Alexisonfire, Billy Talent shatter Wembley Arena in epic co-headliner show
Iconic Canadian rock bands Billy Talent and Alexisonfire brought their co-headliner anniversary show to a packed OVO Arena Wembley in London, shattering to pieces any doubt that 20 years since their defining album releases could wipe out even a drop of the energy and boundless rage that shaped up their respective sound.
The night started with support from American post-hardcore band Touché Amoré. And as if the hot weather outside wasn’t record-breaking already, the group heated up the venue even more with an unstoppable delivery of Jeremy Bolm’s visceral screaming vocals and deep emotions, amplified by an incessant prowess of blistering drum sounds. The band performed some of their most notable songs, including ‘~’, ‘Reminders’ and ‘Rapture’. Finally, Touché Amoré’s highly captivating energy erupted into an impeccable performance of their biggest hit, ‘Flowers and You’.
A moment to catch our breath later – and the arena found itself impatiently counting down from 2026 to 2006 when the golden era of Billy Talent really took off. The digital clock on the screen disappeared to make room for the first headliner of the night who ran through their ‘Billy Talent II’ catalogue front-to-back in the band’s signature fashion of explosive rhythm, passionate vocals and determined lyrical delivery. Starting with ‘Devil in a Midnight Mass’, there was no doubt this show was going to walk us (no, scrap that, it was a proper march) down memory lane with a feisty drive. Chanting in an awe-inspiring unison word-for-word was the typical crowd reaction to some of Billy Talent’s most defining songs, including ‘Red Flag’, ‘This Suffering’ and ‘Fallen Leaves’.
At this point, vocalist Benjamin Kowalewicz declared: “The theme for tonight is gratitude”, as he further clarified that never in the band’s career since 1993 (originally called Pezz) would they have envisioned playing such a big arena. The gig continued with the thrilling echo by the thousands-strong Wembley Arena crowd which accompanied the rest of the set, including ‘Where Is the Line?’, ‘Surrender’ and ‘Burn the Evidence’.
Aside from the flawless delivery of the whole production, Billy Talent seem to have taken excellent care of the visuals, as stunning graphic imagery took turns with footage from the same performances done by the band 20 years ago. After the encore, the band played other standouts from their career, including ‘Rusted From the Rain’ and ‘Devil on My Shoulder’ which got the front crowd submerged into a spontaneous mosh before the set ended with ‘Viking Death March’.
A break later, it became evident the arena was waiting for another special experience before calling it a night – and it got just what it wanted. A short video depicting the blizzard of 1977 in New York (which served as the basis for the imagery of Alexisonfire’s concept album ‘Crisis’) lit up on the big screen to introduce the theme for the show. After two decades, the album is still the most successful one in the post-hardcore band’s career, drawing a ferociously loyal fanbase since its release in 2006.
The energy in the room was visibly up a notch, as the band took to the stage and opened with ‘Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints’. This was followed by a spectacular performance of their biggest hit to date, ‘This Could Be Anywhere in the World’. And for a few moments when time stood still to fully capture the intensity of the band’s delivery, it felt as if the city was anything but haunted and without hope (referring to the song’s chorus here). The culmination came in with the bridge which demonstrated that the anniversary show is indeed “our celebration; come join the lost souls”.
The second headliner’s show continued with ‘Boiled Frogs’ which surely and steadily led to boiling hot temperatures throughout the arena. Two songs off the album, ‘We Are the End’ and ‘Keep It on Wax’, were played live for the first time since 2012, much to the fans’ appreciation sieved through incessant energetic chanting in complete unison.
At this point, lead vocalist George Pettit (raw vocals) thanked the dedicated crowd for celebrating the anniversary together, adding that 20 years ago, the band hadn’t imagined they would be here for their biggest London show.
‘To a Friend’ and ‘Rough Hands’ rounded out the original tracklist and were followed by the Wembley Arena eagerly requesting an encore. This led to the crowd being rewarded with the first-ever live performance of ‘Thrones’, a fan-favourite which didn’t make the cut in the original ‘Crisis’ tracklist but found its place as a B-side on special releases. The night ended with two other deeply beloved Alexisonfire songs, ‘Pulmonary Archery’ and ‘Happiness by the Kilowatt’.
Both Canadian bands will leave a lasting mark on their respective fanbases – it is rare in today’s music scene for an artist to hold on to the essence of what shaped their essence for years to come, and at the same time, to capture the hearts of millions across the globe in an unshakeable dedication by loyal fans who will sing each lyric with the same devotion as they did 20 years ago. As opposed to what the trends in this time and age might be, Billy Talent and Alexisonfire convinced us of what was known all along – there is space for everlasting quality in music and in people’s love for it. And anyone daring to challenge this notion is bound to meet the loud voice of rebellion that post-hardcore lovers hold dear.
