It’s safe to say that London feels like a pretty special place to be this Monday evening, a line up of this calibre is the stuff most festivals are made of and not a regular night in the subterranean confines of the Underworld. Each of these hardcore heavy hitters is capable of headlining this place on their own so it comes as no surprise that the venue is packed to the gills and the sold out sign is up on the door.
H2O are billed here tonight as the rather obvious ‘Thicker Than Water’ and are a last minute addition to this already strong bill. The NYHC posi-core outfit are as entertaining as ever, vocalist Toby Morse bounces from left to right as they tear through ‘1995’, ‘F.T.T.W.’ and ‘Fair Weathered Friend’ oozing PMA from every pore. You have to love hardcore back slapping and both Madball and 7 Seconds are given their props tonight as H2O rip out covers of ‘Pride’ and ‘Satyagraha’ respectively.
Next up are old school bruisers Madball, front man Freddy Cricien inciting the now heaving crowd on the Underworlds floor. For forty five minutes they stomp with an anger and energy that’d put their younger contemporaries to shame. A set culled from their whole back catalogue is delivered with venom tonight, ‘We The People’, ‘Spit On Your Grave’ and ‘Set It Off’ are a steamroller of riffs and beatdowns that incite the crowd into whirling dervishes. Cricien leaves the stage to rapturous applause, sweat dripping from his shit eating grin.
You have to pity any band that has to follow the runaway train that was Madball, this is something 7 Seconds vocalist Kevin Seconds acknowledges as the Californian melodic hardcore four piece take the stage to a slightly diminished audience. Undeterred the four piece rip through a set of classics including ‘The Crew’ and ‘In Your Face’ that soon get the remaining crowd whipped up into a suitably moshing mood. Their faster, melodic take on punk a welcome tonic to Madball testosterone fuelled set. All in all this was a stonking night of hardcore royalty from the old to newer school, from speed to crunch, that shows that this movement is as alive and well as it has ever been.
After the collapse of this years Sonisphere festival many of the estranged bands from the fallen line up have been turning up in London to continue to make their presence felt. In a week that’s seen two sold out shows by Refused it’s the turn of Norway’s hottest metal export Kvelertak to slay London with two sold out nights at the uber tiny Borderline.
The bearded throng of punters chant as the sextet saunter on to the tiny stage and launch into ‘Sjøhyenar (Havets herrer)’, vocalist Erlend Hjelvik hurling himself into the crowd. We’re treated to further choice cuts from their 2010 debut as the powerhouses that are ‘Fossegrim’ and ‘Blødtorst’ rain down upon the swirling audience. There really is something unique about this band and their punk/metal/rock/blastbeat hybrid is difficult to define or imagine on paper yet it gels in with a sadistic coherency both on record and in the live setting. Some new tracks are aired too tonight and if monsters like ‘Spring Fa Livet’ are anything to go by album number two is going to be a bruiser.
As their frenetic set rumbles on the crammed confines of this miniscule venue really begin to heat up and mic after mic is replaced as crowd surfers and divers alike get entangled in Hjelvik’s cables as he stalks the stage. The climax of the show is a rousing rendition of ‘Mjød’ which featured in the Troll Hunter movie, fists punching in the air and the crowd mouthing along to Norwegian lyrics they can neither understand nor pronounce. This is the beauty of Kvelertak, a band who let the music do the talking and transcend language barriers. More bands need to play with this venom and conviction, album number two soon please?
Your Demise at Reading’s Sub89 was a show made up of a mix of emotions; brilliant fun, nostalgic, painful and at times embarrassing. The embarrassment is really down to the crowd. At the start of Your Demise’s set they just aren’t into it. You wouldn’t think they have paid to see one of the UK’s most exciting bands that launch into their business all guns blazing, you’d think its some mediocre act that no one gives a damn about; the half empty room just doesn’t respond to the energy bouncing around on stage. Ed Mcrae does his very best to excite the crowd, and part way through the show, his efforts begin to pay off. His ability to entice some action on a miserable midweek show is definitely an asset and no matter what people may think of Mcrae on a musical or personal level, he is showing classic traits of a skilled showman.
Earlier this year, Your Demise dropped ‘The Golden Age‘ an album that divided opinions to say the least, with the main stream of criticism coming from older fans despising the poppier sounding tracks such as ‘These Lights‘. However, Your Demise clearly love ‘The Golden Age‘ and enjoy performing it. Its great to see a band sticking to their guns, Mcrae shouts, ‘Recently we dropped a record, ‘The Golden Age’, and there’s nothing you can fucking do about it!‘. The band needn’t worry though, as tonight, ‘These Lights‘ is triumphant. After his hard work hyping the crowd, Mcrae is in his element as the younger generation of Your Demise and hardcore fans lap up the high tempo track.
Considering the crowd were so dull at the start of the Your Demise’s set, the polar opposite response for ‘Burnt Tongues‘ is electrifying. Taken from one of the bands earlier albums ‘Ignorance Never Dies‘, the simplicity of the song unites the audience in movement. ‘Miles Away‘ keeps up the intensity as crowd surfers start to fly over the barrier. Set closer ‘The Kids We Used To Be‘ is euphoric. Looking around it’s hard to spot anyone not screaming lyrics, ‘So let’s bring back the best years. Nights spent hanging out. Not giving a fuck….‘. It’s a sincere reminder to cherish the good moments in life.
Yet its bizarre how quickly events can change, one minute everyone is having the time of the life, the next the sound cuts out and bassist Jimmy Sampson is crying for help. It appears in the chaotic, high energy end to the set, Ed Mcrae has hurt himself; badly. ‘He’s dislocated his knee!’ Another band member shouts and poor Ed is dragged off the side of the stage to receive medical assistance.
The lights go up and background music plays through the club’s PA. The crowd leave in dismay, contemplating what just happened. Its such a shame the show ended on a downer after all the effort the band put in to to raise the tempo. Your Demise won over a boring audience mainly due to Ed Mcrae putting in a stellar performance. However their commitment won’t go unnoticed, this crowd will be back for more at another Your Demise show as punters walk away from Sub89 still hungry for more.
It is reported that sludge-metal band Baroness have been involved in a serious road accident on their journey between gigs in Bath and Southampton.
Image from BBC Twitter
Emergency services were called to Brassknocker Hill, in Monkton Combe, on the B3108 at its junction with the A36 Warminster Road at 11:30 BST. Two people on board suffered multiple fractures and were later freed by firefighters whilst seven other members had minor injuries. Details as to what caused the crash remain unclear, however eye witnesses have reported that there was low visibility due to weather at the time of the accident.
On the band’s official Facebook page the following statement was posted:
“Baroness were in a serious bus accident last night near Bath, England. The band members and crew are recovering at local hospitals. All tour dates are postponed until further notice.”
Meanwhile, the promoter for the Baroness show in Southampton, scheduled for tonight, announced:
“It is with great regret that we have to inform you that Baroness were involved in a very serious road accident earlier today and will not be able to perform at Talking Heads tonight. Our thoughts are with the band at this time and we wish them and their crew a speedy recovery.”
Here at Crossfire, we would like to reflect the words of many fans and wish Baroness all the best and a quick recovery.
Tonight’s odd ‘metal’ bill is part of Converse’s ‘Represent’ series of gigs at the legendary birthplace of punk, the 100 Club which it saved from closure last year. The venue is hotter than Satan’s armpit and a misty haze of perspiration hangs in the air as the Skill Wizzard DJ’s drop some of the finest metallic tuneage to wash away the sour taste of the indie rock bands that have preceded them. The throng gathers around the elongated 100 Club in anticipation of the headlining appearance of veteran power thrashers Overkill. When they take to the stage the volume is so earth shatteringly loud it could dislodge fillings and is riddled with painful distortion.
It takes a couple of songs for the quintet to hit their stride and for the sound to level out but by the time ‘Wrecking Crew’ tears past they are an unstoppable powerhouse.
Playing in the confines of a sixty minute slot tonight they crank through a greatest hits set from the rousing sing-a-long of ‘Hello From The Gutter’ to the anthemic stomp of ‘In Union We Stand’ and ‘Elimination’. Vocalist Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth’s sinewy frame contorts like a sort of metal Iggy Pop as he bellows forth his trademark baritone howl then darts stage right during instrumental breaks and gasps on oxygen in the oppressive humidity.
Overkill climax with their cover of Subhumans ‘Fuck You!’ as the crowd’s last drop of energy is rinsed from them, shouting profanity with their middle fingers held aloft. As they rumble to a close Ellsworth has a shit eating grin and is drenched in sweat. Despite Overkill being over thirty years old they ably prove they can still hammer it hard and it’s a testament to their longevity that a venue as small as this simply cannot contain them, awesome.
If you are into the heavyweight variety of pop-punk (think Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals), The Story So Far are definitely ones to check out. The Californian band were one of the highlights of this years Slam Dunk Festival and are noted as one of the most promising acts on the circuit right now.
The band have just announced they will release a new album, ‘Under Soil and Dirt’ on the 8th October 2012 via Pure Noise. It is reported ‘Under Soil and Dirt’ captures the highs and lows of coming of age, relationships and friendships presented in a heavy, yet catchy format. If single ‘Quicksand‘ is anything to go by, ‘Under Soil and Dirt‘ will certainty be worth picking up. The track listing for the album is as follows:
1. State and Minds
2. Roam
3. Quicksand
4. Swords and Pens
5. High Regard
6. Daughters
7. Mt. Diablo
8. Four Years
9. Rally Cap
10. Placeholder
11. Closure
The Story So Far are back on our shores this November playing the UK leg of Warped Tour as well some shows with New Found Glory and a trio of headline gigs. Catch the band at the following dates:
NOVEMBER
Thurs 1st Margate, West Coast Bar
Fri 2nd Coventry, Kasbah
Sat 3rd Bournemouth, Sound Circus
Sun 4th Nottingham, Rock City (w/New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, and Man Overboard)
Mon 5th Manchester, Academy (w/New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, and Man Overboard)
Tues 6th Leeds, University (w/New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, and Man Overboard)
Weds 7th Glasgow, Barrowland (w/New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, and Man Overboard)
Thurs 8th Norwich, UEA (w/New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, and Man Overboard)
Fri 9th Cardiff, University Great Hall (w/New Found Glory, Less Than Jake, and Man Overboard)
Sat 10th London, Alexandra Palace (UK Warped Tour)
With influences ranging between The Clash, The Buzzcocks, Joy Division and Black Flag, the Leamington Spa quartet, Sharks, are right up our street. We caught up with the James Mattock (lead vocals and guitar) and Andrew Bayliss (guitar) backstage at Hevy Festival before their set to discuss their album ‘No Gods’, signing to Rise Records and their plans for the future…
So for those who don’t know much about Sharks, if you could describe your band in three words, what would you say?
James: God I don’t know….
Andrew: Well, I’m going to go all cheesy and say, ‘Rock. And. Roll’. Sounds so cheesy I know, but it does sum us up quite nicely.
You’ve been on tour with some awesome bands, who would you say are the most inspiring bands you’ve toured with?
James: Oh I don’t know, there are so many… but Social Distortion was cool. Gallows, The Gaslight Anthem…
Andrew: We’ve been so lucky with tours, we’ve had some really good ones. We’ve had a mixed bag, lots of different genres and plenty of big names.
You’re signed to Rise Records, they are currently famous for their metalcore bands, although they do have some sweet punk bands like The Bouncing Souls. What was it that swayed you to Rise Records?
Andrew: They were just very enthusiastic and passionate about wanting to put out our records. We were a little skeptical at first because as you say their roster does lean more towards metalcore, and at the time they hadn’t signed The Bouncing Souls and other bands like that. We were one of the first bands for them to sign that was different to what they had been doing but they were so passionate we went with it.
James: Yeah, we knew of their aspirations to branch out and we were proud to be the band they wanted to branch out with, so yeah, we just went for it! They are a very good label if you want to attempt to crack America. So far they’ve helped us a lot. The only negative thing about signing to Rise Records is that people might see our video on Rise Records Youtube etc and then be a bit confused, like,’Hang on, this doesn’t sound like Of Mice & Men, where the fuck is the breakdown?!’.
Andrew: We were just enthusiastic for people to hear the record, and Rise really wanted to get it out there. We’re pleased to have signed to them.
How has the overall reception been for your latest record ‘No Gods’?
James: Overall its been great! Even these more sort of hardcore kids are into it, I’ve heard they regard it as their ‘chill out’ music, which is a little odd as essentially we are still a punk band! But whatever, as long as people are getting into it, that’s cool!
Andrew: I’m still really proud of that record. We went in with something that is the polar opposite to what we put out, but I think that’s for the best. Brian McTernan, the producer, really helped to reign us in and get a more focused sound, because to start with, looking back it was more of just a jam!
James: I can’t put my finger on it, there’s material that has inspired us from all over. Some really old stuff too. We wrote it over a few years, whereas the current record we are writing over a smaller time scale, like two months! So its hard to say what our influences were when its such a long time span. We were just aiming for a solid debut, a timeless guitar record.
Andrew: We wanted the production raw, we wanted to walk on that line between a nicely produced record and something that is still quite alive. Kind of like The Gaslight Anthem, although they definitely have a different sound, its that kind of guitar record.
Are there plans in the pipeline for new material and tours?
James: Yeah, its going good. I guess we are about half way through a record. We’ll aim for about 20 songs, then cut back.
Andrew: We want to get it wrapped up as quick as possible to keep the positive attitude going and get people to hear new stuff. As much as we like ‘No Gods’ we aren’t going to sit on it for too long.
James: We want it written by the end of the year, and I guess we’ll have to see where we are financially, we might have to record it ourselves. At the moment we are focusing on getting the best songs we can to get out there as quickly as possible.
Andrew: We aren’t on the road as much as we have been, so we are using all this down time to write. Although saying that, we are heading out to Australia soon which we are so looking forward to, and then Japan after that!
James: Hopefully we’ll have a UK/Euro tour soon, maybe November time.
Everyone loves a bit of catchy pop-punk from time to time, and Don Broco have offered some of the tastiest tracks of that variety to come from 2012 so far. The album opens up with title track ‘Priorities’, a great punchy start with lyrics that everyone can relate too… You know that friend that always ditches you as soon as they have a new partner? Well ‘Priorities’ is a tongue-in –cheek, patronizing outlook on those kinds of people.
In fact, Rob Damiani’s lyrics are a very matter of fact interpretation of trivial trials and tribulations that go on in every day life. Despite being so straight forward, the words aren’t just brushed away; they are easy to connect with making Don Broco’s album more engaging as a whole. However, there are also flashes of maturity with ‘Back In The Day’ commenting on the London riots. With similar intonation to Lower Than Atlantis’s Mike Duce (but with less of the arrogance and greater charm) Rob’s vocals add depth to ‘Priorities’.
Tracks such as ‘In My World’ are upbeat and uplifting, the guitar work could be compared to early Kids In Glass Houses whereas songs like ‘Actors’ sway more towards the punk side of pop and reflect bands like Transit, Title Fight and The Story So Far.
Full credit should be given to Don Broco for producing a truly pleasing album. With forthcoming festival appearances (including Reading & Leeds) and a UK tour with The Dangerous Summer, expect Don Broco to hit the big time right away.
As well as having a sick band name, Gnarwolves dropped a cracking EP earlier this summer entitled ‘CRU‘. We really rate these guys and after an awesome performance at Hevy, we totally stress that you should head down to one of their recently announced shows as support to The Story So Far. The dates are as follows:
OCTOBER
01 MARGATE West Coast Bar
02 COVENTRY Kasbah
03 BOURNEMOUTH Sound Circus
Every Time I Die killed every show they played on Warped Tour this year, and the awesome hardcore rock’n’rollers are back over on our shores for a ridiculously small gig. The band will play Fighting Cocks, Kingston with only 120 tickets going on sale! As if that wasn’t exciting enough London boys Last Witness are supporting.
The show will take place just ahead of their Reading & Leeds Lock Up stage shows, on Thursday 23rd August. And there’s an added bonus, the guys at Banquet records have kindly allowing every gig goer FREE entry to New Slang, at the Hippodrome, after the show with ETID wristbands. You’ll get there in time to see DZ Deathrays, and after the bands there, room 2 will be playing hardcore / punk tracks till the early hours.
