Luke Rainsford Album release show, Feat Bathtub, Flatline, Lauren Marie, Crime & Punishment 2011

Worcester's Bathtub were the opening band on one of the most diverse line ups I've ever seen on stage, who opened the show with a short but frenetic set of pop punk tunes. Next up was Lauren Marie, whose illness didn't seem to affect her voice, or her acoustic set of originals and covers. Next up were Flatline whose bruising metalcore tunes are wildly different from Bathtub's pop punk, despite sharing the same singer. Flatline have a habit of moshing around with their own fans. For a while I decided to stay back die to a justified fear of being kicked in the face. Next up were Crime and Punishment 2011 starting their first tour with one of their best shows yet. In case you haven't heard their music yet, it's pretty much a mix of heavy metal guitars ans screams, grime style bars and ethereal atmospherics and trap style beats. Dan Carter threw a bunch of Skepta lyrics into his bars and then threw himself into a wall, before rolling around on the ground and jumping around a bit more. Jason and Joey screamed a lot, and Glitch spat bars from the stage. The inevitable cover of Skepta's 'Shutdown' ended proceedings. All this madness is just another day for CPK, who are probably supporting a band near you this week.
If you've been to any gig in Birmingham lately there's a decent chance you'll have seen Luke Rainsford. Whether as the singer in pop-punks Layover*, or playing his own acoustic songs. Tonight he played his début album 'I'm nothing like my dad turned out to be' in it's entirety. The album hasn't been released physically. But it is currently on bandcamp for 50p. Luke Rainsford's acoustic songs are in the same pop punk style of his main band, but are very personal songs dealing with mental health, loneliness and the occasional love song. It clearly meant the world to Luke being surrounded by his friends, and seeing them sing the words with him and join him on stage. Despite the major chords and upbeat sounds, Luke's songs deal with issue such as depression, alcoholism and growing up. But thankfully don't veer into Ed Sheeran style mawkishness. One of the girls who came along said she'd come along to have a cry. She wasn't alone, I think everyone felt a bit emotional after hearing him play the album in full, I know I did.


Links:
www.facebook.com/killtheromantics
flatlineukhc.bandcamp.com/releases
www.facebook.com/laurenmarieuk
https://crimepunishment2011.bandcamp.com/
lukerainsford.bandcamp.com/album/im-nothing-like-my-dad-turned-out-to-be