Courtney LaPlante tears up the Academy
FRESH OFF THEIR first ever UK appearance at Download, Spiritbox’s first ever UK headline show – part of a two-night residence - is an historic occasion, a chance to justify their hype in the flesh. The venue is already crammed, testament to just how high anticipation is for the Vancouver Island scene-stealers. They’re preceded by sets from two rapidly rising UK bands. Metalcore bruisers VEXED open the evening with the ferocious Hideous, their set alternating between roaring aggression and introspective melody. STATIC DRESS’s blend of posthardcore and emo, heavily indebted to scene legends Glassjaw, also prompts singing and a constant stream of circle-pits, with songs that veer between chaotic screeches and anthemic choruses.