The O2 Institute is a bit of a gem hidden away in Digbeth. Just down the road from the creative hub that is The Custard Factory and housed in a building that is infinitely more appealing than the O2 Academy, the Institute is a great spot in which to catch a touring act. Tonight, the venue is heaving as a surprisingly varied audience has been herded in to catch a double header featuring Alien Ant Farm and P.O.D. Two bands that achieved considerable commercial success during the nu-metal boom of the early 00s, both bands have weathered the vagaries of the music industry and P.O.D. (who close the night) in particular are firing on all cylinders thanks to a new record deal with European label Mascot and a cracking new album in Circles. Far more than a simple nostalgia trip, both bands are on killer form and the enthusiasm that defines the night from band and audience alike leads to a celebratory atmosphere that persists right up until the closing notes.
Like P.O.D. Alien Ant Farm began their career some time prior to the cultural explosion of nu metal, releasing their cheekily-titled Greatest Hits debut album back in 1999. An immediately successful record, it contained the original version of the band’s cover of Michael Jackson’s Smooth Criminal (aired tonight to rapturous applause), but it was not until ANThology (which contained a re-recorded version of the track) that the band truly took off. Since then, Alien Ant Farm have undergone the usual trials and tribulations of maintaining a presence in the wake of explosive success, but it’s clear that the band’s fanbase have not abandoned them because the Institute moves as one for almost the entirety of their set.
Opening with a blistering Bad morning Alien Ant Farm hit the ground running and maintain the pace through what I feel is mine before dropping the first of the night’s big hitters with a rousing movies. Time has not withered the song’s impact and a number of ANThology songs are woven into the fabric of the night’s set including wish, courage, attitude, sticks and stones as well as the aforementioned Smooth Criminal. In between, we get a Bad Brains cover in Gene Machine and a show-stopping Lord Knows. Singer Dryden spends much of the set apparently surprised and humbled by the rapturous response of the audience, whilst guitarist Terry Corso seems to be having the time of his life, the grin that lights up his face throughout the set evidence of his enjoyment.
With the venue temperature soaring despite the cruel winter winds buffeting the outside of the Institute, the wait for P.O.D. to take the stage feels considerable. The beer flows, the DJ spins a variety of early 00s tunes (with SOAD inciting loud singalongs) and then, as the house lights dim, the strains of Linkin Park blast out over the PA. A nod to a fallen friend, it underscores the fact that P.O.D. for all their energy, never forget those that fall by the wayside.
With the audience primed and ready to go, P.O.D. launch into Boom with all the energy of a band just starting on their journey through the industry, and it’s a pace they maintain right to the very end. What becomes very apparent over the course of the 90 minute set is that Circles really benefits from the band’s irrepressible live presentation. Every song aired from the album sounds massive, with tracks like Panic Attack, Soundboy Killa and Always Southern California leaving the studio versions gasping in their wake. It’s great to see P.O.D. hitting the stage with such energy and Sonny Sandoval is on fire, charging around the stage without respite as his band tear through the tunes. Indeed, the only real pause of the night comes when Sonny, concerned at the sheer volume of crowd-surfing taking place, requests additional security at the front to help keep the audience safe. That aside, we get truly monstrous takes on tracks like Southtown, taut renditions of the hits (including the well-worn satellite and an expanded youth of the nation, which sees the entire audience singing together) and, of course, alive.
Heading down to the venue, I figured it would be an entertaining evening, but I was unprepared for just how energetic and exciting both P.O.D. and Alien Ant Farm remain. Whilst both bands have seen giddy commercial highs, they have remained creative forces, true to their Californian roots and still in love with simply taking to the stage. The rapport with the crowd for both bands is phenomenal, the obvious affection of the crowd clearly reciprocated, and we leave the institute sweaty (and a touch sticky thanks to the odd flying beer glass) and elated.
