With the mystery of no officially announced support acts, it’s safe to say anyone with a taste for the brutal and melodic were thoroughly surprised yet tantalised by newly formed band TheBoyShadow. Connor Sweeney, former guitarist for Liverpool-based metalcore band Loathe, unveiled his new project by releasing the group’s one and only published single on 31st March this year titled “Give Me A Seam & I’ll Show You The Meaning”. To date, this is their only official release on music platforms, and it came as a shock to the entire crowd when the band came out harnessing a very unique member layout: three vocalists and one drummer! I can’t say I’ve ever seen a band with a configuration like this, but as someone with a love for experimentalism and uniqueness, I was captivated by this. They played their single in full as well as two other unreleased tracks that I’m sure new fans will be eagerly anticipating.
Even before support act TheBoyShadow began tearing through their set, the room was heaving with bodies from across the country, all here to enjoy the ‘campaign’ for headlining band President. As a frequenter of the SWG3 venue, I can wholeheartedly say I have never seen it this full of supporters, especially for a band that only made their musical debut last year. Presidents’ success story is one to be studied, releasing two singles in early 2025, securing a spot on Download Festival’s Dogtooth stage just months later, to touring around the world supporting heavyweight metalcore band Architects. Their UK and EU tour sold out all venues within thirty minutes of general onsale of tickets, which is a huge feat for such a new band. Is this down to their already incredible discography or does our mysterious vocalist’s rumoured identity have something to do with their rise to fame?
President’s set must be the shortest yet most powerful headline set I have ever had the joy of attending at a short n’ sweet 45 minutes, where they played their discography in full as well as an unsuspecting cover of nu-metal kings, Deftones, “Change (In the House of Flies)”. The atmosphere was unsettling yet enticing as the band entered the stage in a pitch-black room with nothing but the group’s glowing emblem radiating the centre stage. They kicked off their set with their second single release, “Fearless”, my personal favourite song of theirs, which erupted the crowd into an instant brawl with a massive mosh pit opening up front and centre. I wasn’t expecting the crowd to be so hyped up and ready to go if I’m honest, but they proved me wrong, even getting pulled into a pit or two myself throughout the night.
I was amazed by the way Presidents’ front man was able to sound exactly like their official releases, specifically for the fact of the massive mask being worn; this did not stop his voice coming through loud and clear. For what his mask couldn’t express, his body and stage presence certainly did, acting like a conductor in an orchestra the way he controlled the room with just his movements and authority. While their slow songs didn’t invoke chaos, they did bring the crowd together. There’s just something beautiful about seeing grown men with their tops off having an emotional moment after brutally throwing themselves and their comrades around just minutes before to a song like “RAGE”.
At one point there was a circle pit being controlled by a wee guy in the pit in the most uncomfortable looking knock-off President mask, but nonetheless he got it going! The crowd loved him, even stopping to try and get a cheeky picture here and there with President 2.0. That is the thing I think I enjoyed most about this show: the way the band’s music influenced the crowd. Everyone was a good sport to each other, and it really made this little 45-minute set feel like it lasted a lifetime. New bonds between fans were definitely made that night.
The song that was obviously last but not least was “In the Name of the Father”, Presidents’ first release, the song that put them on the map and garnered the attention of thousands. As you can imagine, the whole room was moving from front to back; I didn’t see a single person stood still and not singing along. It was the perfect end to an amazing night and the perfect start to a certainly fulfilling career for the band that is President.
Many rumours are collected and shared between fans and music lovers alike about the identity of the vocalist and front man of this band, but I hope that people can move past speculation and appreciate the band for not who they are but instead what they bring to the music industry. This is also my official statement to push for shorter headline sets/earlier gig times because I really enjoyed being in my bed before midnight with the gig ending at a pleasant time of 22:45!
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