Alexandra Palace has been host to several legendary artists and performances. From the likes of Pink Floyd to The Stone Roses, many remarkable artists have performed on this famed stage. The countless number of remarkable artists and performances are what make Alexandra Palace the “go to” place for a memorable show. The memorability has also stuck with the fans; as Alexandra Palace is fondly known amongst concertgoers as Ally Pally; but in a day and age where O2 dominates, it’s rare to witness a show at Alexandra Palace. Which only means that when there is a show there, you are guaranteed to have one memorable night; as now fans of Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes can readily attest.
On the journey to Alexandra Palace, the W3 Bus transports you up a winding road which overlooks the city. A normally gorgeous view, had it not been obscured due to the pouring rain due to Storm Denis’ incoming landfall. Regardless, the impending deluge didn’t prevent fans from pouring into Alexandra Palace. Instead, as the minutes slipped by fans eagerly packed like sardines into the venue to see the band perform. By the time Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes were poised to take the stage; opening acts Ho99o9 and Cleopatrick had managed to excite and enthral the crowd which had arrived early.
While the rain beat down on the sidewalks and steps surrounding Alexandra Palace, a different kind of beat-down was about to occur inside. As Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes stormed the stage (with a gusto) and delivered their first one-two punch with their energetic opening track, ‘Why A Butterfly Can’t Love A Spider.’ From the first note, it was apparent that Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes came to deliver a knock-out performance to the sold-out crowd. All of whom had crammed into the Great Hall of Alexandra Palace.
As individuals packed into the Great Hall of Alexandra Palace to watch the raucous performance from Frank Carter, the area to which fans were confined became incredibly crowded. Which was to be expected; but luckily the team behind Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes had anticipated this. As the stage design and videography were primed to ensure that everyone could have a view of the show. Even if you happened to be stuck behind a rather tall individual (as was my case).
Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes undeniably put on one hell of a performance. Ask anyone who was there that night, and I can guarantee they’ll rant and rave about performances like ‘Supervillain’ and ‘I Hate You;’ as being highlights. If you ask me, however, my favourite performance of the entire night had to be ‘Crowbar’; off their 2019 release, ‘The End of Suffering.’ Simply due to the raw energy that Frank, Dean, Tom ‘Tank’, and Gareth exuded throughout their performance. It was a difficult energy to put into words; but the energy seemingly penetrated through the packed air of Alexandra Palace and encouraged you to let loose, to be unequivocally yourself, and to reject the call of uniformity.
Further moments only served to solidify Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes’ performance as a memorable night. From Frank walking on the crowd to the brief but genuine discussion about mental illness, the band authentically connected with the audience. Whether it be because Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes had forgone the typical “rockstar attitude” or because of something else entirely; their performance at Alexandra Palace resonated and connected with the audience in a mystical sort of way.
