Many bands lose their identity when they change a vocal and it almost always doesn’t go as planned. But there are some that manage to pull it off, and the way Alice in Chains has done it is amazing.
After losing such a unique and recognizable vocal in Layne Staley, the band decided to continue making music, and it turned out to be the right decision. This is why their show at INmusic didn’t seem like some knockoff or gig by “once-was-band,” but really fantastic experience.
Alice in Chains took the stage as the festival’s first headliner on the Main Stage, and just blew away everyone in presence. William DuVall owned the stage with his moves and well-rehearsed few lines in Croatian while Jerry Cantrell was impeccable with every riff he played. The band stormed through their greatest hits, giving the older fans exactly what they wanted while also gaining new fans from among the younger members of the audience.
After Alice in Chains finished their set, it was time to listen to newest indie sensation Portugal. The Man. They put on a nice show, but everyone was there to hear one of the biggest hits of 2017, “Feel It Still.” The band saved the track for the very end of their set and delivered when it was time. But there wasn’t much time left to waste since Interpol was already taking the Main Stage.
It was a classy show by a classy band. We didn’t expect from Interpol to amaze us with energetic performances or give fans much room to go crazy. But they did provide a quality show that was filled with hits and some less known tracks from their old albums, which was, if you ask us, a great combination.
Besides the occasional “thank you,” the band didn’t engage with the audience that much, but had let their songs talk for them. All in all, it was a fitting end to a great festival, and surely encouraged the festival-goers to consider coming back next year as well.
