Live review: Yellowcard at Margaret Court Arena on 11th July 2015
Margaret Court Arena was set to play host to the grand finale of the weeklong Yellowcard and Mayday Parade double bill.
With more than 25 years of on stage experience, and thirteen studio albums, between the two, pre-show expectations were rightfully high, a sense of nostalgic excitement floating through the air.
Since the release of their fourth studio album, Ocean Avenue, in 2013, Yellowcard have become part of a quintessential group of throwback bands for fans of pop punk who have long since outgrown their angsty teenage years.
In comparison, Sydney’s Born Lion are relative new kids on the block. With just three years under their belts, and a freshly launched debut album backing them up, they have said 2015 will be the year of the Lion.
If first impressions are anything to go by then Born Lion are definitely worth keeping an eye on. After walking onto the stage in almost complete darkness, with backing music still playing, they very quickly won over anyone who had arrived early enough to see them.
Early on they had crowd members eagerly clapping along with bassist Nathan Mulholland, the band’s ferocious energy getting small parts of the crowd moving and garnering great applause between every song, especially from one exceptionally enthusiastic crowd member dubbed Todd.
“We’re called Mayday Parade. We’ve just let ourselves go” was one of the only things vocalist John Bowker said to the crowd throughout their set, try as he might to get the energy levels going early. Tracks like ‘D Is For Danger’, highlighting the chanty, singalong vocals between vocalists, and latest single ‘Good Dogs Play Dead’ showed off just how great Born Lion are. Give them a bit more time and they should be getting the reception they clearly deserve.
As soon as the first notes of ‘Jersey’ rang through the arena a huge section of the crowd surged forward, ready to be warmed up by Mayday Parade. Bouncy, pop rock jam ‘Kids In Love’ was made to feel right at home in the huge arena, amped up to sound bigger and rockier but still perfectly throwback worthy.
The Tallahassee five piece were definitely in the mood for nostalgia on their fifth visit here, with more than half their set made up of tracks from their three pre-2009 records. When vocalist Derek Sanders asked the crowd “who’s been looking forward to this day for a long time?” most of the crowd shouted back, but at times it was hard to tell, the audience reflecting the ebbs in energy from the band on stage.
[include_post id=”420177″] ‘Girls’, the first new track of the night was welcomed warmly, but it was clear the crowd were hanging out to be taken back, with older tracks ‘Jamie All Over’, ‘When I Get Home You’re So Dead’ and the ten-year-old ‘Three Cheers For Five Years’ receiving the biggest sing-alongs.
In between all the noise, Sanders took the stage alone with only his keyboard for ‘Miserable At Best’. A sea of cameras shot into the air to capture a softly, beautiful moment in the middle of a rocking set.
With all focus on him, Sean Mackin opened Yellowcard’s set with the violin-led “Convocation”. The rest of the band soon joined, erupting into the percussive thumps of ‘Transmission Home’, the double-opener from their latest record Lift A Sail. This was the arrival of Yellowcard, with the promise of a fantastic night ahead.
Right away vocalist Ryan Key was ready to get everything from the crowd. “Already you are losing to Sydney” was his introduction, receiving boos from around the room, but hoping the cross-state rivalry was enough to fire up the audience.
He was right, because as soon as ‘Lights and Sounds’ began, the floor opened up, people pushing, jumping and screaming with a new intensity and determination.
Yellowcard played a fairly even set, spreading their setlist nicely between releases, making sure to cover old favourites while still showing off their latest release. Lift A Sail made up most of the hour and a half, closely followed by singalong favourite 2003’s Ocean Avenue. Not to leave anything out, the rest of the set was filled with a couple of tracks from each of the records released in the eleven years between the two.
While newer tracks received warm responses, it was clear they weren’t what the majority of the crowd wanted, or were familiar with. This didn’t go unnoticed by the band, Key saying “If you are one of those people who wandered into the arena because Ocean Avenue was your favourite song when you were 12 (huge applause)…make the words up”. For the next few newer tracks, ‘Make Me So’ and ‘Lift A Sail’, it sure seemed like they tried.
Each track was delivered to perfection. The older tracks evolving and growing with the years to reflect where the band are at in 2015 while still remaining true enough to the originals that the crowd were able to revel in the nostalgia. Newer tracks proving that age has done nothing to slow the Florida four-piece down.
Adding a refreshing edge to a show full of energy and gusto was ‘California’. Closing the main part of the set, Key sat on stage with just his keyboard, projecting a raw intensity and honesty that was reflected around the arena.
Yellowcard took no time getting back on stage, ending the night with ‘Way Away’ (still fit with a Sean Mackin backflip) and ‘Ocean Avenue’, sweeping the crowd up and making everyone feel 12 years younger. If only.
