Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Stray From The Path have made a name on themselves during the years, starting back in 2001. Having released 11 albums in their career, the band from New York indeed left a mark on the metalcore/hardcore scene. But all good things come to an end, and this 2025 after their unexpected “Clockworked” released early this year, the band announced that they’d come to an end after 24 years making music, where this date at the Manchester Academy was going to be their second-to-last ever performance before their farewell concert in Bristol right on the next day. The Aussies Alpha Wolf alongside Graphic Nature and Calva Louise were the ones responsible of opening the evening on this tour.
Having the Academy already reaching its capacity limit, Calva Louise played their most popular bangers such as “Third Class Citizen“, “Hate In Me” or “Impeccable“, where the crowd showed a first taste of what we could expect in terms of craziness along the rest of the night.
The natives from London were feeling good at their homeland, smashing every single song from their setlist. The band led by Harvey Freeman opened the set with “Headstone“, followed by “Locked In“, from their latest album “Who Are You When No One Is Watching” and “Sour“; another classic from the British line-up. Then, a mixture between late and old material came in. You could really appreciate that Graphic Nature really felt at home, while the fans didn’t missed the chance to sing all their bangers. The night was being kept more than warm for the main support band of the tour.
Coming all the way from the other side of the planet, the Tasmanian band was back in the UK after their Summer tour in last year. Opening the set with one of their most-famous tracks, “Ultra-Violet Violence” was the song in charge to bring up the proper mosh pit that every single person inside Academy was disposed to get into. Crowdsurfing was there even when Lochie Keogh was presenting the next track. Madness didn’t stop at any moment. Alpha Wolf took profit from that situation to perform their latest album tracks, released early in this year, such as “Haunter“, “Feigh” or “Creep“, alongside many more classics like “60cm of Steel” and their set-closing “Akudama“, where as far as I could count, more than 40 persons were raised up by the crowd. Such an amazing highlight that will prevail in everyone’s mind for a long time. And yeah, I was part of those 40.
The moment arrived. Stray From The Path was about to make one of their last ever live performances inside an Academy venue that had been waiting for this moment since the first seconds after the tour was announced. After this, only Bristol was missing. “Kubrick Stare“, “III” and “First World Problem Child” opened their set, even multiplying the amount of people dancing in the sky while crowdsurfing. It all was frenetic, memorable, but also nostalgic were the crowd already knew it was going to be their last time seeing the band live.
Drew “York” Dijorio, vocalist since 2005, made some hiatus between the song for making some special speeches, being thankful for all the bands, crew and obviously, the crowd; from the ones that had been there since their first concerts around 20 years ago inside small venues in the US to the ones that discovered them through these last years feeling every single song in their long discography. A total of 14 songs were played on that special set, mostly combining songs from their last two records (Clockworked and Euthanasia) such as “Clockworked”, “May You Live Forever” or “Needful Things”, but all good things come to an end, and it was here. “Fortune Teller” was the song in charge to close that night having an almost-voiceless crowd using their last breaths to scream alongisde Dijorio.
Wishing the best to Tom, Tony, Drew and Craig, and everyone else that made Stray From The Path be what they became in the present.
Calva Louise
Graphic Nature
Alpha Wolf
Stray From The Path
