Album launch gigs are usually met with fans quietly listing to new material with a few old gems sprinkled in. This did not feel like a typical launch gig. With the chilling opening song, ‘Why a Butterfly Can’t Love a Spider’, building the energy in the room as the whole crowd sang along. Those who are not acquainted with Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes would think The End of Suffering came out years ago, not two days before the gig.

Some older songs were also played with Frank declaring he has “always wanted to be in this room”, before launching into an explosive rendition of ‘Juggernaut’, to which he performed on top of the crowd as he surfed his way across a mosh pit. Of course, only Frank can command such energy and enthusiasm from an audience.

While there was plenty of heavy sounds, the gig also had its fair share of slower emotionally charged anthems such as ‘Anxiety’, dedicated to all those suffering through the condition. Frank encouraged the audience to pick up their phones post gig and reach out to all those people that have been recently absent. ‘Angel Wings’ was introduced as the lowest point in Franks life, as he sat at the end of his bed, with a rope around his neck, just before lead guitarist Dean Richardson phoned Frank. That song was dedicated to Dean.

There was a lot of lady love in the room also, with Frank orchestrating all-women stage invasions, mosh pits and even going as far as calling his mother and singing to her over facetime.

The albums lead single, ‘Crowbar’, was an obvious instant classic among the fans, who showed their love back at the Rattlesnakes, so much they got treated to it twice. Whether it was planned, or someone accidentally started the intro track again, remains a mystery. The second time around the crowd seemed to love it even more than the first.

The gig ended as a heckler called Frank a “w*nker”, he responded by dedicating the final song, ‘I Hate You’, to him. Much to the amusement of the crowd, Frank retracting the comment as he actually “only dedicates that song to people [he] likes”. Guitarist, Dean Richardson, performed the end of the set while crowd surfing on hundreds of screaming fans.

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes play Leeds Festival main stage this August.

Header Image Credit: Facebook (Watford Show)