HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD Raise the Roof with an Arena-sized Show at the O2 Academy in Leeds [Photos & Show Review]

It’s been a busy few weeks in Leeds with the bands continuing to come thick and fast. Tonight is the turn of US rap-metal band Hollywood Undead who are back visiting the city for the first time since their set headlining the Lock-Up stage at last year’s Leeds Festival weekender.

Supporting the US rappers tonight are Liverpool bruisers Loathe who are, to put it mildly, fucking dark. Bludgeoning through tracks from their Cold Dark Sun offering, the band are disgustingly heavy with lead vocalist Kadeem France ferociously trading vocals with guitarist and second vocalist Erik Bickerstaffe. Going by the reaction to the band, there are plenty of fans of the Liverpool outfit and their suffocating sound although you do get the feeling that there are still quite a few feeling relieved when this crushing sonic assault comes to an end.

Check out this “White Hot” video from Liverpool bruisers Loathe:

At the opposite end of the musical spectrum you have tonight’s headline act Hollywood Undead who put on the kind of polished performance you’d expect from the rappers. Mixing rap with rock with pop, their sound comes across like The Beastie Boys meets Linkin Park down a dark alley. Despite the somewhat dark lyrical content, the songs are easy to digest and the kids can dance to them. Having said that, there is enough attitude and aggro in songs like “Whatever It Takes,” “Undead,” “Been To Hell” and “Bullet” to get the moshers smashing each other around the packed dancefloor.

Making use of multiple vocalists, a stack of pyro and a crystal clear sound system, Hollywood Undead put on a well-rehearsed show that is as slick and pristine as it is edgy. “Coming In Hot” sees the band bring a fan up on stage while the band demonstrate their impressive ability to write some banging anthems when they wheel out “Day Of The Dead” and “Everywhere I Go.” Of course, some of the lyrical direction is what you could describe as, for want of a better choice of phrase, “gritty,” and there are plenty of cliches pulled out of the bag for good measure but, judging by the reaction from this very hardcore Hollywood Undead crowd, there can’t be many people who left this gig feeling anything other than impressed by this arena-sized rock show.

Hollywood Undead take things to “Another Level” with their arena-sized rock show: