The Moshville Times - Gig Review: Fozzy / Escape the Fate / Scarlet Rebels – O2 Institute, Birmingham (5th November 2022)

It’s Guy Fawkes night and the streets of Digbeth are thick with the smell of fireworks as the explode off in the distance. Meanwhile, the streets themselves are fairly empty, save for the exception of a set of people dressed up as Mario, Luigi, Yoshi et al with the odd passer-by shouting “It’s a-me, Mario!” Despite the empty streets, the O2 Institute tells another story as it’s already rapidly filling for Fozzy as they make their grand return to UK stages with their recent album, Boombox.

Certainly, the pretty colours in the sky accompanied by the loud noises aren’t enough to deter the people of Birmingham as the Saturday night has the room fairly full by the time openers Scarlet Rebels take to the stage. Their album, See Through Blue, took the charts by storm at the start of the year but in the live environment, they shine far brighter. Having caught them a few years ago, time has made them far more polished and tighter as a live act, albeit a bit less heavy and gritty than what they once were. Essentailly, it’s them sanded back to something more friendly without a layer of pop on it. They air their disdain for Westminster and everything which surrounds it, their point is a welcome one but feels a little ham-fisted compared to IDLES or The Virginmarys’ Divides material. Regardless, they know how to work the crowd and there’s some genuine enthusiasm among the people.

More left-field than their predecessors, Escape the Fate come out swinging. Taking the evening to its heaviest with a blend of metalcore and post-hardcore. Clearly, there’s a number of people in the crowd excited for them with the fervour at the front and dotted further back. Whilst it feels a little out of place, and indeed, the whole bill for tonight feels like a hotchpotch of bands, like Scarlet Rebels, the band are inoffensive in their own genre. As a well-polished live act, they know how to work the crowd and make the most of the time they have, the tight unit not missing a step but there’s definitely a sense that by the time they’re done, they’ve not won over any new fans, playing only to those who were already there to see them.

If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!

Fozzy take their marks to the bombastic strains of “Sane” with master of ceremonies, Chris Jericho, following his band out onto the stage and understandably, taking the loudest cheer of the night so far. Fozzy are well and truly back and the crowd are ready to soak up every moment of it. Between practically every song, there’s chants of “Fozzy! Fozzy! Fozzy!” which never fails to raise a smile from the band. There’s a healthy doze of Boombox numbers for the night whilst managing to hit some standards like “Do You Want to Start a War” (still with oodles of CO2 from the gun) and even the odd deep cut.

Indeed, it doesn’t matter what the band plays, the crowd are receptive to it. Whilst Jericho may not be his usual energetic self for the first few songs, after a quick wardrobe change, he comes alive. The commanding presence that he already is has transformed into the more recognisable ball of energy, a great way to keep his fitness levels in tip-top form for getting back to AEW’s wrestling ring. While the focus may be on Jericho, it never feels like the rest of the band are his backing band, instead, the five men work as one cohesive unit to rattle through just over a dozen songs with almost half coming from the new album. One of the most fun moments comes in their cover of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s “Relax”, the rockier interpretation still has enough bounce and pomp to get over its pop sensibilities and despite playing to a rock crowd, all pretence is gone as everyone sings the chorus word-perfect.

The band also take a moment to go back to earlier material with the one-two punch of “Spider in My Mouth” and “Martyr No More”, blowing off the cobwebs from these numbers. Being a touch heavier than the broader appeal of more recent albums doesn’t deter anyone in the room and they slot in perfectly. Meanwhile, more contemporarily, “Purifier” is even more rambunctious than the album version and it’s unsurprising their UK record label chose it as the single.

Meanwhile, guitarists Rich Ward and Billy Grey each take their turn in the spotlight as they indulge in a guitar battle which never feels like one until the band all kick back in for the final stretch of their set. No slouches in the performance at any point, here, they truly step into their own, showing their chemistry as they play off each other in a more exaggerated manner and it’s no wonder they’ve both been such mainstays in the band.

Foregoing the usual towel pantomime to essentially mock the idea of an encore, the band do take a quick pause for the last couple of songs and it’s only when it’s gone, do you realise you miss it. However, the final songs of “Judas” and a cover of AC/DC’s “TNT” allow the band to leave everything they have onstage, Jericho undeterred by suffering a pulmonary embolism in this very town last year and there’s a sense in his performance that he’s making up for last time, not that he’s ever been anything other than one of the most entertaining frontmen in the 21st century. As hard-charging party rock goes, Fozzy continue to be the kings of their castle, delivering another entertaining performance.

Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!

Photos by Sean Larkin Photography