President review: ‘A band destined to become an all-time great’
Fresh off touring North America alongside Bad Omens, President continued their ascent to the upper echelon of the metal scene with a spellbinding performance at Manchester’s O2 Ritz on the second night of ‘The Campaign Trail’ tour.
Since unexpectedly making their debut at Download Festival last summer, few bands have managed to generate as much interest as President has in a matter of months. At the time of their “inaugural address”, they had not released any music, but it's little surprise they have made such an impact so quickly. They have a sound that blends raw, vulnerable and introspective lyricism with electronic elements as well as guitar chugs, low-end bass rumblings and powerhouse drumming.
There’s an element of mystery with the band, with all four members – The President, who fans have theorised to be Busted and Fightstar’s Charlie Simpson on lead vocals; ‘Heist’ on lead guitar; ‘Protest’ on bass; and ‘Vice’ on drums, wearing masks to ensure their identities remain a mystery.
The four-piece also has adopted a polished political aesthetic. Their live performances are referred to as “rallies”, promotional materials are named “endorsements” and music videos are described as “broadcasts”, hence ‘The Campaign Trail’. It’s easy to see why they’ve become one of the fastest-growing metal bands of all time.
In the months since that Download debut, President held their first-ever headline show at The Garage in London, selling out the venue in less than 48 hours. They’ve released their first EP – 'King of Terrors’ - titled as a biblical reference to Job 18:14, supported Architects and the aforementioned Bad Omens on their recent tours, signed a major label deal with Atlantic Records and confirmed they’re working on a full-length debut album. Their first-ever headlining run in the UK and Ireland, which commenced at the Academy in Dublin on Sunday, sold out instantly with intense demand for more.
The four-piece, who’ll continue their rapid ascent with sets at major festivals such as Louder Than Life, Slam Dunk Festival, Nova Rock, and Rock for People later this year, are set to hold their first-ever North American headline tour later this year, with 22 of the 26 selling out immediately, thus underlining how the hype is very real, and in President’s case, it’s extremely justified.
Despite a short set consisting of just nine tracks – the band’s currently released songs and a pulsating cover of Deftones’ ‘Change (In the House of Flies)' – it was a spectacle of a show from a band destined to be an all-time great. The set, which opened a barrage of chugging guitars and prominent synths on ‘Fearless’, sparked mosh pits galore and a life-affirming singalong; it was evident almost instantly that ten months in, the band already has a diehard fanbase.
‘Dionysus’ felt heavier in a live setting with a driving bass, hard-hitting drumming and a distorted guitar part before The President stood at his podium, as if he were about to address the 1,500 supporters at the “rally”. Instead of speaking, he merely pointed and basked in the applause of the audience, and sometimes actions speak louder than words; this was one of those moments.
Without uttering a single word, The President won over 1,500 fans in an instant. A moment of pure aura from the mysterious frontman, and had the night ended there, the Manchester leg of ‘The Campaign Trail’ still would have been a resounding success.
The lo-fi synth-laden ‘Rage’ and ‘Angel Wings’, seamlessly shift from bubbly synths to heavy metal breakdowns at will and already feel tailor-made for arena-friendly singalongs. ‘Mercy’ felt like the perfect blend of melody and aggression in a live setting, ‘Destroy Me’ is soul-stirring with an epic vocal delivery from The President himself and as the evening came to a close with a spellbinding rendition of ‘In The Name of the Father’, an omnipresent narrator was on hand to deliver a final message.
“We did not come to whisper. We came to build a movement, sound, and a future. Remain alert, stay united and stay loud. We’ll be seeing you soon. God speed.” The message was loud and clear. Their debut performance at Download was a statement of intent from President. They’ve broken down the walls of the metal scene; they’ve developed a unique sound and built a loyal community of fans that will undoubtedly continue to expand, and for the 1,500 in attendance in Manchester, saying you had the privilege of attending the band’s first-ever headlining show in the city will undoubtedly become the ultimate flex.