Reviewed onFriday November 4
Superheist are back. But don’t call it a comeback: it’s not a comeback. Either way, their nu-metal hit the Factory Theatre with a surprising explosion of impressive energy that didn’t let up the entire show.
The set opened with ‘The Fight Back’ and the enthusiasm around me was immediate, as new frontman Ezekiel Ox jumped down into the crowd on more than one occasion to sweep empty bottles from a barrel table before mounting this makeshift podium to gaze down upon the audience.
It was a shame the keyboardist was drowned out by the multitude of audio activity overpowering the venue, but that wasn’t enough for Superheist to lose their edge; guitarist DW Norton and bass guitarist Drew Dedman supporting Ox in his antics to get the crowd wild and involved.
‘Two Faced (Check Your Head Up)’ saw everyone gather on the floor around Ox’s podium, moving their bodies to extended chants of “Check your head up, check, check your head up”, encouraged by a singer who more than proved his worth as a great vocalist and frontman.
Then, to capture some footage for a video clip, Superheist got the fans involved in carrying their wolfy mascot through ‘Wolves In Your Headspace’. Swarms of people rushed the front of the stage to aid in the crowd-surfing efforts of the fuzzy-faced fireball, a burst of hilarity amid a vibe of love that just didn’t quit.
Setting up with an acoustic guitar to close with mood-changer ‘This Truth’, Ox declared the song “has had a [negative] comment from every reviewer but fuck it, it’s getting noticed!’ – and what a beautiful finisher it was, too. Ox has said he thinks of it as a ballad, but given the band’s history and joyful performance tonight, let’s call it a refrain: a refrain on 13 years of success, and on devoted fans, personal hardships and the musical strife, in spite of which Superheist have returned and look set for nothing but better days.
It was an infectious show, and man, I hope these guys are truly back, because I’d follow this party anywhere.
