Live Review: Alexisonfire – UK/EU Tour 2022 – O2 Guildhall Southampton

Southampton’s Guildhall has hosted some of the biggest names in rock and metal, so it seems only fitting that Alexisonfire marked their return to the seaside town with a visit to the iconic venue. Bringing Higher Power and Boston Manor along for the ride, the night promised to be one that showcased the past, present, and future of rock and metal. Here’s what went down.

Higher Power opened proceedings by bringing their unique blend of Hardcore to the Southampton crowd. The band did their best to get the crowd moving from the off by encouraging the fans to jump around to what they were laying out. Unfortunately, the band struggled to really grip the room which was admittedly not the most full at the time. Nevertheless, some people in attendance certainly started to feel it in the later stages of the band’s set. Maybe if they had another couple of songs they would have left more of an impression.

Up next was Blackpool’s own Boston Manor who wasted little time winning the crowd over as they exploded into ‘Carbon Mono’. The band were aware of their short set so opted for rapid transitions between songs to get as much of their material out for the Southampton crowd. ‘Desperate Pleasures’ went down well before ‘Passenger’ raised the bar a little higher. Despite having limited time, Boston Manor put on a diverse set that spanned their discography loosely. Songs like ‘Crocus’, ‘England’s Dreaming’ and ‘Funeral Party’ all helped captivate the audience. Ensuring the crowd were warm and ready for the headliners, Boston Manor left the crowd with ‘You, Me & The Class War’, ‘Foxglove’ and ‘Halo’.

Boston Manor

The moment everyone had been waiting for was finally upon us, Alexisonfire exploded onto the stage with a dynamic performance of ‘Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints’ before continuing the assault with ‘Boiled Frogs’ and ‘Sans Soleil’. Ensuring to make an impact, ‘.44 Caliber Love Letter’ took aim at the old school fans in attendance while ‘Sweet Dreams Of Otherness’ catered to the newly found fans of the group. High energy and chaotic movement were the order of the day and ‘Accidents’ captured the chaos perfectly.

A moment of respite came in the form of the slow and emotional ‘Blue Spade’ which methodically transitioned into ‘The Northern’. This track had a spine-tingling reaction to it, the entire room became the band’s choir during the song’s chorus. ‘Dog’s Blood’ brought out the aggression once again, with frontman George Pettit exclaiming ‘Fuck The Tories’ during the high-octane track which was met with a positive response from the crowd. ‘This Could Be Anywhere In The World’ closed the set before one last ambush in the form of an explosive encore of ‘Young Cardinals’ and ‘Happiness By The Kilowatt’.

Alexisonfire has once again proven they still have what it takes to be at the top of its field. Not a moment passed during their set where fans seemed disinterested or bored and the level of energy the band put into their performance was matched by none. Strong support only made the night feel that much more special to those in attendance.