Memphis May Fire Ignites Charleston
Memphis May Fire brought their Remade In Misery tour through Charleston, and Charleston showed up! The old brick walls of the Music Farm were nearly bursting with bodies. The sold out crowd formed a massive sea of bodies all ready for a night of cathartic mania. Memphis May Fire assembled a hard-hitting lineup of bands Saul, SECRETS, and Norma Jean, and they all came out swinging.
Saul and SECRETS set the tempo for the night. Saul came out of the gate and shredded, while SECRETS laid it all out on stage and delivered a killer performance. The crowd reciprocated with ferocious energy, prompting lead singer Richard Rogers to proclaim that this was the best night of the tour. Amping it up, Rogers demanded that the pit open up and the crowd happily obliged. With each head-banging breakdown, the center of the crowd swirled round and round like the eye of a massive hurricane.
Norma Jean took the stage, and the room echoed with the roar of the sold out crowd as the band kicked off their set with “The Planet” from the 2016 album Polar Similar. The band took full advantage of the crowds' intensifying energy. The epic opening drum run and the driving guitar riff made the crowd rumble and pulsate like a volcano ready to blow. When Cory Brandan belted out the first lyrics “I hope that you burn!” the crowd erupted, as crowd surfing bodies began to flow and bubble over the massive audience. By the time Norma performed the song “Spearmint Revolt” from the 2022 album Deathrattle Sing for Me, the audience was a squall of sweaty and smiling faces. The band's cutting lyrics, and Cory’s vocals were a lethal combination with Matt Marquez’s jawbreaking drums, Michael Palmquist’s ear bleeding guitar licks, and Clay Crenshaw’s rib cracking bass. Norma Jean ended their set with a fast paced, high octane banger from their 2013 album Wrongdoers, “If You Got It At Five, You Got It At Fifty”.
For three solid sets, the sold out crowd had been worked into a glorious frenzy. Memphis May Fire stepped on to the stage and kicked off their set with “Blood & Water”, the opening track from the 2022 release Remade In Misery that showcases the bands new heavier sound. Smiles on all their faces, Matty Mullins (lead vocals) expressed his excitement to be there. The band continued their selection from the Remade In Misery album with the driving musical onslaught of “Left For Dead” and rolling into “Bleed Me Dry” and “Somebody”. The latter two tracks showcased the musical chemistry of Matty’s passionate and addictive hooks, Kellen McGregor’s blistering guitar, Cory Elder’s punchy bass, and Jake Garland’s concussive drums. Memphis’s next song was a throwback to “Alive In The Lights” from the 2012 album Challenger. “Heavy Is The Weight” from the album Broken had the crowd aggressively singing the chorus “heavy is the weight that I hold!” in an ear ringing therapeutic release. When Memphis played “The Old Me” crowd surfers were steadily flowing over the barricades like a human tidal wave. Memphis May Fire brought the heat to the Music Farm. They completely captivated the audience from start to finish with their combustible, raw, and memorable catalog of music.
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