Sunday; the day of rest, but as they say there is no rest for the wicked; that is the wickedly awesome Alexisonfire.

After the crowd being thoroughly warmed up by Saosin, the five members took the stage in front of an eagerly waiting Middlesbrough audience. Opening with You Burn then blasting straight in to We Are the Sound to the roaring crowd that joined in automatically to the chanting of “We are the sound/We have no voice.” And it was for that moment both the crowd and band knew that this was going to be a fantastic show.

With the last album Crisis being released last year it was unclear what mixture of new and old songs they would play, however when they played No Transitory and Accidents it was clearly going to be a varied set. After the third song, George Pettit (vocals) took some time out to ask the location of where he was, asking if he was near Newcastle.

As a boo radiated through the crowd, Wade MacNeil (guitar, vocals) politely pointed out that in England you are not allowed to like any people outside of a thirty minute radius to your home. This then led in to the song Mail Box Arson, very ironic as one of the lyrics repeats “You’re never safe in this town”and Boiled Frogs, which did then create a very rough circle pit.

Their contact with the crowd was limited, but there were no words needed, only the music and the lyrics. They slowed down for a song that was described by Pettit as the “opportune moment to plant one on someone you’ve been eyeing up” and then went in Rough Hands where Dallas Green (guitar, vocals, piano) and Pettit could both show off their harmonies as vocalists. After playing what felt like for not near long enough they departed… but not for long.

They returned on stage after a rapturous chant of their name, thanking and picking up their instruments to play two more songs to the as of yet unsatisfied crowd. They were then treated to what they called “a world premier performance” of To a Friend which they said they had never performed live and was praying it would work; it worked, once again the mixture of vocals created a spine chilling effect, but this was not as good as it was going to get.

The last song they played was also one that Green does in his own in his side project, City and Colour, but this time it was to be in its original version; Happiness by the Kilowatt.

About two minutes into the song there was no movement, no pit, no jumping - just jaws on the floor at Green’s unparalleled vocal capabilities. Boys in the Town Hall looked to the floor, exclaiming “I wish I could do that.” And the girls simply pretended he was singing to them. It was a magnificent finish to a magnificent gig.

Alexisonfire? Alexiswereonfire.