Jasmine Longhurst
Cyan Kicks had their jobs cut out for them, opening up the show for a headliner with such standout visuals and a diehard fanbase, but they did an excellent job of warming up the crowd and getting everyone onside. Opening with a nine song set gave them plenty of space and time in order to show themselves off to the best of their collective abilities, and they absolutely didn’t disappoint. Bringing the infectious energy of pop music, the riffs of metal, and the colour scheme of the Barbie movie, Cyan Kicks were a blast to watch. From the first song in the set, ‘I Never Said 4ever’ to the last, ‘Hurricane’, they never stopped running up and down the stage and pumping up the energy of the whole room.
Headline act Smash Into Pieces are as much a visual form of entertainment as they are audio. With a DJing drummer who always wears an LED mask, an arena worthy level of production on their backdrop visuals and a jaw dropping light show, the tech guys did almost steal the whole show. That said, the band did reel off song after song in a professional fashion, with their doting fans loving every second. Combining a sound that crosses between the riffs and pomp of Nickelback, the energy of a fireworks display, and a cover of Tears For Fears‘ ‘Mad World’ in tow, the venue felt like a tent at a midsummer festival. The mid-set drum solo gave everyone a small reprieve from singing and jumping, whilst songs like ‘Flow’, ‘Vanguard’, and ‘Forever Alone’ had the walls shaking. Wrapping up the set with a short encore of ‘Boomerang’ straight into ‘Six Feet Under’, it was easy to see how Smash Into Pieces have become the band that they are today.