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Plenty of familiar Takedown<\/b> names scatter the lineup, and the day kicks off with one of last year\u2019s debutants. Zoax<\/b> open the main stage with the same riotous approach that won the over Southampton crowd one year earlier, and whoever it was that coined the unwritten rule of life being hardest for bands tasked with opening a stage has clearly never met the London-based quintet. Vocalist Adam Carroll moves through the crowd with a slight twist on the Baby Godzilla approach to fan interaction; rather than climbing on everything in sight, Carroll seems content to scurry about making friends with individual crowd members, getting in close so he can gradually steal all their things. We\u2019re not quite sure where the phone, sunglasses or handbag came from, but we assume they all found their rightful owners again in time. Musically, the set was just as characteristically raucous as a Zoax<\/b> performance can be, and with a new EP to plug the five-piece sell themselves superbly. If 2014\u2019s set was enough for Takedown to bring Zoax<\/b> back, then 2015 may have secured them a lifetime pass. We certainly wouldn\u2019t complain if it had. (4.5\/5)<\/p>\n
With the way things kicked off, it\u2019s difficult to imagine how momentum was going to sustain itself throughout the day. A brief respite at City of Ashes<\/b> is enough to keep things ticking over; their placement on the FVK-curated Obsidian Stage is a wise addition and one they make use of well. (3\/5) <\/p>\n
The Uprawr Stage is gathering speed, however, and the returning Dendera<\/b> are Judas Priest for a new generation. The speaking voice of frontman Ashley Edison does nothing to suggest the superb vocal abilities he possesses, and it gives the Portsmouth armada a real staying power in your memory by the end of the day. (4\/5)<\/p>\n Vocal excellence might just be the theme of the day, as following Dendera<\/b> are Black Peaks<\/b>. Fresh off a name change and a great run of shows with Arcane Roots, it\u2019s hardly surprising that they\u2019ve found themselves at Takedown<\/b> this year, and perhaps even less so that the Kingston trio are having them back out for more this May. Singer Will Gardner has a range that many vocalists at the festival could only dream of, and as tense as his stage presence may seem, the guy is right at home on the Black Peaks<\/b> frontline, where the instrumental backing can go from 0-100 in the blink of an eye. (4.5\/5)<\/p>\n Hawk Eyes<\/b> are another Obsidian Stage act making full use of their spot, with tracks from ‘Ideas’<\/i> and their most recent album (‘Everything is Fine’<\/i>) offerings smashed out as if it\u2019s the band\u2019s last day on earth. \u2018Skyspinners\u2019<\/i> is the moment that everything seems to slot together, and in the Leeds quartet you have another act who will surely be welcomed back with open arms in the coming years. (4\/5)<\/p>\n If Hawk Eyes are playing like the world will end tomorrow, however, then Rolo Tomassi<\/b>\u2019s set is thrashed out as if the world is collapsing around their very heads. It\u2019s purebred carnage and at this point it\u2019s insanity to expect anything less; the feral main stagers are single-handedly making the jump in ticket prices worthwhile and they are loved for it. The first real pits of the day have arrived and they couldn\u2019t have done so in a more appropriate set; with plenty more festivals to come before Rolo Tomassi<\/b>\u2019s season is through, they\u2019ve certainly started on a high note at Southampton University. (5\/5)<\/p>\n Creeper<\/b> have made a name for themselves recently with some eye-catching studio releases, and their recent announcement as support for Bury Tomorrow has given them a lot to live up to in a live setting. On this particular outing to the Big Deal Stage, however, you\u2019d be forgiven for viewing it as something of a false start. In our position at the back of the room something just doesn\u2019t click, and the band\u2019s invigorating power on record is rather non-existent on stage in the Stag\u2019s Head. (2\/5)<\/p>\n If there\u2019s anyone to turn to for getting things back on track, however, then you can bet Arcane Roots<\/b> fit the bill. Returning to the main stage after two years away, the three-piece smash out the same sublime balance of old and new tracks that have made their headline shows such must-see experiences in the past year. With a new album on the way, tracks like \u2018Leaving\u2019<\/i> are the perfect advert, in the same way that the likes of \u2018You Are\u2019<\/i> and \u2018Resolve\u2019<\/i> have sold previous efforts so well in the past. If ‘Left Fire’<\/i> was Arcane Roots<\/b> announcing their arrival, ‘Blood and Chemistry’<\/i> was them finding their place, then be prepared for this year\u2019s record to deliver the resounding statement that they want more, and they\u2019ve got plenty left in the tank right now. (4.5\/5)<\/p>\n From here, everything seems to get a little more hectic as the must-see sets come thick and fast. The Hell<\/b> storm the Uprawr Stage with their typical swear jar-shattering offence, though there are no inflatables in sight on this particular outing. As The Hell<\/b> sets go, its decidedly more paint-by-numbers than many of last year\u2019s outings appeared to be, but a baseline performance by the Hell is still a hell of a show. Perhaps it\u2019s a case of \u201cend of the album cycle\u201d blues, and if that\u2019s the explanation then you can bet that the mob will be back up to full speed by the end of 2015. This particular set, however, will be unlikely to stand out. (3\/5)<\/p>\n Perhaps the toughest overlap of the day is between Takedown veterans The Blackout<\/b> and Dead!<\/b>, and the knowledge that seeing every second of both sets is impossible is a real downer as the day goes on. The arrival of Dead!<\/b> is something of a homecoming, however, and missing their return to the University is not something to pass up. The tracklist of ‘Tu Me Manques’<\/i> is still getting solid treatment, and it\u2019s as if the young quintet had never left their South Coast hometown. They won\u2019t be gone for long though, back down in the coming months with Zoax<\/b> alongside them, a two-band assault that there\u2019s no real excuse for missing after each act\u2019s performance on their respective Takedown<\/b> returns. (4\/5) <\/p>\n For The Blackout<\/b>, however, there is no \u201cnext time down south\u201d. With the end of this month comes the end of the Welsh band\u2019s journey, ending how it began in a sweaty and emotional Methyr Tydfil venue. It all comes full circle, and the band\u2019s last ever South Coast set is a late addition to the final run of shows. This will be the last time that many in the crowd see the outfit live, and you can tell from the word go that none of them are willing to waste the opportunity. Something special is brewing, and from the very first bellowing of \u201cwe are the dynamite!\u201d<\/i> to the last dying notes of \u2018I\u2019m a Riot? You\u2019re a Fucking Riot!\u2019<\/i>, the main stage is really the only place to be. It\u2019s the perfect send-off for a band that have had such an impact on so many faces in the room, and you can bet that there\u2019ll be a lot more tears shed in venues nationwide before the month is through. (5\/5)<\/p>\n From a band at the tail end of their career, the next stop is one who are still defining their own. Moose Blood<\/b> have become a highly touted fixture in the catalogue of emerging talent, especially since their performances in support of Mallory Knox late last year. On the Big Deal stage they certainly live up to the hype, belting out a set which will both satiate their established fans while winning over a whole heap more who happened to pass through. (4\/5)<\/p>\n It\u2019s unfortunate that we only catch the final seconds of Fort Hope<\/b>\u2019s Obsidian Stage outing, but Fearless Vampire Killers<\/b> are well worth the wait, and having assembled a fantastic array of acts to grace the stage they helped curate they couldn\u2019t have done a better job in wrapping things up. Everyone in the room seems to have found their second wind in time to throw everything into FVK<\/b>\u2019s set, and it\u2019s a special kind atmosphere for a band finally finding their feet again after a turbulent 2014. (4\/5)<\/p>\n For Mallory Knox<\/b>, it\u2019s a similar kind of story. Their rise up through the ranks of British rock has been well-documented and well-deserved, and the band are a worthy addition to the list of names to headline Takedown Festival<\/b>. The group look like superstars as they close out the main stage, and they\u2019re treated like it too by a crowd who have been on point all day. It\u2019s the perfect send-off for another successful year of Takedown, with the band showing their full range of thunder and emotion from \u2018Wake Up\u2019<\/i> to \u20181949\u2019<\/i>. It\u2019s the sort of set that has you leaving the festival caught in two minds. On the one hand, you\u2019d be hard pressed to see Mallory Knox<\/b> as anything other than on top of their game right now. On the other, however, you wouldn\u2019t be alone in thinking that we haven\u2019t seen anything yet. (4.5\/5)<\/p>\n Takedown Festival<\/b> continues to be the perfect start to the festival season, and it\u2019s left a whole heap of rock and metal fans hungry for a summer full of music. When you talk about kicking things off in style, the Southampton festival is writing the book on it right now, and there\u2019s already a feeling of anticipation to see what 2016 has in store for the event.<\/p>\n 4.5\/5<\/p>\n Words by Antony Lusmore (@Metacosmica_<\/a>). Photos by Heather Fitsell<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/78.media.tumblr.com\/5fe4dd2e66c32cfe91fe671058fd3908\/tumblr_nkww9vX1Zr1r8no6so2_1280.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
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