American rockers Hawthorne Heights rolled into Nottingham as part of their extensive European tour. They have released six albums since forming in 2001, and overcome a multitude of line-up changes during that time, and yet the essence and spirit of the band remains undimmed.
Support acts on the night came from Mark Rose – whose slow, chilled-out vibe eased the crowd into things – and London band Chapter and Verse who ramped things up nicely with a catchy set that doubtless earned them some fresh admirers.
Then the mighty Hawthorne Heights took to the stage like no time has passed at all, opening with the classics which got everyone screaming the words and jumping around. They played loads of old-but-gold songs which the crowd loved, as well as some of the new stuff from their new album.
What got everyone on side was the fact that frontman JT Woodruff took the time to speak out about anxiety, depression and stress, telling everyone that this was a safe space to forget all those issues or things that come in everyday life for the next hour or so, which you could see most of the crowd warmed too. I think I’ll be a Hawthorne Heights fan till the end.
Words and photos by Rebecca Marshall
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