THE HORN ST ALBANS 2014
After being nominated for best newcomer at the 2007 Kerrang! awards, Lost Alone sadly failed to make a real impact on the rock
world. Now seven years on things are changing, they have a fantastic new album out, Enter Shikari's management behind them and are playing at thIs years Sonisphere festival; it seems they are finally getting the recognition they deserve.
Playing in the intimate surroundings at The Horn in St Albans on the first night of their tour, feels like the band are playing in your front room. Steven Battelle tells me after the gig (dressed in his very rock n roll blue dressing gown) and sipping a Pepsi – he never drinks alcohol when touring. "I enjoy these smaller gigs" and it really does show. There is something both unnerving and comforting about being able to see the audience up close and Steven really relished this environment; totally at ease on stage he enjoys playful banter with the crowd and performs with energy and unbounded enthusiasm. Off stage he is surprisingly mellow, sitting his influences as Queen, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd and Guns n Roses.- It's easy to see where he gets his bravado as a front-man.
The three piece band certainly pack a punch and could easily hold their own in an arena setting. What they lack in numbers they
make up for in chutzpah! With Marc Gibson on bass and Alan T Williamson on Drums and Steven Battelle on guitar and vox the band have a truly unique and amazing dynamic.
Whilst the band are Showcasing their awesome new album Shapes of Screams at the gig, they also they kick of with Crusaders, a track which epitomises the band. Good o' rock with all the bells and whistles and of course some mean guitar breaks.
The Bells! The Bells! is an outstanding track and a brave song to open the show with; the song is so frenetic Steven's vocal and guitar playing really bring this track alive. It sets such a high level that it makes you wonder where the band can possibly go from here - They do not disappoint. Do You Get What You Pray For? and Paradox on Earth follow closely behind with the band continuing to rise the stakes as the set goes on.
Hostages and Crusaders are megalithic tracks from the album inspired by eighties classic rock and they are even bigger and better live. They also manage to squeeze in some other tunes their second album I'm a UFO in this cityincluding Creatures, Vesuvius and Love Will Eat You Alive.Doooooooooomageddon (Global Thermonuclear Metafictional Warefare) closes the show. This track is equally epic and reaffirms that LostAlone are a band who are destined for greatness!
A truly great band with first class musicians and some bloody good rock songs! Catch them on tour near you or at Sonisphere before it's too late - the next time they tour you'll be fighting to get a ticket!