Category: Live Reviews

The Underworld,
Camden, London
02/09/08

These days there are very few bands I get genuinely excited about seeing. Brutal Truth are one of those bands. Sure, I like loads of bands out there but very few have always stuck to their guns. They are a band that is genuine. They are a band that only Mike Williams of Eyehategod could coax out of retirement.

Tonight the godfathers of New York Grindcore scene take over the Underworld to grind your fucking face off!

Amidst feedback and a haunting monotone drone, the band take to the stage and proclaim “We are Brutal Truth and this is GRINDCORE!” before launching straight into the rabid ‘Dementia’. A barrage of bodies start to fly as the violence of the small yet fierce pit gets even worse (or better depending on where you are). When the band drop into the classic ‘Extreme conditions…‘ intro only to slam into the weighty ‘The Birth Of Ignorance’ it’s easy to see why this band, comprised of middle aged, metal and grind enthusiasts, are still relevant.

These men are oddities. It wouldn’t have that genuine Grindcore feel if they were wearing girl’s jeans and got their roots done at Toni and Guy. This is a band that is totally committed to music ahead of image. Nothing screams this more than guitarist ‘Gurn‘ sporting a pair of those fucking croc things that fat birds in salons wear and Dan Lilker’s almost orthopaedic footwear and haggard appearance which seem to fit with the muddled, chaotic nature of their music.

Rich Hoak is always a pleasure to see play live. Not only because of his “I’ve just done 400 pills at all once!” face when he drums but the sheer speed he drives the band with. Blistering through fan favourites ‘Choice Of A New Generation‘, ‘Dead Smart‘ and ‘K.A.P‘ alongside Gurn who’s shredding and complex doodles are insane to watch.

As some of you may know, Dan Lilker (bass) has an astonishing metal pedigree. Having played with Anthrax, Nuclear Assault, S.O.D and Venomous Concept to name a few, he has proven his range on both bass and guitar is amazing. But you can tell this band is his one true love. He appears to be in his element on stage and really comes into his own on tracks like ‘Pork Farm‘ and ‘Godplayer‘. He dishes out deep, distorted, pounding basslines like that Jesus freak at Oxford Circus tube dishes out flyers.

Kevin Sharp is also on great form tonight. His cocky mannerisms on stage coupled with grey beard and incredibly bloodshot eyes make for an extremely entertaining front man. He is a man whose vocal talents are off the scale. Bellowing out grunts and screams that would make Brian Blessed plead for mercy. Wrapping his gob round new tunes ‘Turmoil‘ and ‘Forever In A Daze‘ is truly awesome to see live. If anything he has got better with age. Beer gut ‘n’ all.

Tonight, songs are shred through with such pace and velocity that Brutal Truth finish their set early. This is by no means a problem for the band. They simply crack open some ice cold beers down them and take requests from fans. This post set request session continues for another fifteen minutes finally finishing with an amazing rendition of the delightfully titled ‘Fisting‘. The Truth stick around to slap hands and chat with fans and the weird topless dudes with the shitty Slayer tats. A band that truly appreciates their fan base wherever they go.

Ears ringing? Check. Neck ache from excessive head banging? Check. A little too drunk and baked by the end of the night? Check. Brutal Truth totally grinding my fucking face off? A definite Check.

Tom Lindsey

with Hoover & Alabaster Suns
The Underworld
London, August 27th 2008

Sometimes it’s really nice to go to a gig where there’s no fucking young people about to piss you off with their youthful vigour and wide-eyed energy. And it’s fair to say that there aren’t many people in The Underworld tonight under thirty years old. It’s hardly surprising, however, because Bluetip haven’t played since about 2002 and Hoover, despite sporadic gigs, hasn’t recorded an album since about 1994.

With these facts in mind you might be wondering why there’s anyone at this gig at all. Well let me explain. Both Hoover and Bluetip represent some of the best music to surface from the Washington DC record label Dischord Records in the nineties. Started in the early eighties by Jeff Nelson and Ian MacKaye of legendary hardcore outfit Minor Threat with the intention of documenting their local music scene, decades later Dischord have still never released a record by a band outside of DC and have hundreds of incredible releases under their belts. People don’t tend to love single Dischord bands, but fall in love with the label as a whole. Their ethics, their singular vision to keep things 100% independent and their stubborn refusal to bend their own self-imposed rules has given Dischord a rabid cult following. And that explains the healthy turn-out tonight.

First up, Alabaster Suns are what Kevin and Nathan are doing while their band, UK progressive metal kings Capricorns, goes into a deep slumber. With Kevin taking lead vocals, they tread a similar path to Capricorns and effortlessly weave out technical ecstasy and shape-shifting metal that twists and turns and never sits still. Alabaster Suns are a heavy ride.

Although clearly inspired by the heavy dub bass lines and discordant guitars of Fugazi, Hoover created some of the best post-hardcore of the early nineties. Although the band split up in 1994 (and formed in 1992), they have reformed twice in recent year. Once in 1997 to record a mini-album of unrecorded older songs and then again in 2004 to tour Europe and to play some US shows. It was on that tour that they last played The Underworld and they were as good then as they are now. Always an engaging live band to both listen too and watch, Hoover have the advantage of Alexander Dunham (guitar), Frederick T. Erskine (bass) and Joseph P McRedmond (guitar) all sharing vocal duties which keeps things interesting throughout. Then there’s the fact that the band are shit hot players. With drummer Christopher Farrall at the back, leading the band into a series of unbelievably fluid grooves, Hoover are still a thrilling ride that can’t fail to suck you in like a Dyson.

Bluetip were formed in 1995 by ex-members of cult hardcore band Swiz and in albums like ‘Join Us‘ and ‘Polymer‘ they recorded some of the nineties truly classic Dischord Records releases. They toured relentlessly, roaring through the UK in 2002 with Dead Inside before splitting up, allowing frontman Jason Farrell the opportunity to start his current group Retisonic.

Back for two shows only – tonight and one in Spain – considering Bluetip haven’t played since 2002 and they’ve only rehearsed twice, they are on explosive form tonight and the ease with which they recreate the energy and impact of the songs is testament to their talents. Jason in particular is an absolute live wire on stage, careering around the small space, colliding with amps and band mates, swiping his guitar and thrilling the crowd with passionate vocals and proper high energy DC punk rock.

They end with their best song (my favorite at least!) ‘Salinas‘ from the ‘Join Us‘ album and then it’s over, possibly never to return. But here’s hoping…

James Sherry

Fucked Up

19.08.08

Variety may be the spice of life, but unfortunately, the combination of Mindless Self Indulgence and Fucked Up on the same bill seems to work better on paper than it does in reality. MSI have sold out venues three times the size of the ULU, but tonight is visibly not sold out – a bizarre state of affairs, given that both they and Fucked Up are known for their devoted fanbases.

Still, the Death Set get things off to a fine start, with a frenetic set of sample-infused punk rock in a Test Icicles kinda vein. They hurl themselves around the stage amidst a maelstrom of scratchy guitars and scattergun beats, barely pausing for breath between songs, and then throw their guitars to the ground before exiting. Job done.

Fucked Up sound excellent tonight, but are clearly not in their ideal environment – with a barrier in place at the front of the stage, and seemingly just a small handful of folks in the crowd who know (or, indeed, care) who they are. Still, portly vocalist Father Damian (a.k.a. Pink Eyes) remains a fine host, climbing down onto the barrier whilst his band rip through a life affirming ‘Crusades‘. Those outside of the pit clearly don’t know what’s good for them, but hey, it’s their loss.

It’s fair to say that there’s never a dull moment at a Mindless Self Indulgence gig. “This is why I’m never gonna have kids,” declares permanently mock-obnoxious vocalist Little Jimmy Urine, to the baying masses, “because you won’t shut up and eat your spinach!” A case of the pot calling the kettle black, perhaps, because Jimmy never shuts up either – and his ‘ooh, I’m crazy, me’ shtick does get pretty irritating after a while.

Fortunately, the crowd is on their side, and MSI have enough quality tunes in their arsenal to keep us happy tonight. Like a child with chronic ADD, they throw together elements of punk, metal, rap, drum n’ bass, techno in a wilfully schizophrenic (and often homoerotic) fashion. It doesn’t always work, but the likes of ‘Stupid MF‘ and ‘Shut Me Up‘ are genuinely catchy industrial-pop anthems for the cybergoth age. Rarely do so many black-clad folks look so happy – and for that alone, MSI deserve kudos.

Alex Gosman

XXXChange

16.08.08

Sitting outside Cargo chowing down on a freshly barbequed cheese burger is what is known in the business as “the life”. Getting to the venue five hours before The Nextmen took to the stage might have been taking it a bit far, but let’s be honest, you can’t put a price on a slab of cooked meat in a bap. Dun no the crusty bap.

When The Nextmen did get behind the decks with MC Rage hyping the crowd, Cargo was rammery. Getting into the main part of the venue was near-impossible until the first wave of people who couldn’t take the heat trudged out in search of air and water.

Once amongst the throng, there was no letting up – Brad Baloo and Dom Search worked the crowd into a frenzy with an inspired mash up of Wearing My Rolex and turning the room into one giant skanking entity with The Specials before sending the entire place loopy with High Contrast’s sublime DnB mix of Adele and finishing up with the Hot 8 Brass Band’s version of Sexual Healing.

XXXChange had a tough act to follow, but follow it in style is exactly what he did. The Spank Rock producer stepped up in his trademark New Era and geeky specs and proceeded to drop hit after hit after dancefloor hit. Thumping drums, glitchy beeps and groggy basslines kept those who stayed beyond the 2am mark throwing shapes into the night. The Crookers remix of Kid Cudi’s Day N Night was the highlight of a great set and B-More’s finest sent everyone home happy.

Abjekt.

DJ Magic
DJ Q

08.08.08

Remember way back in 1999 when you began hearing Artful Dodger on every radio station? Remember when you thought that it was just a passing phase that wouldn’t be annoying for much longer? And then remember when you got pissed off when it refused to go away?

Yeah, me too. But now bassline has come along and is giving garage the oomph [yes, oomph] that it lacked by pumping the bassline up so loud that the vocals take much less of your attention. And it was this that DJ Q was banging out in the small room 3 at Fabric. With the mainstream-scratching Heartbroken by T2 and TS7’s remix of American Boy getting everyone going, he provided a good warm up for Tomb Crew.

You know just what you’re going to get with a Tomb Crew DJ set – fun. Having seen them a few times before and having a ridiculously good time I was hyped to see them play a smaller room and they didn’t disappoint. Dropping in dubstep, grime, bassline and even a B-More remix of Dead Prez’s Hip Hop, they finished up with 20 odd minutes of jungle taking the atmosphere up the notch that already seemed impossible to get at. If you can find a better night out than this lot, your head is going to explode.

DJ Magic had the unenviable task of following them but his tune selection proved spot on as he was joined in the DJ booth for PAs by both Tinchy Stryder, whose latest single Stryderman got a massive response from everyone in attendance, and the irrepressible Jammer who kept the vibe going with his ever popular “Shatap”. And when Magic dropped Silverlink’s The Message Is Love [featuring Jammer and Badness], which is arguably the heaviest track out there at the moment, it went off.

With Yoda and the Scratch Perverts playing the main room and High Contrast in Room 2, the Urban Nerds lot had a lot to compete with, but they brought it off and did it in style.

Abjekt

Kingston Peel
06.08.08

9th August 2006: A hot summer’s day is currently ending in a suitably mock-gory fashion with a Send More Paramedics gig at the Kingston Peel. Leeds finest zombie-core crew have brought along a Watford band called Gallows on support duties; they’re a pretty hard-rockin’ bunch, and the singer has some spectacular tattoos on his chest. I received a promo of their debut album (‘Orchestra Of Wolves’) earlier today – it sounded very promising on first listen, but bands as raw and unpolished as this lot never seem to get the recognition they deserve. Not until years after they’ve split up, anyway. Still, they play well, and the crowd seem to enjoy them…

21st January 2007: Hmmn, I’m rarely this happy to be eating humble pie. Since their last visit to the Peel, Gallows have become quite the talk of the town – not least due to that debut album (which has a habit of taking my stereo hostage for days at a time) and some utterly explosive live shows. Tonight’s gig is sold out, everyone knows all the words to all the songs, and as the closing ‘Casanova’ degenerates into a mass of tangled cables and flailing limbs, we can’t help but feel like we’re witnessing the start of something very fucking special…

6th August 2008: Turns out we were right. Over the last year, Gallows have gone from strength to strength, with a slot on the 2007 US Warped Tour and a sold-out London Astoria under their belts. No surprise, then, that the Peel is utterly rammed tonight; with both the temperature and atmosphere at fever pitch.

‘Orchestra Of Wolves‘ may be two years old now, but its creators haven’t lost their potential for surprise as they kick off with ‘Casanova‘, sparking mayhem in the crowd. The Gallows of 2008 are a tighter, but no less chaotic beast; as proved by guitarist Laurent Barnard hurling both himself and instrument into crowd during ‘Come Friendly Bombs‘ and Frank Carter spending most of the gig either in or on top of the pit. New songs are aired, including a minute-long hardcore belter and some beautifully twisted riff action. It’s just as well for Frank, really, because the crowd makes his vocal duties pretty much redundant on the ‘oldies’.

But tonight’s biggest surprise is saved for the end, as The Watford Five launch into a frenzied cover of Andrew WK’s ‘Party Hard‘. It’s proof enough that underneath the band’s trademark rage and musical vitriol lurks a bunch of party animals, and ensures that they’ll be missed whilst they take a break to record their second album. On tonight’s evidence, it’ll be well worth the wait.

Alex Gosman

The Kings Head – Reading
6th August 2008

I was stoked to see that this band had made the effort to play the UK in such a big way, i mean, this is DIY at it’s best. 4 blokes, on the road, bang up for it and wanting to rage every night.

Tonight, Canadian hardcore quartet Career Suicide rolled into Reading and blew the place apart. The show was held downstairs in a small room with no windows at the Kings Head pub, a perfect DIY set up for a band that love to rip up a space between 4 walls and that’s exactly what went down.

Before they played the room was warmed by FUK who supposedly had ex member(s) of Chaos UK, so we waited with baited breath. They provided a very meaty, old school British hardcore with a front man that can hold his ground.

Sweat poured and chaos reigned as soon as Career Suicide hit the carpet. Opening with Jonzo’s Leaking Radiation the small room erupted into total carnage, drinks flew everywhere and the place opened up like the floor was on fire!

The band smashed through the likes of Attempted Suicide, Bored Bored Bored, and some tracks from the new Cherry Beach EP and played with venom. Back in the middle of the room pyramids are being made by human punks and a death wall battle has taken place. Drinks are thrown everywhere and to his amazement, some guy in front of me finally finds his spectacles in one piece on the floor. Across the room, members of Shitty Limits are grabbed the mic, The band play at mach 10, people are pinned to the walls and it’s pretty safe to say that this is the best fun EVER!

The band finally end their set with the most legendary Quarantined and are then cheered to play one more track despite the fact that singer Martin Farkas can’t breathe whatsoever. There’s simply no oxygen left in this room. If you are gonna die you may as well go out in style so they rocked a killer version of The Todd Killings by Angry Samoans before it was all over.

Well done to Ellis for putting on the show and CS for travelling so far to rip the UK. We salute all of you.

Emilio Gonzales

Click here for Pete Craven’s Brighton show review on this 2008 tour….

Brixton Academy
31.07.08

Tonight, Billy Idol starts his encore with his 1982 hit ‘Hot In The City‘; an appropriate choice, given that London is currently in the grip of some ultra-humid weather. The assembled fans are already pretty sweaty before they’ve even entered the venue, and once inside, it’s clear that the Brixton Academy’s ventilation system (or lack of) won’t be doing the sold-out crowd any favours.

Not the ideal circumstances for a lively night, then; but thankfully, Billy Idol remains a highly engaging and entertaining performer after all these years. Backed by a solid band featuring his long term collaborator and guitar ace Steve Stevens, he rouses us from our heat-induced stupor with an early rendition of ‘Dancing With Myself‘, prompting a loud sing-along and fists aplenty in the air.

Despite cutting his teeth with late 70’s punk rockers Generation X, Billy has never cared for punk’s revisionist stance on popular music history, and as he prowls the stage with his trademark sneer intact, it’s clear that this is a man that still worships at the altar of rock n’ roll’s great heritage. Ever the showman, he morphs into the bastard lovechild of Sid Vicious and Frank Sinatra for the darkly romantic ‘Eyes Without A Face‘, and initiates a heroically OTT call-and-response routine midway through his signature tune ‘Rebel Yell‘. Needless to say, the crowd – which encompasses denim n’ leather clad folks of all ages – love it, and are not shy about showing their appreciation.

The only temporary lapse in momentum happens roughly halfway through the nearly-2 hour set, when Billy and his bandmates opt to take a breather whilst Steve Stevens shows off his (admittedly impressive) guitar skills for a good few minutes more than is really necessary. Similarly, extending ‘Mony Mony’ to roughly twice its usual length with an inter-band jam session wasn’t really called for either; but after more than thirty years in the game, it’d be churlish to begrudge Billy a few indulgences.

The sight of 4000-odd smiling, sweat-drenched faces making their way to the tube station afterwards serves as proof enough that the man born William Michael Broad still lives up to his stage name. Rock n’ roll 1, sticky summer weather 0.

Alex Gosman

Engine Rooms, Brighton
03.08.2008

Ack, its early doors on a Sunday, and I arrive just as Southampton’s Whole in The Head literally hit their last chord. Next up those denizens of raw Dangerhouse punk The Sceptres, who number two guys outta The Shitty Limits, a red hot guitarist from the Greg Ginn school of fret board detonation, and up front the exuberant Bryony, shouting her lungs out. They are a young band, their sound is evolving, and I dig the stomping Garage breaks they throw in to the mix.

Brighton’s own kings of crust up next – Constant State of Terror – and their first gig on home soil for a few months. The heavy,abrasive and furiously political barrage roared out of the speakers louder than a 747 on take off, with ear bleeding intensity… and way over the heads of the hardcore hipsters in the room, who cannot connect easily with such olden styled sounds. After some years picking up their records, and hearing about their explosive live set, Toronto’s Career Suicide arrive at last on our shores… and with intent… 16 straight dates around the UK and Ireland. That’s the way to do it boys.

Sometimes you can get yourself hyped up a bit too much about a band with a hot reputation, and subsequently end up a tad disappointed by the end result. Well, I’m glad to say there was absolutely no negatives about Career Suicide, they were a total bl’ast of the highest order, ripping thru 30minutes of primo-snotty hardcore punk with barely a minute to breath between the numbers… that for the record included two of my favourite tracks… “Moron” (from the debut album) and “There’s Something Wrong with You” that featured on the way rocking split 12″ with Jed Whitey… cooool!!!

As good ‘n lively as Career Suicide were, their set was greatly enhanced by an über-charged pit of hot sweating young men who, in the spirit of Pride Weekend, got semi-naked and slammed themselves relentlessly…I suggest they enter a ‘Hardcore Float’ in the parade next year – it would go down a storm!!

So yeah, Career Suicide, coming to rip it up on a stage near you soon… get to it… moron…

Pete Craven

The Forum, London
July 31st 2008

Nothing ever stays the same. Times moves on. You can’t expect things to stay frozen in time.

It’s unfair to go and see a band twenty years into their careers and expect them to be as exciting and urgent as they were when they kicked out their first teen-fresh eager jams, pumped on the wild-eyed energy of youth. This all may be true but even after all this time it is still hard to get used to the ‘grown-up’ Mudhoney. Early Mudhoney gigs were a gloriously reckless celebration of chaos and disorder. Hair flaying, bodies rolling, stage-divers falling, drink flying in all directions, riots ensuring. They were and are, to this day, still one of the most exciting live bands I have ever seen. But like I said, time moves on and people grow older and you can’t expect Mudhoney to roll around on booze soaked floors forever. Sadly.

So, it’s an in-control, mature Mudhoney that greets us today as they slam straight into a lurching cover of Fang’s ‘The Money Will Roll Right In‘ getting the set off to a great start before they hit the crowd with a selection of new songs from their more recent records including the title track from their latest album ‘The Lucky Ones‘. It’s not that these songs are bad, in fact they’re really rather good, but laid next to some of the prime-time Mudhoney classics that follow, it can be hard for them get the chance they might deserve. And it shows in the crowd reaction.

When they play ‘You Got It’, ‘Suck You Dry’, ‘Sweet Young Thing‘ or ‘In And Out Of Grace‘ the whole place goes bonkers like it’s 1989 all over again and Mudhoney were the band that were going to change the world, not Nirvana. There is, however, a brilliantly Mudhoney moment when Mark Arm manages to fuck up the lyrics to ‘Touch Me I’m Sick‘ and the band, following his lead, fall apart around him! It’s hard to believe they can fuck up a song you’d have thought they could play in their sleep. It’s like Motorhead screwing up ‘Ace Of Spades‘ for fuck’s sake! But in many ways, it’s perfectly Mudhoney.

They were never a career band and they have undoubtedly managed to last far longer than they would have ever thought possible and one thing’s for sure, the world feels like a better place for having them still around.

This year we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sub Pop records. It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the perfect union of Sub Pop and Mudhoney created grunge and spewed it all over the world. Long may their technicolor yawn continue.

James Sherry