Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso ringed full volume from the speakers to a deafening degree, with the words “I’m working late, ‘cuz I’m a singer” bouncing off the walls of the venue. A few confused faces appeared in the audience, but as the song grew more and more distorted, it finally set in that the next band, GREAT AMERICAN GHOST, were going to leave a lasting impact.
Vocalist Ethan Harrison did not intend to mess around. Mixing an abundance of energy with just the right amount of chaos, he made sure the audience would remember their set for months to come. Throwing himself around the stage, straddling his legs between it and the barrier whilst almost taking the photographers out in the process, and calling the crowd out on their lack of participation. Just a couple of examples of why GREAT AMERICAN GHOST should be on your radar of live bands to see, other than the intense nature of their music which takes a heavy political stance. Prior to playing Kingmaker, Harrison made a point to call out formerly Prince Andrew and Trump, earning some cheers from the crowd before the song dropped into an anti establishment full force surge.
There were comments from the band that Birmingham was supposed to be the birthplace of rock and metal, and that the crowd was letting it down. To try and solve this, for their final track Forsaken, Harrison joined the crowd who took it upon themselves to circle pit around him, before he eventually partook himself.
After that fireball of energy, the crowd prepared for the seemingly most anticipated band, CRYSTAL LAKE. The room had started to fill a bit more, but a fair proportion hung onto the sides and towards the back near the bar. New vocalist John Robert Centorrino joined the Japanese quintet in 2023, but their latest album The Weight of Sound is the band’s first release since 2019. Potentially feeling a need to prove himself, Centorrino burst onto the stage for Neversleep and marked his place in the band. With raging unclean vocals that roared through the room, the crowd was receptive to this powerful sound and started moving and singing along.
Whilst tracks such as Watch Me Burn and of course Apollo were clear crowd pleasers, the main takeaway from CRYSTAL LAKE’s set was the pure showmanship and stage presence that each of the members had. Bassist YD swung his luscious locks of hair around almost theatrically, whilst drummer Gaku Taura emphasised every breakdown by standing from his kit and dramatically dropping into the beats. The band gave the audience what they were there for - a show.
With this performance being the last date on the tour, the band took a moment to thank the fans for coming down as they were the people feeding their families. This wholesome moment was backed up with the last track, The Weight of Sound accompanied by the flashlights of their fans for the intro, before it descended into another heavy and fast paced tune.
Headlining the final show, a band that has played a big part in the metalcore scene over the years, MISS MAY I. Whilst it was clear to see the crowd had thinned out slightly after the conclusion of the previous set, MISS MAY I did not let this phase them and brought as much energy as if they were playing a sold out venue.
Vocalist Levi Benton embodied what a frontman is supposed to be, charismatic, lively and engaged. He interacted with the die-hard fans at the front screaming every word, and leapt about the stage, throwing his curly head of hair about the place in time with the rumbling rhythms.
A band that has clearly played a big part in the music tastes of many, the crowd ate up all of the older tracks as the feelings of nostalgia kicked in. Guitarist Elisha Mullins shared many a smile as the band whipped through their catalogue spanning many years, with Benton looking on with pride as he suggested playing some more older tracks they wrote whilst the band was still in high school, and was met with a resounding cheer of approval from the crowd.
A night of nostalgia and pure energy from the bands on stage, it may not have been a sold out evening, but the musicians came to deliver a show, and that is what the audience were given.
Words and photos: Izzy Sheldon
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