Alien Ant Farm (w/ SOiL, Local H) @ O2 Academy (Leeds, UK) on February 11, 2018 [Photos & Show Review]

For a duo, Local H don’t half make a bit of a noise when the pair hit the stage for their opening slot on the Alien Ant Farm/SOiL European tour. It takes most of the early attendees by surprise as the pair launch into their thirty minute set but, by the end of it, has woken up this lazy crowd.

“You know we have more than one song right?” jokes SOiL frontman Ryan Mccomb as one punter bellows out for “Halo” during a lull in proceedings. Of course everyone knows this but it’s just another moment of light-hearted banter between the entertaining Mccomb and the multitude of SOiL fans in the crowd. Along with a cover of “Black Betty”, the band pummelled out a career-spanning set including “Redefine” and “The Hate Song”. Their riffy, grungy alt-rock has this crowd bouncing with the anthemic “Halo” inciting mayhem on the dancefloor as Mccomb plays the song out in the middle of the pit.

Considering Californian nu-metal chaps Alien Ant Farm were never the most fashionable act from the second wave of the nu-metal genre, the amount of interest in last year’s visit to the UK has warranted the band coming back for another run of dates to even more packed venues. Sure, you wouldn’t describe the O2 Academy in Leeds as heaving, but there was certainly a healthy number of fans of all ages in the crowd as Dryden Mitchell and co. skipped onto the stage and into their hour-long set.

Chucking out a healthy number of crowd pleasers like “Movies” and “Sticks And Stones” the band looked like they were having a ball on stage with the banter between the crowd and Dryden demonstrating that the frontman has lost none of that cheeky personality that turned any experience with this band into one that leaves a big smile on your face. Nu-metal may not be fashionable anymore but, you know what, sometimes there is nothing better than breaking out your wallet chain, grabbing your mates and having a top night of nostalgic fun. As they proved tonight, Alien Ant Farm will always be the perfect host for those kind of nights.