Category: Live Reviews

Kentish Town Forum
14.10.09

The Ghost of A Thousand are more than a support act tonight. Much more. They command the stage with the confidence and sheer ability that the months of touring since their ‘New Hopes, New Demonstrations‘ record was release. With their matching outfits and full-on participation in circle pit antics, TGOAT set the bar very high indeed this evening.

This is a band that tinged their hardcore with full-on rock’n’roll and pummel the crowd into submission with their intense riffery and near-perfect propelling drumbeats. The band’s stance however is rather more anti-violent than the heavy nature of their music might suggest as they encourage the crowd to hug an high-5 each other in the culmination of a ‘wall of death’ that would usually end in carnage. The band sound beefy tonight and this is just a hint of the direction they’re moving in.

Four Year Strong sound a bit messy in comparison. Their effervescent pop-rock with an edge is bubbly and bright but does not convey the same amount of vigour or talent as TGOAT’s music does tonight. Still, it’s enjoyable enough and there seems to be plenty of people into it, singing along.

Anti-Flag‘s long-standing tradition of politically-minded punk-rock provide yet another completely different facet of musical input to the night. Songs like ‘Die For Your Government‘ emit raw punk vibe of the old school variety and provide a little contrast to the other acts featured tonight. They are nothing new, that’s for sure, but they actually sound refreshing in this context, if a little out of place.

Alexisonfire are very clearly the main event tonight. The band have gone from strength to strength with each of their four albums and their live following reflects this growth. An enthused crowd is singing their heart out as soon as Dallas opens his mouth. And new tracks are received with the very same amount of fervour as the old classics. His silky smooth vocals paired with George’s (more gravelly and gutteral than it used to be) enthused yelp satisfies the hardcore and the melodic with ease and versatility. All in all, the crowd response is uproarious and rightly so. The whole reaction is clearly fuelling the band’s performance with George bouncing around on stage like a child who consumed too many E numbers. The biggest singalong hits prove to be newie ‘Young Cardinals‘ and ‘Crisis‘-era ‘We Are The Sound‘ and ‘This Could Be Anywhere In The World‘.

The band take it further back to their roots as it passes 11pm and they show no sign of flagging. ‘Accidents‘ provides a massive woooooah singalong. Older tracks also dominate the encore as Alexis climax in a finale that proves they’re at the top of their game and worthy of every smidgen of adulation poured on them.

Winegums.

Banquet Records
Kingston
30.10.09

With Never Better, P.O.S. has recently one of, if not the, album of the year. The rapper came over to the UK to support Bouncing Souls earlier this and converted many punks to the ways of hip hop with his passionate yet fun-loving delivery.

This time around Stefon Alexander is supporting the Kings Blues on their upcoming tour but took time out to head to Banquet Records in Kingston for an intimate in-store.

With a line stretching right down the road in anticipation, P.O.S. and his DJ, fellow Doomtree member Paper Tiger, proceeded to get the crowd waving arms, singing choruses and smiling. The rapper, who stood on a chair throughout so he could see his audience, ripped through the bangers from the new record including Purexed, Low Light Low Life [produced by Paper] and Graves [We Wrote The Book] with the old golden oldie thrown in for good measure [Yeah Right [Science Science] will never, ever get tired], before finishing off with the unrelenting Drumroll [We’re All Thirsty].

The 20 minute set was over all too quickly but the banter and interaction both during and after the set made it all the more enjoyable. King Blues fans better get ready for something special.

Abjekt.

Mexico City Circo Volador
15.09.09

Today is Mexican Independence Day; a cause for nationwide celebration and, for many folks, a day off work into the bargain. Mexico City’s central Plaza De La Constitución is reportedly packed, despite the rain, but tonight, a couple of thousand black-clad folks have chosen to break with tradition and celebrate in the company of some quality Scandinavian metal merchants.

Amorphis may not have as high a profile as tonight’s headliners, but most of the folks present at the increasingly humid Circo Volador are clearly au fait with the band’s abrasive metallic assault. Vocalist Tomi Joutsen is a fine master of ceremonies: all throat-shredding growls and flailing dreadlocks, he whips the crowd into action despite the facts that it’s still relatively early, and that the queue for the bar is still annoyingly huge.

“Gimme some fucking noise!” growls Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho; a redundant request if ever there was one, given that the chants of ‘BO-DOM! BO-DOM!’ start long before the band arrive, and morph into utter hysteria as Alexi and co. rip into the monolithic, ‘Sad But True‘-esque grooves of ‘Sixpounder‘.

Faced with a crowd which put the party into partisan, the band certainly rise to the occasion; draping the stage in Mexican flags, attempting some endearingly bad Spanish banter, and – in the case of keyboard player Janne Wirman – sporting a glittery sombrero. COB’s sense of humour continues to serve them well, and musically they sound utterly immense; unleashing savage black metal anthems like ‘In Your Face‘ and old favourite ‘Lake Bodom‘ on a crowd that seemingly just can’t get enough of these guys. Seas of pumping fists? Check. Roars of approval at every guitar solo? Check. Sweat-drenched mayhem in the pit? Oh yes, and then some.

As the closing ‘Hatecrew Deathroll‘ sees the crowd chanting the chorus like an unholy mantra, one can’t help but think that whilst Mexican revolutionary leader Miguel Hidalgo might not have wholly approved of their cause, he would have been impressed by their conviction. A great night for Mexican metal fans, and for COB, a blinder of a performance that hints at still greater things to come.

Alex Gosman

Free Butt, Brighton
23.09.09

I used to spend a lot of time in the Free Butt many years ago, saw heaps of ace gigs within its (then) small grubby walls. Now the place is very different, sanitised and soulless. But as someone once sang… “Those times have changed, and so have I. I stopped my dreaming… I know I can’t go back”. Indeed…

Anyway, the draw of meeting up with good friends and strong music to boot pulls me back to the ‘Butt. And, on at a shade past 8pm, last-minute additions to the bill, South-East quartet Serf Combat, turn in one of the strongest sets I’ve seen from them. Their hyper-melodic ‘Raygun-esque tuneage came over really well, sounded crisp and sharp and their drummer particularly did a fine job pounding the skins. Positive start.

I know nothing about Ceremony, but they introduce themselves as being “from California”. Now, I’m always reluctant to judge a book by its cover, but I’m thinking these 4 irregular guys do not have a Beverly Hills, Malibu Beach or bourgeois boho-Santa Cruz sheen… and more likely come from some run down hick town where there isn’t a lot going on. Their set is full-fuckin’tilt hardcore in a short/fast/furious Crossed Out / Infest style mixed with “My War” era ‘Flag angst, and moments of dark/theatrical TSOL. Oh, and the crazed singer charged around and postured like Darby Crash trying to impersonate Glenn Danzig… can you picture it??!! Ha!! Yes, a lot going on! I can’t say I was exactly blown away/totally convinced. But they were memorable all the same.

Philadelphia’s Paint It Black have long cemented their reputation with strong melodic hardcore, coupled with smart/honest/intelligent lyrics, and an incredibly energetic live show. And don’t we know it! They come bouncing on to the stage and literally explode with their action-packed anthems and rousing sing-a-longs. It’s hard not to be rapidly enthused. Early on singer Dan Yemin makes it very (very) clear the audience are as much a part of this gig as the band, participation is actively encouraged, and if you are going to grab the microphone out of the singers hand to sing your heart out to your favourite song, then that is exactly what you are going to do. Go ahead! Get on the stage! No rockNroll bullshit posturing going on here, just straight from the heart good-time hardcore jams that fly by at pace, and is over far too quickly. Ah well! Was great while it lasted!

Pete Craven.

Camden Barfly
15.09.09

The name Rhymesayers has become synonymous with undiluted talent and of producing the best hip hop around for a great number of years. So when Brother Ali announced he’d be coming to London for his first full-length headline show, attendance was a no-brainer.

With new album Us almost upon us (his third full-length is released on September 21st), Ali took to the stage with DJ BK-One and proceeded to rock a 200 strong crowd who had not long been in from the monsoon that was pouring down outside the venue.

Ali has an aire about him that exudes positivity and his smile isn’t one of duty, but one of genuine love for his art and the warm being thrown back at him from his audience. Old favourites like Forest Whitaker, Room With A View and Champion mixed in with newer material like the exhilaratingly upbeat Take Me Home and Truth Is Here and material from his new record, such as the title track and Fresh Air.

There was no part of the set that dipped below amazing, including BK’s one man delivery of a track from his upcoming Radio Do Canibal album. Ali was there for the fans and the fans were there for him – he even allowed the encore to be picked by the crowd and performed Dorian, the first track of his I ever heard.

‘This is the first time we have played most of these songs,’ he declared at the climax ‘and when I’m old and grey, I’ll have memories of every one of you.’ – a fitting uplifting end to a night that left everything grinning as they left the room.

The truth is here and his name is Brother Ali.

Abjekt.
(Photos by Phil Procter)

IndigO2, London
11-12.09.09

Everyone knows at least a brief history of hiphop, the dancing has become accepted on talent shows, rappers top the charts frequently and the art sells for hundreds of thousands of pounds world wide. Dj’ing is a different entity, with all the elements going their own direction, DJ’ing is unashamedly clinging on to its roots.

With the DMC’s now in its 25th year it’s the perfect time to showcase the past, present and future of the artform, the O2 Indigo is the venue DJ’s from the have made the pilgrimage to.Billy Biznizz and Inja are our hosts for the night and have the arduous job of keeping things flowing throughout the two nights.

The first competition, is the head to head Battle for World Supremacy. Lots of tidy, perfectly executed sets here, but in battle, these guys need to get more aggressive, excellent DJ’s like Japan’s Shota, S-Trix (Germany), all fell to the aggressive veterans like the UKs, Switch and Rasp. DJ Nelson from France I felt was lucky to make it past Italy’s Mandrayq, maybe the judges knew he could step up from his sets, but Mandrayq was certainly hard done by, he will be back.

Breaking the battles up tonight is a video retrospective set from DJ Yoda. With 25 years of footage at his disposal, he pulls out some classic moments; DJ David with his decks stacked up on coke cans bought back some memories. Some clown set his decks on fire, others choosing to breakdance on the 1200’s while all the old champs sets were dug out, from Roger Johnson and Chad Jackson right up to Rafik and Fly. Definitely a bit of fun to break up the battles.

In the semi finals, Jimmex from Mexico worked some hard beats in to a faultless juggle, but the charismatic DJ Nelson showed some flashes of his performances from last year and edged him out. While the other semi was an all UK affair, with reigning champ Switch lined up against DJ Rasp. Rasp kicked things off with some straight up insults on the battle wax, and progressed to some juggles. Switch came out swinging with a composed air of knowing he was defending his crown. After the two rounds Switch just had that bit more in the locker, but given the look Rasp glanced at the judges, he felt hard done by.

The Next PA was Jehst and Micall Parknsun doing a dual set, backed up with Jazz T on the wheels. Each dropping their own style with ease and backing each other up on the mic. Parkys album is doing the rounds right now, and the Jehst collaboration, “Bang” went down well and the crowd got totally involved in the authentic “All 4 HipHop” anthem – while Jehst dropped donned his “Nuke Proof Suit”

The Battle for Supremacy final was a repeat of last years, Switch from the UK and Nelson from France – the crowd were clearly torn, Nelson has undeniable talent, crossarmed beat juggles and bouncing around like the Fresh Prince, while Switch is much less imposing visually, but way more aggressive on the decks – I think Nelson was maybe a little over confident and hadn’t really progressed passed his 2008 sets, while Switch stepped up a little more and using new tools cockily dressed Nelson down to retain his crown as 2009 Supremacy Champ.

DJ I-Dee took the stage to show off Numarks latest digital scratch tool. I-Dee’s usual flair carried a mouthwatering set through….until his laptop failed and we were left with nothing on stage but a few embarrassed smiles, vinyl might jump from time to time, but when you add processors and hardrives your more than doubling your technical glitches! Set was still sick though.

The Team Finals broke down to the UKs Bionic Stylus crew taking 3rd, France’s excellent, established Traumateam taking the runners up spot – but once again the standout team was Japans Kireek, taking the champions spot for a 2nd year running. Hi-C and Yasa are just born to do this, switching decks, and styles with well practiced ease and winning the judges over with a hectic looking, yet smooth sounding set of quad table juggles and live remixing, deserved winners.

Night two is the big one. Longer sets this time for the World DJ Finals, this isn’t a head to head format, each set is marked by the all star panel of judges including Rob Swift, Qbert and PrimeCuts.

The sets came thick and fast with New Zealands DJ Impact coming through with a full range of skills, DJ Steel was faultless, in his execution, but sacrificed the music for tech ability. The UK’s Jeppa repeated his extra technical “War of the Worlds” set and Mandrayq launched straight in to a heavy battle set and stepping it up a further level at high speeds, amazing skills.

Third place went to the French, DJ Ligone who looked awfully serious up on stage, and was almost bionic in his set, although technically excellent, didn’t get the crowd bouncing, maybe too much time in the bedroom and not enough in the club comes in to play? Stepping up a place on his 2008 performance, DJ Co-Ma from Japan must be wondering what he has to do to take the crown. Technically perfect and definitely got the crowd rocking but the competition this year was equally tough and he shouldn’t feel hard done by, 2nd in the world is not something to ashamed of!

New York’s DJ Shiftee finally made it to the top of the game. His bouncing, confident style won the night, although technically faultless, Shiftee is just simply more fun to watch on the 1210’s – easing in and out of cheeky battle styles and more musical tricks and juggles, he had the air of champion as soon as he put the first record on the platter and even walked out and took a bow long before the results had been added up, a worthy champ, and will likely be back next year to defend too!

The PA’s on the night came in the shape of the legendary Rob Swift from the X-ecutioners, he killed it with some straight talking on the turntables while showcasing the “Scratch Live” system. Last years champ, DJ Fly stepped to the decks for a short set and showed why he easily won in 2008.

The highlight of the weekend was by far DJ Qbert’s showcase set – he is simply the master, and hasn’t lost any love he had for mixing – smiling, confident and here to entertain. Working his way through tools, even chomping on an apple in the middle of his routine and then calling out Killa Kela to rock some beatboxing for his scratching and then moving on to add Swift, Fly, Shiftee, I-Dee, Nelson, Switch and Primecuts to name a few to make up the “Super Jam” even with so many djs mixing at the same time, the sound didn’t sound busy, these guys are the best there is, and best there ever was.

So once again the DMC’s put on the perfect showcase for the art form of DJ’ing, the PA’s all killed it too, so a result all round. Bring on next year! Time for a mix.

Words and photos by Phil Procter

21 years ago I was standing in my bedroom with the Dead Kennedys screaming through my speakers, obsessed with finding out about every associated band in the various hardcore and punk scenes that the UK and US had to offer.

21 years later, nothing has changed. I still crave for that same buzz and music still blows my ears apart weekly. It’s an addiction that came from starting out with the greats. The likes of Bad Brains, Subhumans, Conflict, Minor Threat and Black Flag were amongst those greats but for me the DK’s always had the edge over everyone else.

Every album that was released was memorable, every song was as catchy as the last, each track sprayed out a different message of independence but the best part of it all was that Jello Biafra took you to a world that was unimaginable. His stunning combination of energy, humour and passion in his vocals ripped me apart fueled by strikingly anarchic lyrics that were a nothing other than a speed induced catalyst for a one man riot! I loved it!

Tonight I wanted all of that and more. It would be my first time to see Jello sing live and internet rumours were rife regarding the band playing Dead Kennedys songs in the set too Thankfully, I wasn’t disappointed and this was no DK’s Karoake. Jello’s new band The Guantanamo School of Medicine are super tight and kick out the jams, held together by none other than Andrew Weiss on bass, who has also driven the likes of Rollins Band, Ween and Butthole Surfers. A man with that sort of punk royalty on his CV is always going to make the whole thing tick.The rest of the band are as just awesome and it’s overall a tight affair with no flapping.

As Jello hit the stage covered in fake blood, lab coat and rubber gloves, the crowd exploded and drinks are thrown everywhere. The frontman who just turned 52 years old this summer launched himself into a frenzy as The Terror Of Tiny Town was delivered with venom. Half the crowd were in disbelief they were finally observing Jello belt out some melodies, the other half were dancing uncontrollably!

3 songs in and you could tell that the Alternative Tentacles head honcho is rampant for the cause again. As new song Clean As A Thistle flew out the speakers Jello was headfirst over the barrier with his mic and wanting to join in the fun!

The new material from this band is clearly the closest project to the DK’s that Jello has put together since leaving the Kennedys. The sheer power of the grinding riffs and the spy-like lead guitar lines compliment each other to form a rockier, spiky punk sound that makes you want to destroy all shit in your reach.

It works perfectly for the first 4 songs which is followed by Jello’s new 21st Century version of California Uber Ales! and now apparently titled with a K. At this point in time, 800 people are singing out loud, living the dream and for the full duration of the song, nobody had control of their legs. It was a trip to witness this! Jello has changed some of the lyrics to bring them up to speed but no one cared, you had to be there to explain the rush of sheer energy this brought with it. Truly a moment in time to be cherished.

But if that wasn’t enough, another new track Panic Land is followed by Let’s Lynch The Landord and once again the vibes are electric and the sweating crowd are now rabid! Biafra has also merged his spoken word into this set so some rants on Three Strikes You Out and Yuppies are chucked in the mix covering English politics. Some ticket payers don’t care for his political views, others lap it up and wait for Holiday In Cambodia which ignited more intense celebration. This truly is a roller coaster ride tonight, one I have not felt since watching The Ruts here in this venue with Henry Rollins up front. That night was sick.

After a break the band come back for the encore, every drip of Jello’s fake blood has now disintegrated into the floor, much like the first 5 rows at the front. I helped lift a friends girlfriend into the air and chuck her into a bunch of outstretched arms. She is 5ft in height and bobs about on the top of people’s heads as Police Truck and Bleed For Me are ripped out of their amps! Could it get any better?! It probably couldn’t but now there are requests coming from all angles for DK songs but the band end on a slower number called I Won’t Give Up after Jello educated the crowd to get amongst it and air their political views.

So, all in all, what can i say? I saw the karaoke machine tour that was the Dead Kennedys and there’s no need to ever see it again. Jello has single handedly out done them with this melee of madness and stole the hearts and minds of everyone who witnessed it. Jello Biafra and the Guantanamo School of Medicine may be back here in the UK once the album drops in October. My advice to you if you didn’t see this premiere, is not to miss the next show for anything else!

Enjoy Sherry’s hand held vids below.

Zac

Engine Room, Brighton
27.08.09

The dateline on my digital devices informs me this is 2009, but during August I was firmly strapped in to the wayback machine for some serious musical time travelling, and (in some cases) more nostalgia than you could shake a walking stick at. And to round it off – Subhumans.

Make no mistake; unlike some other outfits from the past I’ve seen lately, Subhumans are as relevant today as when they emerged from deepest Wiltshire at the dawning of The Eighties. Although they were soon aligned with the burgeoning Anarcho-punk movement/bands, musically they were quite a different proposition to many of their peers, with a much more upbeat and driving melodic sound, coupled with some incredibly clever and not (so) obvious lyrical messages. These guys could play. I guess I first heard them in ’83 and was immediately sold on ’em. I’ve seen them countless times since…

A testament to said relevance of Subhumans is that the packed crowd is made up of young punks and old gits in fairly equal measure who all hit the floor dancing when The Subs launch in to opener “Apathy” (“Drink, Sex, Cigarettes, Ford Cortina, household pets… Bombs? War? Famine? Death? An apathetic public couldn’t t care less”) – yep, up and running! There’s songs from their most recent studio LP “Internal Riot” and they trawl all the way thru an extensive back catalogue to the “Demolition War” EP (1982) And when they break in to the slow burning reggae tinged punker “Human Error” (from the latter record) – well here’s a classic point of their timeless relevance… where references to Belfast and Vietnam can be easily replaced by Baghdad and Afghanistan, and America’s interminable grip on the war machine.

Elsewhere, there’s plenty of talk from singer (and for my money probably one of the smartest people in punk) Dick Lucas about the credit crunch and the greed of the filthy rich bankers and politicians who have lied and deceived for so long. It would be easy for Dick to sound a little smug, as he and his cohorts have been warning about the ills of capitalism for… err… the past 25 years and then some!! But it’s no laughing matter. People’s jobs, savings and lives that are being sold down the river and the corporate media sound a little surprised. But first the Weather…

Anyways where was I… oh yes… red hot political punk in the furnace-like confines of The Engine Room. I believe the main set finished with “Mickey Mouse is Dead” and “Black/White“. After taking on fluids, the band throw together a cracking trio of songs to close… a cover of The Epileptics/Flux of Pink Indians standard “Tube Disasters“, followed by anti-animal testing anthem “Evolution“, before leaving us for dust with the almighty “Religious Wars“. Seriously, how fuckin’ constantly topical is this songs message… where everyday people are being shot, blown up, tortured, raped and imprisoned, in the name of what? A God? “Religious Wars no reason why, What a glorious way to die”…

Pete Craven

Mexico City Jose Cuervo Salon
25.08.09

A few words of advice: if you’ve been suffering from an upset stomach, then the bass-heavy rumblings of a Mastodon gig probably won’t do you any favours down below. Still, the Mastodon live experience does offer plenty of aural and visual pleasures, and that’s why your correspondent is here tonight, diet cola in hand and Imodium tablets in pocket.

The Jose Cuervo Salon is a fairly slick venue, its only notable characteristic being the dozens of bottles of the world’s best-known (but definitely not best-tasting) tequila lining the walls. Thankfully such shortcomings are made up for by the enthusiasm of the 2,000-odd fans in attendance, some of whom have travelled from as far as Guadalajara (roughly a 7-hour drive) to be here tonight.

Yokozuna kick things off with a two man guitar n’ drums assault. Spidery garage rock riffs are definitely their forte, although the occasional slower numbers also impress with a sleazier, darker ZZ Top vibe. Unfortunately, what starts as a taut and punchy set soon degenerates into a loose, haphazard instrumental workout; and whilst the duo certainly aren’t boring to watch, they fail to leave a particularly lasting impression.

When Mexican metal fans start cheering, they do so with the kind of fervour that you’d usually associate with a football match. The chants of “MAS-TA-DON! MAS-TA-DON!” begin long before Atlanta’s finest arrive, and mutate into gargantuan roars of delight as the surging riffs or ‘Oblivion‘ engulf them like some kind of metallic tsunami. Mastodon’s forte has long been their ability to experiment without slipping into the murky waters of self-indulgence, and hence the likes of ‘The Czar‘ are infused with all manner of unpredictable musical twists and turns. One thing they do fall short on is crowd interaction, but then again, if you had songs this good, you’d happily let them do the talking for you.

As great as the material from their recent ‘Crack The Skye‘ sounds, the band really step things up a gear for the encore, unleashing the hardcore fury of ‘The Wolf Is Loose‘ as a gigantic circle pit ensues before their eyes. ‘Iron Tusk‘ brings things to a close, with bassist Troy Sanders lurching around the stage like a deranged, drunken man-mammoth. Or should that be man-mastodon? Either way, this band’s musical evolution continues to set them apart from the pack in fine style.

Alex Gosman

Mexico City
Circo Volador
23/8/09

Latin American metal fans have a reputation for being a particularly devoted bunch, which perhaps explains why Mexico City seems to be blessed with a steady stream of no-nonsense metal shows in no-nonsense venues.

The Circo Volador (roughly 3,000 capacity) is an old converted cinema that looks reassuringly well-worn in places, with a couple of graffiti murals and countless posters of previous concerts adorning the walls. The beer is cheap (the equivalent of roughly £2 a pint), the atmosphere is friendly, and the fans’ enthusiasm isn’t waning despite the steadily rising heat.

The only slight worry is the echoing sound that plagues Mulux Pac‘s set. The local quintet’s thunderous, riff-laden attack doesn’t really break any new ground, but they do sound admirably tight and brutal in all the right places, and they deservedly whip up a decent-sized pit down the front of the steadily growing crowd.

For the second of two nights at this venue, Swedish death metal veterans Arch Enemy are dusting off plenty of older, rawer favourites; the kind of set which, as vocalist Angela Gossow informs us, they can only play in Mexico and Japan due to a relative lack of demand elsewhere. Any doubts as to the validity of such a statement are soon quelled, with the crowd going utterly apeshit as the band rip into ‘Enemy Within‘ with the force of a rocket-powered juggernaut.

It’s a pretty fearsome introduction, and from then on, the highlights come thick and fast. ‘Bury Me An Angel‘ is as fine an example of unbridled death metal fury as you could wish for, ‘Pilgrim‘ sees some jaw-dropping dual solo action from guitarists Michael and Chris Arnott, and the closing ‘We Will Rise‘ is as epic as it is heavy.Overall, it’s a fine soundtrack to the insanity that unfolds in front of the band, with every song greeted by pumping fists, hurricane-esque pits and deafening chants of ‘ARK ENEMY!’. Hey, you can forgive these folks the odd mispronunciation, trust me.

The smile on Angela’s face at the end of their set says it all. Arch Enemy have never exactly been slackers in the live setting, but they play with more fire and venom tonight than I’ve ever witnessed at their UK shows. And with a following like this, it’s pretty safe to bet that they’ll be back in Mexico City in the not-too-distant future.

Alex Gosman