Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes
London
1/6/09
Free shows of this calibre are a rarity, so kudos are due to Brighton hardcore crew The Ghost Of A Thousand for throwing tonight’s bash as a release party for their belter of a second album – ‘New Hopes, New Demonstrations‘. However, such shows always seem to attract a mix of the genuinely interested and those who simply have nothing better to do on a hot summer evening, which tonight ensures that the bands have to compete with the outside smoking area for the crowd’s attention.
Warship fail to shake the majority of the crowd out of their heat-induced stupor, although vocalist Francis Mark’s history in Long Island bruisers From Autumn To Ashes ensures that those assembled are at least curious. Mixing passages of intricate calm with thunderous, sludgy riffs, they sound pretty impressive, and deservedly draw several extra punters away from the bar. Outcry Collective frontman Steve Sitowski is certainly not lacking in enthusiasm or energy, and his band’s raucous, full-pelt attack manages to compensate for his endearingly crap between-song banter. Did you know his mum’s a great bowler? Neither did we.
“Right, this is our party!” declares The Ghost Of A Thousand vocalist Tom Lacey, and indeed, it is only as they rip through an eardrum-shattering ‘Bright Lights‘ that tonight actually feels like the party that it’s supposed to be. ‘New Hopes, New Demonstrations’ sees TGOAT sounding heavier and more confident than ever before, and it translates well into the live setting; with a decent sized pit roaring along to songs old and new, and the band seemingly thriving on the chaos that unfolds in front of them. By the end of their set, the bowling lanes have been all but abandoned, with folks clambering on chairs and tables to get a better view of the stage. A fine end to a great bill, and the lasting impression is that crowd apathy is no problem for TGOAT when they’re on such blistering form.
Alex Gosman