16.06.2023 Asking Alexandria

Graspop Metal Meeting

Dessel (Belgium)

The day moved on, and after a short break, things continued with metalcore on the North Stage, brought by the guys from Asking Alexandria, who had travelled over from the island. After several years, the Brits were finally back in Belgium, kicking things off with “Alone Again” from their 2021 album “See What’s On The Inside”. Vocalist Danny Worsnop appeared wrapped in a black cloak, his face mostly hidden behind oversized sunglasses and a hood. Respect to him for choosing such an outfit in those temperatures.
At his side, guitarist Cameron Liddell played while constantly posing and moving across the stage, making full use of every inch available to him. Also present were bassist Sam Bettley and drummer James Cassells, who stayed a bit more in the background but were no less forceful in their performance. Even though the Brits had just released a new album titled “Where Do We Go From Here?”, they included only one song from it, “Dark Void”, played shortly before the end of the set. Otherwise, the set list offered a lively mix spanning their entire band history, which itself has been marked by several line-up changes. The area in front of the main stage was quite full, and the band tried to get the crowd involved. Unfortunately, that didn’t fully succeed. Throughout the show, it became noticeable that Worsnop struggled with certain parts of the songs and missed the mark on some screams. Instead, he let the audience handle those passages. Mid‑set, he even mentioned being tired and asked the crowd to compensate with even more energy being a bold request given the weather. They worked their way through the set list, and while pits opened sporadically, it was ultimately a relief when the set finally ended with “Alone In A Room” from the 2017 self‑titled album “Asking Alexandria”.
I wasn’t entirely sure how to evaluate the performance, as I had never seen the band live before. Musically, there was plenty of potential, but that doesn’t help if you can’t bring it to the stage. Overall, the show felt like a mix of routine playing with little ambition to create a good atmosphere. Add to that Worsnop’s lack of enthusiasm and vocal shortcomings, and the result speaks for itself. In the end: good foundations, but far too little for the slot they were given and for the reputation the band carries.

Setlist:

Alone Again
The Final Episode (Let's Change The Channel)
Into The Fire
Where Did It Go?
The Violence
Run Free
Someone, Somewhere
Down To Hell
Dark Void
Alone In A Room

Weblinks:

	Asking Alexandria Homepage of the British band Asking Alexandria.
	Graspop Metal Meeting Homepage of the Graspop Metal Meeting Festival at Dessel (Belgium).