This all said, it’s still quite rare for a band as big as Bleeding Through to be playing. But of course, when they do, the fans of Norwich lap it up like a kitten drinks milk.

Tonight at the Ferryboat is the completely sold out, packed to the rafters gig of Bleeding Through, supported by doom metal outfit Cult of Luna and fast rising UK hardcore kingpins November Coming Fire. And it quickly becomes evident that it’s dangerous having such a variety of bands, particularly in a small overcrowded room with alcohol. You just look around and you see that the majority of the people in attendance are hardcore/straightedge kids looking to go a bit nuts at the bands on show. The rest is made mainly of death metal fans, making their presence known by pissing everyone off AND making them laugh at the same time. The others being a few alternative music fans checking out what the fuss is about as well as some Swedish kids who have come over with/for Cult of Luna.

So, first up is November Coming Fire, who practically play out the book of “How To Win Friends and Influence People” through music (Erm, if you say so… - Ed, who actually knows what that book is about). NCF absolutely storm through their set, sending everyone into head nodding ecstasy, they relish their time on stage, and own it while doing it. The highlight being their last song as the whole pit moves towards the hooded vocalist, who is perched on the cage which separates the bands and the fans for the majority of the set, all shouting a lot the chorus of this powerful hardcore music being blasted at them. A moment to savour indeed.

Next come Cult of Luna. They swagger on, looking focused as you’d like, but seemingly very aware that half the room has emptied during their set by the hardcore kids. Still, despite the shameful amount of apathy shown towards them, Cult of Luna absolutely obliterate the competition in their two part set (songs merged together in them) particularly when it reaches “Leave Me Here” which have the remaining fans in awe. Despite starting their set almost tiresomely and extremely slowly which loses a lot of peoples interest, when they eventually get into their full pelt riffage, they completely own the place.

So when Bleeding Through come on stage, the room is quickly filled up again. This time with everyone in attendance there, causing friction as this is a hardcore pit, with the death metal fans who are getting severely annoyed that this dangerous pit keeps flying into them. Bleeding Through open up with “Love Lost in a Hale of Gunfire”, the opening talking intro sample is quoted word for word by the fans of the band. However, as soon as the music itself kicks in, it’s fairly clear just how weak the band are going to sound, particularly on this, one of their supposed best songs. They as a band may sound tight, but the whole sound of it all is hardly throwing anyone off their feet, and although the kids love every second of it, it’s really not that much of a performance. Infact when Brendan announces “We’re been writing some new material” it sounds just the same, and just as weak, and generally leaves a few people who were actually listening quite unimpressed.

Bleeding Through; just a phase? If that performance has anything to go by, then yes, they are.