Do you know how far it is from Glasgow to Nottingham? Neither do I.....but what I can tell you is that it's a bloody long way - so there! So, after waking up in Glasgow, sorting ourselves out and managing to find our way back to where we had left the car, it was time to get out of Scotland and back to the South, this time heading to Nottingham for the About To Break Tour at the Rescue Rooms. 

After driving for a few hours, then a couple more, we eventually arrived in Nottingham, sorted the hotel out and headed straight out to the Rescue Rooms to try and catch the bands loading in, setting up and sound checking. On arrival, it was clear that there had been some changes, and everyone seemed a little fraught on edge after finding out that the curfew for the gig wasn't 11:00pm as we had become used to, but instead had shifted to 10:00pm - something which left the bands with shorter sets, and a lot of questions on peoples minds. Kudos to Jon Huddy (Self Made Records) for dealing with it, sorting the bands out, and getting things moving as soon as he could so as not to disappoint the building crowd.

Opening the nights proceedings were Critical, a local Nottingham band that, whilst young, seem to be building somewhat of a reputation for themselves on the live scene. After watching their set, it's easy to see why, the band taking to the stage and quite simply owning it, showing that they may have been the opening act for the night, but they were by no means a band to underestimate. Throwing out tracks such as Hot As Hell, Demon and No Regrets, the band showed their skills and passion for music with aplomb, each track oozing out of the amps and captivating the audience who were watching. Despite issues with the guitars at one point, the band persevered and stood out as one to keep an eye on, even throwing in a cover of Broken Hearts just to demonstrate their understanding of where their music came from. In all - a solid opener to the night!

Grey Goes Down stepped up to the stage next, as the solid basis of the tour so far I've been lucky enough to hear the band develop their sound over the gigs, each time growing more and more comfortable in front of the crowds and showcasing their tracks to people to show off their skills. Whilst I was fully aware that it would be the case, Grey Goes Down once again showed that they know what the crowd wants and know how to provide it!  Tracks like Serenity were met with an eager crowd, each track drawing in more and more people to see what was going on and converting the ranks to their sound. The highlight for me was once again Terminal, a track which I've grown to love over the course of the tour and one which, I think, shows off the band at their best on the live scene. As the set came to a close, I don't think there was a single person around the room who hadn't stopped to marvel at the sound, showing once again that Nottingham needs to be on the map for the live scene!

Following an act like Grey Goes Down is always going to be a tough one, but Fresh Eyes For The Dead Guy stepped up to the stage, confident they had the ability to keep the flow moving. Opening with Jackals before leading straight into Any Excuse To Wear A Headtorch, the band captivated the crowd with their energetic live performance, dynamic song writing and extraordinary stage presence. With track names like Totally Mexico Monsters and Me You And The Lex Paradox, this is a band who don't do things in the most simple manner, instead opting to create tracks which make you question what you know, show what can be done by 4 guys on a stage and push the boundaries of their music. Leaving the stage at the end of their set, I found myself sitting back and questioning what I had heard for a moment, still getting my head around the funky and powerful rock tinged with elements of prog and the ferociousness of punk - it's a mix which I've not come across before, but one which I'd like to see a lot more of in the future I think!

If anyone had asked me which bands I was looking forward to before the tour, then JD and the FDC's would have been high on that list, a band that we featured quite early on in the life of the site and one which has got a reputation on the live scene as unmissable. From the opening moments of Recognise it was clear why, these guys can play! Hitting the right notes from the off, the band had the crowd eating out of their hands from the word go and didn't release until the closing moments of Burn This City Down. Energetic, powerful and yet fun, tracks like Ujpest Dozsa, Mirrors And Wires and Never Gonna Stop all flew out, the crowd singing along and displaying their affection for the band. The sea of JD and the FDC's t-shirts across the crowd should have been a give away that people wanted to see them, but nothing could have prepared me for the show they put on. Finishing by involving the crowd (including myself) in a damned good sing along, JD and the FDC's were a band that came, saw, conquered and left everyone safe in the knowledge that they are there to show us how it's done - awesome.

Teenage Casket Company are another band that we featured a while back, and another act that I was looking forward to seeing playing live, just to see how their songs sounded on the live scene. Jumpy, punky, fun and another band that people were there to sing along to, the band opened with Dead In America and grabbed everyones attention from the word go. One Thing You Don't Need, First Night Of Your Life and Best Friend Is My Radio all sounded like instant classics, the band clearly enjoying themselves on stage as the crowd lapped up their offerings. It's comforting to see a band hammering out tracks which have got the potential to become classics, and Teenage Casket Company fit this bill perfectly, demonstrating that if you're looking for solid rock music full of catchy choruses and hooks, then look no further!

After 5 great bands, the headlining act was going to have to pull something pretty spectacular - and that's exactly what Wraith managed to do. Emerging onto the stage accompanied by dancing girls, a video film crew and enough attitude to satisfy even the most hardcore punk venue, these guys closed the night and left everyone dumbfounded in amazement. Tracks like Hungry, Human Zoo, Get What I Want and Inside Me were hammered out at break neck speed, the band working against time to make sure they were finished in time but managing to keep the crowd happy and singing along throughout. With the closing moments of Crazy the band not only owned the stage, but had the crowd begging for more, leaving the venue pumping, sweaty and reeling from the shock of what real music can do - an awesome finish to an incredible line up.

So that was Nottingham - one of the best gigs of the tour featuring bands that simply, you need to make sure you check out! Every single person in attendance will back me up I'm sure when I say that this was one hell of a night, and one I'll certainly remember for a long while yet!

Thanks to Nottingham, the Rescue Rooms, the bands, and some familiar faces for coming down - definitely a place we'll be coming back to!