IT was an unforgettable night for the North-East's many Blink 182 fans, with spectacular lighting effects, a great stage act and excellent music at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle.

As the lights were lowered, the Arena became alive with the screams of thousands of young people, who were minutes later left awfully disappointed by an horrendous performance by The Kinison.

They showed their feelings by hurling plastic bottles, coins and basically anything they could, including a CD which narrowly missed the lead vocalist.

Next of the support bands was the punk band Sugarcult, who nearly outshone the stars of the night with their single Bouncing off the Wall. After a short interval, it was the moment everybody had been waiting for as the faint sound of Blink was heard playing behind the curtains.

The crowd went wild as they began with their successful single I'm Feeling This. Their set list included older favourites such as Dammit, What's My Age Again and All the Small Things.

One lucky fan was called on to the stage half way through and had the evening dedicated to him. At one stage, the audience was asked to light up their cellphones and move them in unison. It was a truly amazing sight as thousands lit up the giant auditorium.

The show ended with a special performance by bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, who was keen to show off his many skills. He did some awesome solos on the keyboards, drums and guitar. What a great finale to a wonderful night. I am already looking forward to their return.

Published: 07/12/2004