On 24 October, Kavka Oudaan in Antwerp welcomed Greyhaven, ’68 and Better Lovers to open their tour. The three bands were the perfect mix of energy and performance. The unique performance of ‘68 and the energy of Greyhaven and Better Lovers will be one for the books. Hailing from Buffalo, Atlanta and Louisville respectively, they will be touring Europe and the UK. We were lucky to be there for the opening show!
High on energy, Greyhaven opened the show
Right from the start, Greyhaven burst onto the stage with energy, screams and wattage. They opened the show with ‘Burn a Miracle’ from their brand new EP, ‘Where the Light Leaves Us’. Although the audience was standing slightly away from the stage, some die-hard fans in the crowd sang along with frontman Brent Mills. Heads banged in unison to ‘Sweet Machine’, ‘Welcome Party’ and ‘More and More Hands’, while others were already moshing around the venue. They ended their set with ‘Echo & Dust’, leaving the now packed venue perfectly primed for the acts to follow.
Setlist: Burn A Miracle – Sweet Machine – Welcome Party – More and More Hands – Sick and Lavish – Cemetery Sun – Echo & Dust pt. 1
’68 and their timeless mocassins
The arrival of the band ’68 came with an immediate stylish statement. Defying the conventions of the hardcore scene, Josh Scogin and Nikko Yamada stepped into the spotlight, impeccably dressed in suits and timeless moccasins. Like Greyhaven, they brought energy to the venue.
Their sound is a controlled collision of noise, hardcore, rock and old-time jazz that defies easy categorisation. Scogin, formerly of the hardcore punk band The Chariot, and Yamada generated an amazing musical momentum, particularly during Yamada’s solo drum performance, which was greatly appreciated.
The backtrack setup and theremin allowed the two musicians to trade solos, while Scogin treated the audience to some hip-swaying. Though a few minor, unnoticeable mistakes might have slipped into their performance — it’s the first show of the tour — they delivered a tireless hour-long display of energy.
The “superband” we were all waiting for: Better Lovers!
The metal audience has been waiting a long time for Greg Puciato in Europe, especially those longing for the days of Dillinger Escape Plan. We’ve seen him with his side projects and Black Queen and he also toured this summer with Jerry Cantrell. But fans have been waiting for him since Better Lovers started.
Better Lovers isn’t a new version of Dillinger but rather a supergroup featuring renowned personalities from the metal scene. You can meet Jordan Buckley (formerly from Every Time I Die) and Will Putney (formely on Fit For An Autopsy) on guitars, Stephen Micciche as bassist, Clayton Holyoak as drummer (the latter two also formerly of Every Time I Die). And of course Greg Puciato as a vocalist in the band. These five artists have nothing to prove, yet they consistently deliver amazing performances that leave us wanting more.
This explains why the enthusiastic audience immediately jumped forward when Better Lovers started their set with ‘A White Horse Covered in Blood’ from their 2024 album ‘Highly Irresponsible’. As always, Greg Puciato was a machine on stage. His vocals were spot on and his energy was contagious. He captivated the audience, uniting them in their enthusiasm. It didn’t take long for the crowdsurfing madness to start.
Even a fresh plastic-wrapped tattoo couldn’t have stopped one of the fans to stagedive as early as the second song, ‘Edward’. The crowd and the musicians never stopped jumping and headbanging throughout the set. Greg Puciato looked almost quiet surrounded by all this hustle and moshing. Lyrics were sung, not only by Puciato, but also by fans who knew them as well as he did. You think you can’t have more energy in Antwerp? Just wait for ‘Don’t Forget to Say Please’, their latest single, to start and see the chaos that ensues across the venue.
The show continued throughout the setlist until Jordan Buckley urged the audience to form a circle pit, immediately causing mayhem across the Kavka Oudaan’s hall. Craziness remained for the rest of the set until ‘30 under 13’ took the madness to a whole other level. A never-ending stream of stage divers and crowdsurfers flooded the venue for one final burst of energy.
Once the show was over — unfortunately all good things must come to an end — Greg, Jordan and Will shook hands with as many people as possible. Some lucky fans even got the chance to take selfies with the singer. The band kicked off their tour with a high-energy performance, and we would love to experience that again.
Setlist: A White Horse Covered in Blood – Edward – Hey Chef – Two Alive Amongst the Dead – Become so Small – Don’t Forget to Say Please – Future Myopia – Sacrificial Participant – The Flowering – God Made Me an Animal – At All Times – Love As An Act of Rebellion – 30 Under 13
Greyhaven, ‘68 and Better Lovers gave an excellent show. It didn’t even take a minute to bring the crowd together, and the next fans to welcome them to their cities are sure to be envious. They will be performing in Aalborg, Osl and Stockholm next. Some tour dates still have tickets available, so grab yours quickly!