Choruses of sniffles and coughs came from the long line of fans outside the Royal Oak Music Theatre as they waited to get inside for the sold out A Day To Remember show.

After all, this show was all about the fans.

A member of Tricon security, the venue’s private security detail, estimated the venue’s capacity at 1,600. According to an official Royal Oak Music Theatre notice, the show was overbooked by at least 100 people. In other words, the theatre was packed to the last square inch.

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The ambient music played through the speakers as the opening band prepared to take the stage. The overzealous fans eagerly sang along to whatever the venue threw at them while they waited. Metallica, Black Sabbath, Disturbed, System of a Down and even Eminem.

The tour’s lineup consisted of openers Of Mice and Men, Chunk! No, Captain Chunk!, and headliner A Day To Remember. But, fans at this show were in for a little change of plans.

According to BG News, Of Mice and Men vocalist Austin Carlile was arrested for felonious assault early on Saturday, so the band was absent from the tour for the show in Royal Oak on extremely short notice.

[singlepic id=775 w=320 h=240 float=left] The tour contacted local band SycAmour just a few hours prior to the show, who agreed to perform. The band, consisting of six Detroit-born musicians, took the stage to a crowd of cheering, albeit somewhat confused fans.

But, even on such short notice, SycAmour’s set elicited wild approval from the crowd. SycAmour brought a special piece of concert intrigue to the table – on the third song, they did a hardcore cover of Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain,” an inspired, unique addition to an already exciting set list. Sycamour vocalist Tony Sugent occasionally jumped off stage into the photo pit to reach over the barricade and embrace fans, and hold the microphone for them to sing along. SycAmour left the stage after their set, retreating to their merchandise table, where they spent the rest of the night meeting fans.

Again, this show was all about the fans.

The second opener, French band Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! did not disappoint the precedent set by SycAmour. Starting with crowd favorite, “Captain Blood,” the band started to play some of their brand-new songs like “Restart” and “We Fell Fast.” The fourth track was another unique hardcore concert variation – “We R Who We R” by Ke$ha. The band covered a song from the completely opposite genre that the fans expected, and was able to get the fans cheering and jumping nonetheless

Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! finished their six song set and left the stage as the crowd died down again. But, this would be the last time the crowd would be quiet for the night. [singlepic id=793 w=320 h=240 float=right]

All of the sudden, all of the lights blacked out, and the crowd roared. One light turned on, illuminating A Day To Remember drummer Alex Shelnutt taking his place at an elevated position on the far end of the stage behind his custom-designed compass drum kit.

The rest of the band entered the stage, as the crowd cheered louder and louder. As front man and vocalist Jeremy McKinnon entered the stage, the band started to play their first song of the set – “Violence (Enough is Enough)”.

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The crowd roared, and shouted the lyrics along with the band as they progressed through their set list.

McKinnon, following suit from the two bands prior, made every effort possible to get the crowd involved. Leaning off stage to offer the microphone towards the crowd, throwing guitar picks and other memorabilia, and assuming the role of A Day to Remember’s own ‘hype man’ in between songs.

The band’s monstrous 90-minute set list featured select songs from all four of their studio albums, including their new song, “Right Back at it Again.” After the 17^th song, the band left the stage, as the fans cheered for an encore.

The band took the stage again, and performed two acoustic songs, “It’s Complicated” and “If it Means a Lot to You,” as the crowd sang along, some holding up phones to resemble lighters and swaying.

The band played two more songs, “All I Want” and arguably their most recognizable song “The Downfall of Us All” as the crowd sang along, getting progressively louder as their singing changed into hoarse shouting.

As the concert ended, the 1,600 fans poured out of the Royal Oak Music Theatre, hoarse, tired and sweaty.

This was a concert for the fans, and a show to remember.

Photos by Dylan Dulberg:

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