Last night, January 22, Canadian melodic hardcore band Counterparts kicked off their European tour in Prague at MeetFactory with support from Sunami, One Step Closer, and God Complex. It was an evening full of energy and heavy music, with the crowd packed in closer than ever.
British metalcore band God Complex started off the evening, immediately demanding that fans come to the front and open up a circle pit. Usually it takes the crowd a while to warm up, especially with 4 bands on the bill, so we were surprised when they wasted no time obliging. God Complex had fans two-stepping throughout the set.
American melodic hardcore band One Step Closer came next, building on the energy that had already been created. The crowd got a little too rowdy, and lead singer Ryan Savitski was hit in the face by a full cup of beer that had been thrown from the audience. He quickly let fans know this was not acceptable, and kept encouraging people to come closer, promising they wouldn’t get hurt. Their energy was pure and positive, and their set was one of our favorites, with “Leap Year” being a highlight.
Sunami, a hardcore band from California, opened the pit wider than ever, with fans going absolutely ballistic. Frontman Josef Alonso riled up the crowd, sharing the stage with stagedivers and sharing the mic with people who wanted to sing (and scream) along with him. Between their in-your-face lyrics and their matter-of-fact demeanor, Sunami brought an energy like no other. This is perhaps best exemplified by Alonso telling fans to stop and put their middle fingers in the air, because “it’s always ‘fuck the police’” before launching into “Contempt of Cop.”
Counterparts took the stage shortly after 8:30pm, with a stage design featuring stained glass cathedral windows and candles — a bit eerie, but appropriate for a tour supporting their latest EP, Heaven Let Them Die. They were received warmly by the crowd, which had crushed to the front of the stage, temporarily closing the gap that had been the circle pit for the 3 opening sets.
Frontman Brendan Murphy took a moment to center himself before announcing it was the first night of the tour, which was met with wild cheers from the audience. People were off their feet from their very first note, with the circle pit surprisingly calming down to make room for fans who had been waiting for this moment to make their way to the front.
The setlist was a good mix of new songs from Heaven Let Them Die and older Counterparts tracks, with several from A Eulogy For Those Still Here (2022) and Nothing Left To Love (2019) making an appearance. “Love Me,” in particular, was a highlight not only for us, but for everyone in the room.
Brendan Murphy’s vocals were top-notch throughout the night, and he made the stage his own, whether he was inviting stagedivers up or leaning down into the crowd to sing with them. He shared personal moments with several fans, making eye contact and grasping their hands. And yet, Murphy is known for his nonchalant, dry sense of humor especially online, and that element of his personality shines through even on stage.
Each of the band members pulled their weight, even though Murphy mentioned they were tired and jet lagged — you genuinely couldn’t tell. Tyler Williams’ guitar stood front and center right alongside Murphy’s vocals, while Jesse Doreen’s bass and Kyle Brownlee’s drums held every single song down perfectly.
Fans continued to mosh throughout the set, some even motioning for Murphy to come down into the crowd and sing with them. When Counterparts left the stage, the crowd was not ready for the night to be over. After a moment of chanting, the band returned with Murphy declaring “alright we’ll do 2 more for you and then we’ll get the f*ck outta here.” To the crowd’s delight, the encore ended with “Whispers of Your Death,” a cinematic and emotional finale to the high-energy evening.
MeetFactory was spilling over with energy from the moment the first band stepped on stage, and fans truly brought their all to the pit. Counterparts opened their European tour with a remarkable performance, and we weren’t the only ones who were sad to see the night end.
Luckily for fans across Europe, their tour just started, so you can catch them at any of the dates below through mid-February. Tickets are available here.
Follow Counterparts: Instagram // Website // Spotify
Follow Sunami: Instagram // Website // Spotify
Follow One Step Closer: Instagram // Website // Spotify
Follow God Complex: Instagram // Website // Spotify
