Category: Live Reviews

Brixton Windmill
06.06.07

The Green Monkey Experiments (GME) seem to be working out well, because the monkeys have evidently grown sharper teeth in the last couple of months. “All our songs are NIN rip-offs’ deadpans singer/guitarist Scoot, but whilst these three guys and their drum machine do indeed borrow liberally from Trent Reznor’s early work, there’s a distinct Metallica-esque guitar crunch that lends an extra dimension to songs like ‘Modern Way‘. The electro-rock banana is theirs for the taking.

Dear Thief are an equally dance-worthy proposition, sounding not unlike a funkier Pixies; with tight bass lines and scratchy guitars set against vocalist Yusuf’s urgent, almost spoken-word delivery. Considering that they’re a local band of sorts, it’s about time people started keeping a Neighbourhood Watch on this lot.

It seems odd that The Flesh aren’t yet media darlings; after all, they hail from New York, look ultra stylish, and have recently released a brilliantly eclectic album in ‘Firetower’. Despite the average turnout, they put on a great show – bringing a touch of glamour to this cosy south London pub with their addictive hybrid of indie, punk and soulful R&B influences. But the real genius of their live show lies in the contrast between vocalists Gabriella and Nat; she a sultry presence with a soulful voice, he a mad guitar dervish who howls into the mic like the Mr Hyde of rock n’ soul. Oh, and if they don’t make you wanna dance, you’d better check your pulse.

Don’t be surprised if just about everyone wants a bite of The Flesh when they return in the autumn. Until then, be proud to call them our little secret.

Alex Gosman
Photo from www.myspace.com/theflesh

22nd June 07

When was the last time you went out? When was the last time you went out to witness a fucking riot? When was the last time you went out to watch a band destroy a venue and eat you for breakfast at the same?

If you can’t answer these questions then you have not see Gallows in the flesh and you have not lived your life to the full yet.

Picture Kings College in London. It’s Thursday night, The Ghost of a Thousand slayed the warm up leaving people stoked. Then the Cancer Bats fuelled the fire on 400 raging kids making way for the most explosive show since the last one! It’s the end of the tour and after 4 songs you could the band were just that 10% off their usual energy charged set until Lethal Bizzle of all people came on stage to join mouthy Frank Carter to perform a swinging rendition of Staring at the Rude Boys! Even The Ruts themselves turned up tonight to see what all the fuss was about – it turns out they were stoked on what they saw as the cover was dynamic and burnt the place down.

Franks Mum, who was watching this atomic bomb spill napalm over London from a gallery was probably wondering how the hell she spawned 3 amazing sons who are causing the uproar with their heart felt hardcore set across the UK. Tonight, this set was for her and also for everyone else of course because that’s how Gallows roll – they can be in your face wanting to kill ya, but will pull back and buy you a beer and give you a hug before they do…

With no security present, the stage was invaded for the legendary chorus of Orchestra of Wolves and with bodies flying everywhere, the band are stopped mid song due to the overcrowding and Frank stage dived off the PA into a sea of boiling energy. Crowd surfing seems normal, i had to dive too, no holds barred, one dude is crowd walking! This is total and utter carnage only witnessed years back when Snuff came to town and injected their pop punk blend of total fun into your life or when US hardcore really had the word ‘punk’ tattooed on it’s vinyl compared to the crap we are fed thesedays. Carter reminds us of this all night and he is right to….

Gallows even have the audacity to bring a circle pit back to the punk scene and on tonight’s evidence it will not be long until that pit gets much bigger. See this band now before you can’t get to the front to launch yourself off the stage and buy this debut album today, you seriously have not lived until you do.

Zac Slack

Hyde Park
16.06.07

After tightening the hood on my anorak whilst the rain lashed down on central London and drying off in the queue waiting to get into the barracked part of Hyde Park, the O2 Wireless experience was ready to rumble.

The first band I saw were the Norwegian electro-dudes Datarock, who jumped out on stage in matching red tracksuits. Now, I wasn’t familiar with them and so I was excited to hear what they had to offer, but was soon let down when their singer showed a complete lack of tone and couldn’t hold a note for very long. The music itself wasn’t awful, but suffice to say they didn’t make a new fan of me.

So I then trotted over to the XFM tent to see Calvin Harris. Waiting for him to come on, we were treated to the MSTRKRFT remix of Justice’s D.A.N.C.E. which immediately put me in a good mood and when Mr Harris bounded on stage, hands clapping and body jumping, my mood got lifted even higher. Running through tracks from his recently released album I Created Disco, Calvin had the packed tent in the palm of his hand and when the singles, Acceptable In The 80s and The Girls were played, the eruption of cheers was deafening. Belting.

Back to the main stage and the less said about Plan B the better. The biggest cheers of his set came when he played Roots Manuva’s Witness and Blur’s Song 2 but his swearing and shock rap lyrics really did nothing for me. Thankfully, he was followed by Brazilian funsters CSS and with Lovefoxxx breaking out 2 intensely colourful all-in-one jumpsuits and the band played tracks like Alcohol and Alala, the dancing was back and generous applause came their way.

Once again I made my way to the XFM tent and again was hearing some great tunes from the DJs, especially the Radioclit remix of Bonde’s Gasolina. Klaxons stormed the stage as the last few people that were allowed into the tent piled their way forward and immediately went crazy to Atlantis To Interzone. The crowd really came alive for the entire set with the highlights being Golden Skans, Totem On The Timeline and Magick.

To finish the night off was a group that were riding high on my “must see live before I die” list and Daft Punk certainly didn’t disappoint. Standing on a raised platform in the centre of the stage, the robot-personas began their set with Robot Rock and immediately every single person in Hyde Park was screaming and dancing. The light show on stage was incredible and their mixing of Around The World and Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger was a real grin-inducing part of the set. As the two DJs got more into it, heads bopping, arms waving, the tracks came thick and fast from 1 More Time to Technologic.

As they came back for a short encore, the entire stage black and the only illumination coming from their now red helmets, the Frenchmen showed just why they are regarded as pioneers and giants in their field. They were absolutely incredible.

Abjekt.
Photo by Kim Norbury

Koko
07.06.07

I spent most of Ryan Adam‘s set on my knees. Doing a Monica Lewinsky? Unfortunately not, I was only down there because Koko was so packed by the time we arrived that the only possible place to get a glimpse of the show was up in the heavens, where you had to drop to the floor to view the stage between the tops of people’s heads and the balcony jutting out above. Koko is not short-person friendly…especially when the band are all seated.

Neal Casal is expected to open for Ryan, but tonight there’s no opening slot and bang on 9pm Ryan Adams and his band come onto stage. There’s no guitar on hand for Ryan as he’s injured his arm in a skateboarding accident and he visibly fidgets throughout the set, perched on a stool sat not as a solo artist, but in the middle of the line up. Declining to adcknowledge the crowd they slip into the opening track, and so the question hovers – do we have Ryan the show man, who’ll sit and tell funny little anecdotes and have the crowd in stitches, or do we have Ryan the ‘serious musician’, who says nothing, and just plays on.

Seems that tonight Ryan is taking himself a little more seriously, there’s no balaclavas or Cookie Monster stories like his last London stop off, but instead the set is unbelievably polished, the band are tight, working as one in an hour long set that glides perfectly from track to track, with his new album ‘Easy Tiger‘ set for release on June 26th, tonight is all about showcasing the new tracks, and the set list is without even one of his UK singles, but the new tracks we’re hearing for the first time are undeniably beautiful. As Adams himself puts it “I’m feeling this stuff. Is anybody else feeling it?’

‘Nightbirds‘ is beautifully reproduced, but it’s Gold’s closing track ‘Good Night Hollywood Boulevard‘ which gives you goosebumps. ‘I See Monsters‘ ends the show, and gets a rousing reception from the crowd, who seem ecstatic to finally recognize a song. Coming back to stage for an encore we get a glimpse of the joker, with Ryan visibly more relaxed and jokey. ‘Winding Wheel‘ is sublime, and a cover of Alice in Chains ‘Down in a Hole‘ is spot on.

Tonight’s show is slick and well put together…but a little underwhelming. Knowing what an entertainer Ryan can be, tonight is a little disappointing, they seem to be going through the motions rather than really enjoying it. The sound is amazing, he’s bang on with every crystal clear note, but whilst his new found sobriety has helped his performance as a musician, it’s taken away the light hearted banter, the silly stories and the goofy laugh – and the rumblings from the crowd suggest that it’s missed. £27 for a short and rather listless set without even an opening band can leave a nasty taste in your mouth – especially when you know what a breathtaking performance he’s capable of.

Dee Massey

Underworld
02.06.07

On this lazy, sun-drenched day, it’s,understandable that most of tonight’s punters prefer to enjoy the warm weather, rather than arrive in time to catch Dead City Riots. Still, the Glasgow quartet give it their all; their punchy, Foo-Fighters-esque sound proving ample sustenance for the early birds.

Pity those who miss Valient Thorr, though, because it’s rare to come across a support band so damn electrifying as this. For an all-too-short half hour, the stage is a blur of flailing hair and beards, as Thorr himself delivers his words like a deranged heavy metal preacher. In his eyes, we are less a crowd, more his comrades; and whether he’s singing atop a stool from the centre of the floor, demanding that everyone crouch down “in the name of equality” or delivering some humorous but intelligent between-song speeches, there’s never a dull moment. Superb stuff.

Fu Manchu were never going to compete in the showmanship stakes, but with an arsenal of Godzilla-sized riffs at their disposal, it’s no surprise that singer/guitarist Scott Hill is happy to let the music do most of the talking. Unsurprisingly, they sound utterly massive; unleashing old favourites like ‘Eatin’ Dust’ and ‘Evil Eye’ on an increasingly sweaty crowd. There’s barely a head not banging in here: proof enough that, ultimately, you can only wax lyrical about the Fu Manchu live experience for so long, before you just have to FEEL it. Hell, if these guys were any louder, we’d be keeping a nervous eye or two on the Underworld’s ceiling.

Considering that they played the Astoria a few years ago, it’s a shame that Fu Manchu’s profile has dwindled on these shores, especially when they’re on such fine form as tonight. Still, as they round things off with ‘King Of The Road’, it’s clear that few in this crowd would have any qualms about coming back for more.

Alex Gosman

Next time you take a train to a festival, remember that the looks on the commuters’ faces are usually a good indication of whether or not they’ve been expecting you. Those that haven’t will look confused, or even horrified (“My goodness, dear! Why are there all these sweaty, long-haired types on our train?”); those that have will usually look resigned (“Oh, great, festival time again. Looks like I won’t get a seat until Loughborough.”). Those that take the time to talk to you are usually pleasantly surprised, but unfortunately, such folks are few and far between. Still, Donington awaits.

FRIDAY:

After a brief trip into the very picturesque Donington village for some extra supplies, I return to the festival site in time to catch BUCKCHERRY recreating the spirit of 1987 Sunset Strip sleaze-rock to a slowly growing crowd. Songs like ‘Crazy Bitch‘ may amount to little more than a throwback to times gone by, but they sure make for a good sing-along. If you’re after something a little more seedy and dangerous, however, then you won’t find much better than TURBONEGRO. Today Hank Von Helvete and his boys are on fine form, with deathpunk gems like ‘Deathtime‘ and ‘Sailor Man‘ sounding as dirty, decadent and utterly deranged as ever. But what’s that hanging from Hank’s crotch? A dead squirrel? Answers on a postcard, please.

Over on the mainstage, MEGADETH are making the task of utterly dominating Download look painfully easy. Dave Mustaine and his cohorts have recently released their best work in over a decade in this year’s ‘United Abominations’ album, but today they keep the new material on a tight rein, in favour of a non-stop barrage of ‘Deth classics that – at last – whip a decent-sized pit into action. The grin on Dave’s face as the crowd roar along to every word of ‘Peace Sells.’ says it all.

DRAGONFORCE vocalist ZP Theart certainly isn’t lacking in the enthusiasm stakes, but his band start to sound somewhat repetitive after half an hour of non-stop widdly guitar solos and cheesy synths. Still, ‘Through The Fire And Flames‘ sounds suitably epic, and prompts plenty of air guitar action from an increasingly drunken crowd.

Over on the smaller Tuborg stage, SANCTITY prove that lack of originality needn’t be a problem as long as you’re very, very good; and their powerful cocktail of thrash and groove influences is deservedly greeted with a sea of devil horns and a warp-speed circle pit. It sets the scene nicely for their US brethren JOB FOR A COWBOY to obliterate the packed tent with their savage death-metal attack. There’s something genuinely unsettling about this lot, and it just makes their painfully short set all the more compelling. Be sure to keep an ear out for them.

VELVET REVOLVER‘s main stage appearance draws a huge crowd, but one that clearly enjoys the band’s choice of Guns N’ Roses and Stone Temple Pilots covers more than VR’s own material. Add that to vocalist Scott Weiland’s unusually surly presence and a handful of rather uninspiring new tracks (from forthcoming second album ‘Libertad‘), and the overall impression is that VR need to put their past glories behind them before they can truly become a force to be reckoned with.

Either there are a lot of punters keen to avoid the emo and nu-metal thrills of the other two headliners (My Chemical Romance and Korn, respectively), or SUICIDAL TENDENCIES are enjoying a resurgence in popularity on this fair isle. Either way, Mike Muir and his cohorts are a genuine thrill to watch; kicking off with an incendiary ‘You Can’t Bring Me Down‘ that sets the tone for an hour of thrash-core classics. They may be getting long in the tooth, and Muir himself may dance like an octopus fighting its way out of a blancmange, but make no mistake: ST are indeed still cyco after all these years.

SATURDAY:

Self-proclaimed ‘battle metal’ pioneers TURISAS make for a spectacular start to the day; covered in red and black war paint, and boasting a fiddler and accordion player amongst their ranks. A tad silly, yes, but they sound hugely impressive; with a repertoire of anthemic songs that wouldn’t sound out of place on the soundtrack to ‘Braveheart‘. Plus, it’d take a churlish punter not to smile at their folk-metal reworking of Boney M’s disco classic ‘Rasputin‘.

HELLYEAH‘s chunky, mosh-friendly grooves are somewhat mundane in comparison, although they do sound impressively brutal in the live setting. Their set also marks the return of former Pantera/Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul to Download, and the cheers that greet his arrival are as touching as they are deserved.

Over on the Tuborg stage, BEYOND ALL REASON are clearly enjoying playing to a festival crowd, with vocalist Venno’s high-pitched screech sounding remarkably powerful for this time of day. Musically, theirs is a more melodic, glam-inflected brand of metal; not to everyone’s taste, but ‘Love Crossed Pistols‘ is undeniably catchy.

Just when you think GALLOWS can’t get any crazier, they go and push things to a new level. Quote of the festival has to go to Frank Carter: “Say hello to my fuckin’ mum!” he shouts, holding up his mobile, shortly before hurling himself into the crowd for a vitriolic feedback-drenched ‘Six Years‘. God bless these boys; long may they remain a volatile, unpredictable thorn in the side of this industry.

MACHINE HEAD‘s main stage slot is arguably one of the most anticipated of the weekend, and the Bay Area boys don’t disappoint. Robb Flynn may seem genuinely humbled by the heroes’ welcome his band receives, but there’s nothing bashful about the way that brutal renditions of ‘Imperium‘, ‘Halo‘ and ‘Davidian‘ whip the crowd into a churning, bouncing mass.

Like sex, SLAYER are still pretty damn good even when they’re not amazing; and even though they seem a tad workmanlike today, ‘Disciple‘ and ‘Dead Skin Mask‘ are still shot through with enough sinister fury to batter our eardrums into submission.

Goths and daylight generally don’t mix, and hence MARILYN MANSON is already at a disadvantage, having to take the stage with the sun still beaming brightly behind him. ‘Sweet Dreams‘ and ‘The Beautiful People‘ still sound as good as ever; elsewhere, however, there’s too much lumpen new material and too few elaborate theatrics to lift this performance above adequate.

Ultimately, the real Saturday night party thrills were only ever going to be provided by MOTLEY CRUE. Yeah, they’re getting on a bit, and Nikki Sixx’s stage banter is a tad embarrassing, but if the idea of a packed tent going crazy to a Motley greatest hits set doesn’t excite you, then you’re either boring or just not drunk enough. Big? No. Clever? Not in the slightest. Fun? Oh yes, and then some.

SUNDAY:

Sunday morning arrives, and the last couple of days’ partying is clearly starting to catch up with most of the crowd. Not that THE GHOST OF A THOUSAND care, as they blast away any remaining cobwebs with half an hour of hardcore rock n’ roll fury. Over on the Dimebag Darrell stage, stoner-punk merchants the CANCER BATS boast not only a impressive arsenal of bowel-loosening riffs, but also a brilliantly hyperactive frontman in vocalist Liam Cormier. The small but appreciative crowd love them, and so they should.

From here on in, things can only get harder and heavier, as UNEARTH‘s scorching metalcore attack turns the tent into a war-zone. The music is impressive enough, but what truly astonishes about this lot is that there’s absolutely no let-up in intensity throughout their entire set. DEVILDRIVER take that ball and run with it, unleashing scathing metallic hell on a grateful crowd that eagerly honours frontman Dez Fafara’s request for a giant circle pit; one that stretches around no fewer than six tent posts. If you missed it, go look on Youtube now.

Back on the main stage, LAMB OF GOD show just why they have frequently been hailed as the finest groove metal crew since Pantera’s heyday, treating the crowd to a truly – ahem – vulgar display of power. As ‘Redneck‘ ignites no fewer than five circle pits, plus a thick volley of crowdsurfers, it’s clear that these five Virginia boys are onto something special.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE‘s stage presence suffers somewhat due to the absence of lead guitarist/band comedian Adam Dutkiewicz (due to ongoing back problems), but it’s obvious from the epic sing-along to ‘The End Of Heartache‘ that the crowd is very much on their side. No wonder vocalist Howard Jones can’t stop smiling. No such warmth from DIMMU BORGIR, though; who rip through forty minutes of prime Finnish black metal at cranium piercing velocity. They’re tight as hell, as harsh as you could want, and although you may laugh at their stage garb, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer aural brutality on show.

Donington has long been IRON MAIDEN‘s home from home, so it’s a shame that tonight, Bruce and co. merely entertain where they should electrify. Last year’s ‘A Matter Of Life And Death‘ album was their finest effort in years, but only ‘These Colours Don’t Run‘ truly gels with the rest of the set, which is largely made up of classic – but somewhat predictable – tunes from the band’s ‘Number Of The Beast’ era. The sound of the crowd joining in for ‘Run To The Hills‘ and the closing ‘Hallowed Be Thy Name‘ is still an awe-inspiring experience, and there’s clearly no end of adulation for the band, so here’s hoping that next year’s tour will see Iron Maiden slaying stages like they have done so many times before.

Alex Gosman.

All photos courtesy of Niki Kova’cs

Jehst/Asaviour
Task Force
The Forum
01.06.07

Walking into the Forum at 9pm and seeing a venue empty save around 10 people wasn’t the sort of sight I expected when entering the building that would see the Juggaknots first ever show in the UK. With classic tracks such as Trouble Man and Jive Talk being loved everywhere, I was sure it was going to be a pumped up, rowdy crowd.

However, by 10pm, DJ MK and Ghost were still on the decks, throwing up the usual club fare from Big L through Mobb Deep and Wu Tang to Biggie. Task Force finally got a chance to get on stage after some “technical difficulties” and Chester P and Farma G were on top form, knocking out the brilliant Wah Blow [trying hard to get the small crowd to make a noise] and the always fun Graff Da Bus Up with Farma G’s Cake thrown in for good measure, not to mention Chester’s introduction of Farma’s son Remus when he said “Remus, representing his half term”.

Jehst then bounded on stage for the end of their set, with Chester P throwing in a little something off the top and Asaviour was close behind. Jehst, it seemed, had been spending his waiting time boozing as he was a little jolly and forgot his lines a few times. It didn’t ruin the night however, as his continual “what the fuck is UP Forum?” brought smiles to everyone’s faces. Running through Psychedelic Phlegm, People Under The Weather, Citizen Smif, High Plains Anthem and Pepper Spray [featuring nice cameos from Sir Smuf Lil and Kashmere], Jehst proves that even when he’s half-cut, he’s still the best rapper out there.

I wasn’t able to stay for the majority of the main event, as the limited confines of trains out of London dictated I had to vamoose thanks to the very late start of the night, but seeing Breezly Brewin and his crew, along with Pumpkinhead and the rest of Brooklyn Academy made sure that those who did manage to get out to the show, didn’t have a wasted journey.

Abjekt
[Photo taken from Juggaknots set at Scribble Jam 06 – by Abjekt]

Undercut
Central Station, Wrexham
31.05.07

You have to admire the energy and passion of Bristol boys Undercut. Playing their blend of enigmatic rock to a half full room in Wrexham, they could have been playing a packed out Wembley for all the vigour and unwavering enthusiasm on display.

Looking like a band completely comfortable with each other, they continue to put on a blistering performance that would make even the most experienced of live performers envious. Utterly enthralling to watch, frontman Johnny Benn weaves his way through stomping tracks which swing between 90’s inspired indie and all out rock n roll.

Undercut play every note like they mean it and their flashes of brilliance tonight only hint further towards their overwhelming potential. It surely is only a matter of time before they evolve into a band that everyone is talking about.

It’s The Crimea though that most of the slightly older crowd have come to see tonight. Forming from the ashes of The Crocketts, their music lies somewhere in indie mixed with punk and folk, taking cues from artists like The Pogues. The heat has got up to epic proportions on stage and the band, led by Davey MacManus look to be wilting but with pleasantries out of the way they kick off their show and instantly their music seems to work much better live than it does on record.

There is no jumping around here, no leaping or shrieking, in fact your man MacManus barely moves an inch all night, but what they lack in charisma they make up for in emotion. Refreshingly unpretentious, the feelings and passion in their songs is authentic and although they won’t whip you into a frenzy, it’s an assured, well rounded performance in this intimate environment by ones of the UK’s most underrated bands.

Words and photos by Jane Hawkes

Shellshock
Chinese Finger Trap
London Fly Bar
22.05.07

Outside the Fly Bar this evening is a cluster of disappointed kids, who have been refused entry due to not having adequate ID. It’s an unfair situation; not just for the kids themselves, but also for the bands playing here, who would no doubt have been glad for the extra support.

High time for a shake-up of the licensing laws, methinks. Still, the Chinese Finger Trap guys don’t seem too bothered about the small turn-out as they rip through their Blood Brothers-esque twisted hardcore with an impressive disregard for the size of the tiny stage, and each other’s safety.

The room fills up considerably in time for Shellshock‘s set, and with good reason too. Drum n’ bass and metal influences may not be the most likely of bedfellows, but this London quartet mix them inventively and fluidly, in a manner arguably not heard since Pitchshifter unleashed their ‘www.pitchshifter.com‘ album on us nearly a decade ago. The result sounds not unlike Asian Dub Foundation playing death metal, with razor-sharp riffs, scattershot beats and punishing vocals flying in every direction. Thrilling stuff.

From Grace may be disappointed for their underage fans, but their onstage enthusiasm certainly hasn’t suffered as a result. Barely a few seconds into the opening shred-fest that is ‘Rise Again‘, vocalist Alex Augustyn has already launched himself into the midst of the small but frenetic moshpit, where he remains for most of the set. Songs like ‘Streets Of Rage‘ and ‘Blood Of My Blood‘ take on a new urgency and brutal edge tonight; not least due to a devoted crowd that clearly know every single word, and are not afraid to prove it.

It may be early days for these Bromley boys, but when witnessing such a loyal following as theirs, it’s hard to shake the feeling that this could be the start of something special. Overall, tonight is a potent reminder of just how much the UK’s underground metal and hardcore scenes have to offer.

Alex Gosman

London Astoria
12.05.07

Kudos are definitely due to Rise Against for bringing over one of the best punk rock tours to hit these shores in a long time. The venue may be only half full by the time the Cancer Bats hit the stage, but vocalist Liam Cormier clearly doesn’t care as he bounces around the stage like a punk rock cheerleader.

The quartet’s potent brand of stoner punk sounds impressive enough on record, but in the live setting, it’s nothing short of brutal; the thunderous rumble of ‘Hundred Grand Canyon‘ deservedly whipping up a small but chaotic pit in the centre of the dancefloor.

Trust the Bronx to go one step further, with singer Matt Caughthran actually clambering into the midst of the sweaty masses for a couple of songs. There’s an almost tangible sense of danger to this lot; not least in the way that songs like ‘White Guilt‘ constantly threaten to collapse into sheer sonic warfare, and not even Matt’s terrible dancing can take away from the intensity of an all-too-brief set that remains utterly thrilling throughout. God bless The Bronx; may they forever remain a marketing department’s worst nightmare.

Only the bravest (or most foolish) of souls would dare follow these guys onstage, and tonight Rise Against aren’t quite up to the task. They give it their all, mind; bursting through the likes of ‘Chamber The Cartridge‘ and ‘Black Masks And Gasoline‘ with no little conviction, and vocalist Tim McIlrath is clearly delighted to be playing his band’s biggest UK headline show to date.

The sound is spot on, and new guitarist Zach Blair is evidently more than comfortable in the RA fold, but ultimately it’s their misfortune to be merely good on a night when their support bands ooze pure punk rock excellence.

Alex Gosman
Photos by Niki Kova’cs