Parkway Drive + Emmure + The Word Alive + Structures @„Meetfactory” Prague, CZ [30.11.2012]

There are not many bands that I am so excited about that it doesn’t cause me any trouble to go to their concert outside the country. Parkway Drive is a band that holds a special place in my personal music ranking. Their honesty and enthusiasm always captivated me, as well as their music, which never seems to get old. Although their latest album is a bit lower in quality compared to the others, it didn’t deter me from wanting to see Parkway Drive live.

Since I missed their last concert in Poland and regretted it, I decided to do everything in my power to attend their show if they appeared nearby. That turned out to be Prague, Czech Republic, as their tour promoting the new album „Atlas” did not include Poland this time. So, three months in advance, I booked tickets for Polski Bus. Along with my comrades Ernest and Łukasz (greetings), we boarded the bus on a cloudy Friday morning and headed towards the land of dumplings. The journey passed in a very friendly atmosphere, especially the last part, when we struck up a conversation with two lovely Russian girls :). After getting off the bus, we had to find the quickest transport to the club because the concert had already started (it was around 8 pm), and missing Parkway Drive would have been a complete failure. Luckily, with the help of the locals, we managed to catch the right metro line and make it to the club in time for the last few songs of Emmure.

Upon entering the venue, I immediately noticed the terrible ventilation and lack of a smoking ban. Not too long ago, this was normal in Poland, but it just goes to show how big of a difference there is between smoke-filled concerts and smoke-free ones. When the party started with Parkway Drive, it was hard to breathe and sweat was pouring down. But it also had its charm. The club was quite big, similar in size to Warsaw’s Progresja. There were a lot of people – I think the attendance could have been around 600-700. The beautiful Czech girls were especially eye-catching, and it was hard to look away from some of them :). I think I might move there someday, haha. We weren’t the only Poles at the concert; you could hear Polish here and there or see guys wearing shirts of local bands. The atmosphere was very friendly, no tension, everyone was smiling and laid-back.

As we entered the concert hall, the American band Emmure was already performing. I was never a fan of this band and considered them poor, and this performance only confirmed it for me. Although I was impressed by the sound, I didn’t enjoy the music at all. How many breakdowns can you play? Thankfully, we only caught three songs. Although that was still too much for me. I completely don’t understand the appeal of this band. And one more thing. Can someone explain to me why the vocalist stood in that downpour in a jacket and hat the whole concert, even though he was sweating profusely? Is that part of the image or what?

There was a longer break for equipment change. The audience was so enthusiastic that you could hear chants and screams during the tuning. The crowd thickened in front of the stage, and finally, the Australians appeared on stage. They started, of course, with an intro from the new album, followed by the opening track, „Old Ghost.” Fortunately, the guys limited themselves to a few songs from this album, so it didn’t dominate the setlist. The ones they played are probably the best songs on „Atlas.” So, you could say the guys have perfect taste in choosing songs. They also played „Wild Eyes” from the new album, which started with an amazing choral singing from the whole crowd. It was worth going there just to feel chills during those moments. Another song that evoked similar emotions in me was „Blue And The Grey,” played almost at the end. It’s perfect – amazing lyrics, incredible pathos, brilliant solos, and slowdowns. One of the songs of the year for me. Just as I was bored during Emmure’s performance, here there was no chance of that. The multi-dimensionality of Parkway Drive’s music, with powerful, thoughtful melodies interspersed with breakdowns, made the crowd go wild. I haven’t had such a dynamic time in a crowd in a long time. It’s scary to think what would happen if stage dives were allowed :). I have to say that the atmosphere of the smoke-filled and sweaty club (plus the long journey and nerves due to worries about whether we would make it at all) really got to me, and I felt really tired after about halfway through the concert. However, the setlist was so attractive that using common sense to withdraw and retreat to the back was not even an option, hehe. The index of the songs played (not counting the mentioned ones) looked something like this: „Sleepwalker”, „Karma”, „Boneyards”, „Romance Is Dead”, „Deliver Me”, „Dark Days”, „Gimme A.D.”, „Idols And Anchors”, „Home Is For The Heartless”, „Carrion.” Parkway Drive once again showed themselves in a very positive light in terms of their relationship with the fans – handing over microphones, high-fives, visible satisfaction on their faces. The sound system was awesome, everything was very clear. I also liked the lighting on the stage, although after watching a few recordings from other countries before the concert, I think Prague wasn’t the best showcase of their abilities in that aspect.

In conclusion, the trip to Prague was full of great adventures, which, together with the positive nature of Parkway Drive’s music, made it even more special. Prague is beautiful at night, with a cultural atmosphere in the clubs, but there aren’t many options to eat at a reasonable price. We wandered around half the city for an hour and a half and ended up in some shabby, open shack out of desperation. Despite everything, the trip was definitely a success, and if PWD skips Poland again on their next tour, I’ll definitely go see them somewhere abroad.