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Of course, Disturbed did not arrive on our shores alone, and first we were treated (with varying levels of success) to three support bands. The female-fronted rock outfit Halestorm were up first, and gave an admirable performance with fantastic vocals. Buckcherry were next. I’d seen them live before, and knew what to expect: classic rock in the vein of Aerosmith but with less panache. Clearly some of the audience were impressed: a group of girls in particular behind me were ecstatic when the lead singer’s shirt was flung from his torso. Most, like me, remained unmoved. Papa Roach took to the stage next, and though I’m not really a fan, singer Jacoby Shaddix was able to whip the crowd into a frenzy, and his fantastic stage presence made for an energetic performance. Finishing with the classic song ‘Last Resort’, Papa Roach put on a great show and left the audience hungry for more.
That hunger was soon put to rest with the arrival of the main event. After an elaborate video sequence, Disturbed lead David Draiman exploded onto the stage, putting the evening into high gear with a crunching rendition of ‘Asylum’ from their latest album of the same name. There was no question: this is what the 5000+ strong crowds had come to see. The atmosphere was phenomenal: the audience pulsed with each tribal drum hit, each metallic bass twang and each dark chord which emerged from the hard rock legends.
The well-rounded set was a mix of new material and old favourites which covered their five album discography more than adequately. Disturbed certainly didn’t fall into the trap of over-playing their latest album to publicise it, performing only three songs from Asylum. It was great to see their cover of ‘Land of Confusion’ by Genesis performed live in particular. However, the highlight of the evening had to be Disturbed’s performance of ‘The Game’ from their first album The Sickness. Its oppressive drums and powerful guitar riff cemented Disturbed as the heaviest and most exciting act of the evening. It also showcased the latest visual aspect to be added to their shows: digital blood and fire spattered across a huge screen behind the band with every guitar strum.
Dan Donegan’s guitar work was stellar, making even the fastest chord progressions look easy to pull off and ripping through solos with finesse. Bass work was chunky and powerful, with some complicated sections being more obviously impressive during the live performance than on the album versions. Drumming, too, was brilliant, and really imbued the band with energy unmatched by the opening acts. The only slight disappointment could be found in Draiman’s vocals. His surprisingly large range seemed somewhat strained in Manchester, perhaps partly due to an injury he sustained earlier this year which caused the band to cancel a number of performances in the US.
Still, on the whole Disturbed were excellent; they certainly convinced me that they are worthy of the hard rock success they have enjoyed so far. When the thumping, iconic drum beat of ‘Down with the Sickness’ began, I knew their performance was nearly over, but the sheer adrenaline-fuelled excitement of Disturbed’s show will remain burned into my consciousness for the foreseeable future.
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