Live Review: The Used @ Engine Rooms, Southampton
The Used kicked off their UK tour Thursday night (2/5), tearing up the Engine Rooms, Southampton. The post-hardcore legends aimed to please with a set list full of “everyone’s favorites,” aka the classic hits from the band’s first few albums.
Frontman Bert McCracken was at complete ease on stage, dancing around and getting the audience involved. At one point a fan conversing with the singer threw a pink bra onstage while establishing a chant throughout the crowd to “put it on.” McCracken humored them placing the garment over his chest and having his fellow band-mate attach it before dancing around and throwing it back. It was a letdown that the energetic frontman had no screams in him throughout the show, instead choosing to sing without his signature unclean wails.
Though The Used have released a few albums in the last couple of years it seems that no one has really noticed. Whether someone saw them a week ago or five years ago, it was likely to be a similar gig with classic songs. They have become quite political while they were away, McCracken regularly launching into tad-too-long speeches about revolution and phrases like, “If you believe like I believe that humans can still make a difference in this fucked up world, put your hands in the air.” It was quite obvious that although their newer songs like ‘Revolution’ got the crowd moving, the fans were really just hoping for a great night of reminiscing.
The gig overall was tame, the crowd seemingly more interested in the music than interested in knocking one another over. It’s safe to assume that the audience consisted mostly of older fans that had since matured from their teenage rock ‘emo’ phase from where The Used grew and thrived. Though a circular pit was opened in the center of the floor, the fans had fun without being overly aggressive.
“Such a silly ritual. We’re gonna walk offstage then come back on,” McCracken stated as the band sauntered back onstage for the encore. It progressed as a mash-up, the band beginning ‘Box Full of Sharp Objects’ with the classic chords of Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ as well as a lengthy chorus of Rage Against the Machine’s ‘Killing in the Name Of’. In an outbreak of strobes and screaming, both band and crowd danced around in enthusiasm worthy of the band’s video for ‘Pretty Handsome Awkward.’
The Used may be older, but they still have what it takes to produce a great show. “Thank you so much for keeping our dream alive for so long,” McCracken stated. “We have always done this for one reason alone, the love of music.”
