Written by Anna McMillan
Pop punk band Hollywood Ending took to the stage last weekend in Newcastle for the last time. The American band made up of Dan Geraghty, Cameron Byrd, Tyler Wilson and the one British member, Chris Bourne (Brother to Busted’s James Bourne) announced that the Never Ending Story tour will be the final appearance for the four piece as they will be going their separate ways once the tour ends. After 4 long years together, the band are set to embark on personal journeys with two members going back to college in the states.
Pop punk band Hollywood Ending took to the stage last weekend in Newcastle for the last time. The American band made up of Dan Geraghty, Cameron Byrd, Tyler Wilson and the one British member, Chris Bourne (Brother to Busted’s James Bourne) announced that the Never Ending Story tour will be the final appearance for the four piece as they will be going their separate ways once the tour ends. After 4 long years together, the band are set to embark on personal journeys with two members going back to college in the states.
The boys definitely ended their time as a band on a high with support from the weird but awesomely talented, Astro Safari a three piece techno band who’s style I can only describe as hillbilly. With their dungarees and stomachs on show I couldn’t comprehend what my eyes were seeing. Looking around the Academy I could tell it wasn’t just me who was confused at what I was looking at on stage. Then the rave lights and techno sound affects began to come out of their mics and keyboard.
I give it to them for unleashing their weirdness and I can say that I may have judged a book by its cover because they weren’t actually too bad in the end. Their upbeat, high energy raps were unusual but catchy. They even got the crowds dancing and raving along to their crazy sound.
They definitely warmed the crowds up in time for Hollywood Ending to take the stage.
Hollywood Endings set felt like a mini greatest hits tour as they sang a lot of ‘throwback’ songs as they called them. Their first one being 18, a very boyband kind of pop song with care free vibes of being young and having fun.
The fun loving vibes continued throughout the night as the boys played their parody cheesy pop track Boyband Song. The song is basically taking the piss out of manufactured, mindless boybands who are brainwashed by management to create the same generic songs to sell records. It even comes with awful boyband style dancing which the crowds happily copied.
Proving their not about to be a stereotypical boyband, they began another of my favourite songs, The Grocery Store or should I say rap. Their odd sense of humour is portrayed in this high intensity track as they rap about buying food and ‘getting ratchet in the grocery store.’ What can we say, their American!
Say what you will about the lyrics but it is a catchy song with an upbeat chorus about filling your fridge. The crowds especially love our very own Brit, Chris Bourne’s verse in the song when he raps about buying his PG tips.
Showing their mischievous ways the boys began to tell the story of when Tyler fell off stage during one of their earlier performances in Newcastle as he stepped back not realising that there was just open air behind him. He even joked about having a massive bruise on his butt for weeks. It is never a dull show when those boys are in town.
It was quite an emotional goodbye as they thanked their Geordie fans for supporting them by coming out to see their shows in the UK and promised that this would not be the end of their music, hopefully one day they will get back together and create a new sound.
Closing the show with the song that first introduced Hollywood Ending to the world Don’t Let Me Down, the atmosphere in the room was ecstatic as the fans and support acts danced together for the last time at a Hollywood Ending concert.
Good luck to the boys in their future, the music was great while it lasted.