Set If Off - Project House, Leeds 22.02.2025
On the 22nd of February, Florida trio Set It Off brought their EU/UK tour to Project House, Leeds, with support from TSS and Point North.
Kicking off the evening was genre-bending French outfit TSS. Beginning their set with an atmospheric, prerecorded intro that introduced the band, things kicked up a notch instantly when they walked on stage, with a sign displaying their name behind them lighting up in tandem with them taking to the stage. Mixing rap with emo and metal they were a phenomenal start to the night. Great guitar riffs throughout, they swapped between having one and two guitarists, yet the sound still sounded rich and full when they dropped down to the one guitarist. They included some good crowd interactions, and the crowd was very receptive to them. The vocals, often dualled, worked extremely well. Mixing more emotional tracks with breakdown-laden carnage resulted in a well-paced set, reminding me of fellow Frenchmen Landmvrks at points. Their energy on stage was infectious, and their set absolutely flew by. Definitely one to watch out for in the future.
Unfortunately, due to illness, Call Me Amour were unable to perform, so things rolled along to fellow US native trio Point North on their first ever EU/UK tour. Despite hailing from Los Angeles, their intro was styled more in line with the Southern states, with a pre-recorded speech introducing the band. The trio had an amazing, infectious energy right off the bat, with an insanely rich sound for a three piece. Vocalist Jon Lundin provided some absolutely phenomenal screams and soaring cleans to match, with guitarist Andy Hersey providing backing vocals whilst shredding. They kept the energy going with such tracks as Like A Weapon and Below The Belt, the latter of which included an appearance from Set It Off's Cody Carson, who's voice worked so well together with Lundin's in their screams and harmonies. At this point the energy in the crowd was picking up even more, and they ended on a great note with Safe And Sound, introducing it by sending their love to The Ghost Inside, who feature in the studio version, with Hersey absolutely smashing their section. A brilliant main support and yet another band to keep an eye out for.
Then came the main event - Set It Off. With the stage bathed in red, a one-minute timer was announced over the PA, with the final ten seconds counted down before the band took to the stage, naturally beginning in a very theatrical manner which was prevalent throughout their set. From the off the band were extremely tight, every note being pitch perfect. They had the crowd in the palm of their hands, especially with the choice of starting the set with the "Reborn" version of fan-favourite track Wolf In Sheep's Clothing. Following with Fake Ass Friends and The Haunting, Cody Carson showed off his talents as a front man, getting the entire crowd involved, with everyone in attendance being more than willing to participate. Next, they showed off their darker edge with Evil People, which was performed just as excellently as their lighter/more emotional fare. Moving into their latest single Creating Monsters, they took a very brief interlude that increased the theatrical atmosphere. In Kill The Lights, there was a perfectly executed pause, with Carson off mic screaming "HOLD. Are you ready? Prove it", showing his masterful stage presence. The harmonies between the entire band throughout the set were phenomenal, and moments like the slight blast beat in Lonely Dance from drummer Maxx Danzinger showed the talents of every member of the band, with each member showing they were genuinely excited to be on stage. Before swapping places for I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, Carson brought Danzinger out from behind the kitchen to celebrate the drummer's birthday with the crowd, with both Carson and Danzinger proving their versatility in each other's roles. Things got heavy in Parasite, with Carson encouraging a wall of death whilst guitarist Zach DeWall was tearing it up on guitar. Why Worry closed out the main set with a fervent energy after Carson's earlier request for the crowd not to boo when they claim "One song left", a cheeky nod to the typical live trope. Resuming their place on the stage for a single song encore of Punching Bag, the first single to be released independently after departing Fearless Records in 2022, the trio (with touring guitarist) drove it home with another final burst of energy, before walking off to You're Welcome from the Moana soundtrack. One thing that especially enamoured me throughout the set was Carson calling attention to every single crowdsurfer, ensuring the safety of the crowd at all times in a very nice move that isn't seen a lot nowadays.
Simply put, this was a phenomenal gig. I would thoroughly recommend seeing each of the three bands that performed if you get the chance, but particularly Set It Off. It is so clear that they have worked tirelessly in order to create the best show possible for their fans, and I can only see them getting better as time goes on.
TSS
Review - Gordon Rae
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