Kingston Peel
10/4/06
Wander up to the merch stall inside Kingston Peel tonight, and you’d probably notice a guy sitting behind it, wearing a Minor Threat t-shirt and baseball cap. To the casual observer, he could be just one of the increasingly packed crowd in this small suburban venue; in fact, he is none other than MC Lars, the self-styled ‘post-punk laptop rapper’ whom everyone has come to see. His anonymity may be on the wane, thanks to some recent high-profile support slots and his duties as compere at last year’s Give It A Name festival, but he’s clearly staying true to the DIY ethics that have served him so well; by playing local shows such as tonight’s and happily chatting to the crowd of fans congregating around him.
Although Mr Lars is a huge hip-hop fan, he’s better known (and possibly more respected) in punk rock circles, and hence local(ish) hip-hop quintet Top Chess are greeted with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Sure, they can’t rap very well, and Goldie Lookin’ Chain do this kind of thing far better, but it’s hard not to raise a smile at songs about ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, plumbing problems and accidentally locking yourself out of the house.
The Riverclub may tackle heartbreak and other emo-friendly topics in their brief set, but thankfully are not too distressed to rock out, with addictive pop-rock choruses and squiggly synth in abundance. They’ve got a great stage presence for a band with only one EP behind them, and songs like ‘Call If You Want To’ deserve the ensuing sing-alongs and mini moshpit from the devoted few down at the front.
Opinion is divided as to MC Lars’ rapping skills, but it’s undeniable that he’s a born entertainer; devoted to ensuring that he and his audience have as much fun as possible. Touring for the first time with a three-man band (as opposed to just his trusty laptop), beefed-up versions of early efforts such as ‘Mr Raven’ soon have the whole venue bouncing and waving in approval.
Lars has plenty to say, too; ‘Download This Song’ and ‘Signing Emo’ are amusing but accurate critiques of the state of today’s music industry, whilst a short spiel about safe sex leads to an unexpected cover of the Bloodhound Gang’s ‘The Bad Touch’. Intrinsic to the success of his show is the intimate atmosphere; as Lars talks and jokes with the crowd, it’s as if he’s performing to a group of close friends. And why not? We know all the words, after all.
It’s all about the paradoxes with MC Lars; the fact that he plays local shows whilst writing world-class tunes; the fact that he can bring a party atmosphere to any venue whilst rapping with a sense of social awareness. If he can keep this balance up, who knows how far he could go? Don’t bet against him.
Right, let’s get this out of the way first because everyone dwells on it far too much. Yes, Akala is Ms Dynamite’s brother. There, now we’ll move on. The Barfly’s crowd wasn’t bad, it wasn’t packed but it certainly had enough people in there to create a good vibe, and it didn’t take much to persuade them that it was time to get moving. As his live band started the proceedings, Akala, decked out in a white hoodie, popped up on stage, told everyone to move forward and then he got busy.
As his band mates stand triumphantly beside him, it’s these simple words from a beaming Joey Belladonna that allow everyone in attendance to fully appreciate the magnitude of what stands before them. Fronted by former Armoured Saint vocalist John Bush for the better part of the last two decades, tonight signals the return of a line-up that many always considered to be Anthrax’s true form (that’s front man Joey Belladonna, Guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz, Bassist Frank Bello and Drummer Charlie Benante respectively).
Hats off to the folks at Gravity DIP Records for putting on this show; it’s a line-up that certainly warrants leaving the house on a freezing Wednesday night. Kill Kill Disconnect’s propulsive indie rock is a welcome treat for the early birds, but it’s Boom In The Diamond Industry who really get the party started, mixing up scratchy guitars with supremely addictive grooves on anthems-in-waiting like ‘The Gift’. It’s still early days for the ‘Industry boys, but they’ve got confidence and tunes in spades, and even manage to get most of tonight’s previously static crowd dancing. Awesome stuff.
Rarely the roles reverse at a gig when the supporting band draws a larger crowd than the headline act. Originating from Leeds/Sheffield Volcanoes are a less than conventional Indie band, attracting a diverse audience.
You never know when you might discover your new favourite band, so try and give support acts a chance. Imagine Bloc Party and the Mars Volta wrestling each other in a pit of post-hardcore filth, and you’ll have a rough idea of what Keiko sound like. Unfortunately, the half-empty venue does their sound few favours; and whilst the band give it their all, the constant echo robs them of their subtle edge. Shame.
It’s not often you get to sit in pews to see Ian Mackaye perform a show, so this was an exceptional opportunity.
We are reminded that we can still rock whilst seated but also that we cannot take life for granted. You see, the political undertone to accompany such beautifully crafted songs is so much more apparent when you see this band live, as they have time to talk between songs and explain the meanings behind the lyrics. People reading this who are tuned into Mackayes previous bands such as Minor Threat, Fugazi, Skewbald, Egghunt, Embrace and Teen Idles will know all too well that Ian Mackaye has very strong feelings about how the dark side of life drains us. We are talking mainly about Government abuse, how we are conditioned into thinking the way they want us to think, all delivered to us in such a subtle way that it can be overlooked by most of us on a daily basis.
With thunderous applause filling the church, Ian’s precision plucking started the sleepy melodious drive of “On The Face Of It“. This song is one of my personal favourites on their album, as it is one of those songs that takes you out of normality and directly into cotton wool. It was followed with “All These Governors“, Ian explains how Governments “are like the weather, they come and go“, which lifts the chilled atmosphere, supplying yet another classic song to the static, seated crowd. This is just sublime and by now I am one of 500 people feeling in awe of such a show, it was simply unique.
If you like The Strokes, Editors and Interpol then youll love these guys…Kill the Young are 3 brothers from Manchester in their early 20s, they formed the band 7 years ago and so far have played over 350 gigs. They played at In The City last year and were signed off the back of that performance to French label Discograph who released their debut single ‘Origins of Illness’ and self titled album in France in 2005 and this year they have plans to conquer home turf..I caught them midway through their UK tour when they played Club NME. 
It was like being transported back 5 or 6 years when I walked past the World’s End, next to the venue. Kids wearing huge baggies, key chains, nu metal patches and t-shirts, all lined up to see the return of (hed)pe. I was looking forward to it, and had been bumping their album Broke in anticipation for what I expected to be a pretty rowdy show.
Apathy and disinterest are reactions that most support bands have to get used to very quickly. Every now and then, however, the roles are reversed and the supposed main attraction gets an unexpected kicking from the lower end of the bill.