London, LA2
11/4/08
To describe tonight’s bill as a ‘shit sandwich’ would be a tad harsh; nevertheless, it seems unfair that Blackhole have to play first, despite easily being the best of the three support bands. Still, even as a tasty crust (rather than a wholesome filling), these young guns are pretty fucking fierce; with vocalist Rich Carter screaming his throat raw as his cohorts unleash an arsenal of bowel-loosening riffs on our ears. A finale of ‘Forever‘ (featuring a certain Frank Carter on guest vocals) provides the icing on a delicious hardcore cake.
Scary Kids Scaring Kids have some superb, gaudily coloured t-shirts for sale tonight, and their atmospheric intro tape is a nice touch too. Unfortunately, the band themselves are offering nothing new; with too many of their sugary melodic choruses and chugga-chugga breakdowns sounding all too familiar. Drop Dead Gorgeous initially sound more promising; announcing their arrival with a Converge-esque burst of discordant, polyrhythmic noise. But it’s not long until vocalist Danny Stills begins his over-earnest bleating, which prompts a sizeable exodus of punters to the bar.
Needless to say, when ETID themselves take the stage, the cheers from the crowd are as much of relief as they are rapture. Not to say that ETID don’t inspire rapture from their fans, mind; this is the band’s first UK headline tour in well over two years, and Keith Buckley and co don’t disappoint, hurling out the likes of ‘Off Broadway‘ and ‘ Rendez Voodoo‘ with no little panache. Last year, they released an excellent album called ‘The Big Dirty‘, and that is exactly how they sound tonight; fast, furious, filthy, and boasting riffs huge enough to house a family.
At times, it’s hard to tell who’s having more fun; the band, who charge around the stage like bulls on heat, or the crowd, who constantly seethe, writhe and bounce like one huge, multi-limbed, sweat-drenched monster. Now that London and ETID have shown each other what they’ve got, here’s hoping we don’t have to wait too long for the band’s return.
Alex Gosman