ShareHell Is For Heroes performing The Neon Handshake 15th Anniversary Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Thursday 22nd February 2018.
Images and Review by Kevin Cooper
Fifteen years ago, Hell Is For Heroes, a quintet from London, released their debut album, The Neon Handshake and last night an appreciative crowd at Rock City helped them to celebrate its anniversary.
With striking white lights that cut through the dark, HIFH were ready to take Rock City by storm and that is just what they did. Opening with Five Kids Go and Out Of Sight, the band immediately nailed it.
The musicianship was water tight and there was passion and heart in their performance. Everything flowed beautifully as the likes of Night Vision, Three Of Clubs and Disconnector really tested front man Justin Schlosberg’s vocals.
Telling this small but eager crowd that they had waited a long time to play this tour, he was a bundle of energy as he danced, roared and snarled through the set list with palpable integrity. It was an unforgettable, raw atmosphere and through the hits such as I Can Climb Mountains and You Drove Me To It, there was not a still body in the room as the audience danced and screamed out their iconic choruses.
As The Neon Handshake drew to a close, Sick/Happy and Retreat ended the show with an incredible double header, and allowed HIFH to treat their fans to a few choice singles that spanned their varied career. From To Die For to Folded Paper Figures and a cover of the Cure’s popular hit, Boys Don’t Cry, the band enticed the crowd into one last display of raucous energy in a spell binding encore.
HIFH may have looked older than they did 15 years ago, but they are still musically tight and executed their set with passion and presence. With this being their first tour since their sold out run with Hundred Reasons in 2012, it was great to see them back.