Post by Sean on Dec 31, 2011 23:43:32 GMT
We entered 2011 after a year of heavy activity from the band, which culminated in the landmark show at the 16,000 capacity Manchester Evening News Arena. Falcon had been a success, as had the bands festival appearances and touring. The period after an album has been released and touring completed is always a strange one, with no set strategy for the band to follow. They could've had a break, started recording album number 3 or promoted Falcon even further.
The year kicked off with Liam joining Twitter, although activity was quiet in the first period of year, and with two shows announced for late June and early July, it was clear the Falcon was still flying just as strong. The band sold out Delamere Forest quicker than any other act, including manafactured pop act JLS. Yet again, the band showed that even though they haven't had hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions pumped into them, a true band of the people still has a place. This followed with the selling out of 7000 capacity Haigh Hall in Wigan. With the remote locations of both, the gigs made way for memorable trips afar, with fans travelling from every corner of the country to catch a glimpse of the band in action. The gigs didn't fail to disappoint, with new songs mixed in amongst old favourites, thousands went away singing What Took You So Long? repeatedly, long after the band had departed from the stage.
The summer brought festival appearances, at V Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival. They appeared amongst an ever growing commercial set up at V, playing amongst various chart toppers. Obviously they commanded a high slot on the bill, something well and truly deserved. Maybe not the best festival for them to play, they still went out and flew the flag for all music that actually means something. Their previous appearance at Isle of Wight saw mixed results, with Liam apologising on Twitter for their performance due to sound problems. A disappointing time for the band it seems, although one long forgotten by now.
Moving into the latter half of the year, September saw the announcement of, what's now, two traditional festive shows. Two soon became three, as the gigs sold out in a matter of minutes. Would anything less be expected of the band that means so much to the people of Manchester? With the December dates sold out and under heavy anticipation, rumours were abound the album number three was underway. The months seemed to drag, but finally December was upon us. It came with festive treats, as Liam was announced to play an XFM session, and the announcement of the massively awaited live DVD. The session came around and saw the performance of five tracks, including two new songs. On the same day, many pre-ordered the DVD, with a release date pencilled in for the 12th December, the perfect hangover cure for the weekend just gone.
Soon enough, the 8th December was upon us. What followed on the three consecutive nights was something special, almost a reminder if anyone had forgotten just how vital the band was and is. It was as if they'd never been away, coming on to a rapturous reception on all three nights, with the band lapping it up and putting on a brilliant show. Yet again, many went away with lasting memories. All you had to do was listen to the rapport between the band and crowd, where they shouted every lyric back with the passion and dedication rarely seen. New songs were debuted, with each sounding as big as the last. From the soon to be anthem Lose Control, to the tender yet harsh Why Are You Still With Him?, the foundations seem to be well and truly set for the third album, which is due to make an appearance in 2012.
You can look back at the year and say it's been a quiet one, with only a handful of gigs and no new music released, but you'd be lying. Whilst the band haven't been as active as usual, they still served up landmark gigs, festival appearances and the release of their first ever DVD. 2011 was the year to step back and truly appreciate what we have here, a band that is vital to the British music scene. After the demise of landfill indie and the rise of commercial pop music, we still have a band that, crucially, means something. A band that is able to connect on a human level, able to reach out the people no matter who or where they are. A band that is special. 2012 should see new tours and new music, and hopefully an ever growing fan base. Whatever it brings, 2011 was a great year, and a moment like this is the perfect moment to realize this. God bless the band.
Here's to whatever 2012 brings.
The year kicked off with Liam joining Twitter, although activity was quiet in the first period of year, and with two shows announced for late June and early July, it was clear the Falcon was still flying just as strong. The band sold out Delamere Forest quicker than any other act, including manafactured pop act JLS. Yet again, the band showed that even though they haven't had hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions pumped into them, a true band of the people still has a place. This followed with the selling out of 7000 capacity Haigh Hall in Wigan. With the remote locations of both, the gigs made way for memorable trips afar, with fans travelling from every corner of the country to catch a glimpse of the band in action. The gigs didn't fail to disappoint, with new songs mixed in amongst old favourites, thousands went away singing What Took You So Long? repeatedly, long after the band had departed from the stage.
The summer brought festival appearances, at V Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival. They appeared amongst an ever growing commercial set up at V, playing amongst various chart toppers. Obviously they commanded a high slot on the bill, something well and truly deserved. Maybe not the best festival for them to play, they still went out and flew the flag for all music that actually means something. Their previous appearance at Isle of Wight saw mixed results, with Liam apologising on Twitter for their performance due to sound problems. A disappointing time for the band it seems, although one long forgotten by now.
Moving into the latter half of the year, September saw the announcement of, what's now, two traditional festive shows. Two soon became three, as the gigs sold out in a matter of minutes. Would anything less be expected of the band that means so much to the people of Manchester? With the December dates sold out and under heavy anticipation, rumours were abound the album number three was underway. The months seemed to drag, but finally December was upon us. It came with festive treats, as Liam was announced to play an XFM session, and the announcement of the massively awaited live DVD. The session came around and saw the performance of five tracks, including two new songs. On the same day, many pre-ordered the DVD, with a release date pencilled in for the 12th December, the perfect hangover cure for the weekend just gone.
Soon enough, the 8th December was upon us. What followed on the three consecutive nights was something special, almost a reminder if anyone had forgotten just how vital the band was and is. It was as if they'd never been away, coming on to a rapturous reception on all three nights, with the band lapping it up and putting on a brilliant show. Yet again, many went away with lasting memories. All you had to do was listen to the rapport between the band and crowd, where they shouted every lyric back with the passion and dedication rarely seen. New songs were debuted, with each sounding as big as the last. From the soon to be anthem Lose Control, to the tender yet harsh Why Are You Still With Him?, the foundations seem to be well and truly set for the third album, which is due to make an appearance in 2012.
You can look back at the year and say it's been a quiet one, with only a handful of gigs and no new music released, but you'd be lying. Whilst the band haven't been as active as usual, they still served up landmark gigs, festival appearances and the release of their first ever DVD. 2011 was the year to step back and truly appreciate what we have here, a band that is vital to the British music scene. After the demise of landfill indie and the rise of commercial pop music, we still have a band that, crucially, means something. A band that is able to connect on a human level, able to reach out the people no matter who or where they are. A band that is special. 2012 should see new tours and new music, and hopefully an ever growing fan base. Whatever it brings, 2011 was a great year, and a moment like this is the perfect moment to realize this. God bless the band.
Here's to whatever 2012 brings.
