London Forum
01.12.06
Now in its fifth year, the Persistence tour remains a popular fixture in hardcore circles, bringing some of the genre’s finest and most respected bands together under one roof. This year, NYHC veterans Sick Of It All sit atop a typically strong line-up, which tonight has attracted plenty of tattooed, bandana-clad hardcore disciples to comfortably fill the London Forum.
Unfortunately, due to a combination of work commitments and the unreliability of London Underground, we only arrive in time to catch the last fifteen minutes of Comeback Kid’s set. A shame, as the Canadian quintet are on rabid form; with Andrew Neufeld filling former vocalist Scott Wade’s shoes with ease (and with no small confidence either). They treat us to a couple of new tracks from forthcoming album ‘Broadcasting…’, but it is the closing ‘Wake The Dead’ that truly whips the pit into a mass of flailing limbs and pointed fingers.
Walls Of Jericho make the grade in the heaviness stakes alone; utterly devastating the crowd with their punishing metalcore attack. The crowd’s focus is undoubtedly on vocalist Candace Kucsulain, who spends more time balanced on the pit barrier than onstage, but her band are no less impressive; wrenching razor-sharp riffs and thunderous grooves out of their instruments with precious little regard for our eardrums.
There’s certainly no loss of intensity with the arrival of Terror. “They wanna put a fuckin’ barrier here? Let’s make these people work!” growls Scott Vogel, shortly before a scathing ‘Always The Hard Way‘ prompts waves of crowd surfers to launch themselves at the hapless security guards in the
photo pit. This is hardcore at its most stripped-down and uncompromising; and pit-friendly anthems like ‘One With The Underdogs’ are as effective as they are brutal.
As with their Sounds Of The Underground performance (back in April at this very same venue), Madball struggle to match the ferocity and intensity of what has come before them. The crowd is definitely on their side, and there’s no doubting Freddy Cricien et al’s sincerety, but songs like ‘Hold It Down’ and ‘Heaven And Hell’ are fairly generic rap-core at best. There’s a definite sense that these veterans are having trouble keeping up with a scene that they themselves helped to spawn.
No such problems for their NYC brethren Sick Of It All, however. Not only are Lou Koller’s crew celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band, but they’ve also notched up an impressive four trips to the UK this year. Small wonder, then, that they’re so loved and respected by tonight’s audience, who roar along to every word of ‘Good Lookin’ Out’, instantly grant Lou’s request for a wall-of-death during ‘Scratch The Surface’, and merge into a bouncing frenzy for ‘Uprising Nation’. The band, as ever, are on frighteningly fine form; seemingly becoming tighter and more energetic with every show, and by the time the crowd coax them out for an encore of ‘Us Vs. Them’, it’s pretty damn clear why SOIA have enjoyed such longevity. ‘Built To Last’, indeed.
Alex Gosman
[Photos by Jen Saul]
Over the past year, Klaxons have proved time and time again that they are a mighty force to be reckoned with. Being able to fill dancefloors everywhere with their bizarre cocktail of throbbing bass alongside dizzy keyboard melodies and harmonies that dance with perfection is no mean feat. But to help spawn and pioneer a genre that has thrust itself onto the UK music scene with more of a thunk! than any earthquake in San Fran can claim spells out the work of a genius. Not too shabby for a years work.
All good magazines started out as Zines, so keep an ear to the street with thelatest issue of Revert magazine ready for download 
It would seem that Blueprint have bagged last year’s winner of the 
Are you ready to Witness the shitness?? Well, you better be because the bellends over at 
Not only are Gallows starting off the New Year as support for the Bullet For My Valentine tour, they have also bagged themselves a support slot on the As I Lay Dying dates too!
Crossfire likes to keep it Global, and you don’t get much further from the HQ than New Zealand where the skate scene is amazing!
The Camden Crawl has been confirmed for 2007 and it promises to be even bigger and ever better than this year’s. A new 2 day format will be included, taking place on the 19th and 20th of April. 
Soil will be supporting their last release, True Self, with a number of UK tour dates alongside Godhead, Brand New Sin and Lennon. The dates are:
Dead Moon have announced they are to split after almost 20 years together. Fred Cole, guitarist and vocalist with the group, confirmed the split after they’d suddenly cancelled some shows: