Recently, the Arkells’ performed their first stadium show in Vancouver, Canada and overall I’d have to say, I was genuinely impressed with the band. The concert was light, fun and definitely worth missing a Bim’s night for. The lead singer, Max Kerman, really knew how to work a stadium, taking as many opportunities to run around the venue and crowd surf with his fellow band members. Throughout the concert, he made an effort to interact with the crowd as much as possible. He and everyone else in the venue seemed to love every second of the show.
Of course the band played through all their classic songs — “Leather Jacket” and “11:11,” along with many others — even showing off their talents with some acoustic sets. Whether they were in nosebleed seats or the mosh pit, everyone in the audience remained on their feet through out the entire concert.
Honourable mentions of course should be given to the openers, Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls. From what I can tell, much of the crowd were there primarily to see them. They more than adequately amped up the audience for the Arkells, and appeared later throughout the show as well.
The performance was a masterful show which proved that the Arkells are more than capable of owning a stadium when they perform.