Propagandhi + Comeback Kid @ The Electric Ballroom Camden London (17/04/2013) Review

I'm back! Momentarily anyway. Before I start the review, I thought I'd apologise for my absence and lack of reviews. I know it's been a while since my last post, but unfortunately revision has had to take priority over my blog, so sadly I just didn't have time to review Dead Swans final show or Broadway Calls. But for anyone who was wondering, Dead Swans were epic! As were every other band on the bill, especially Gnarwolves (who also supported Broadway Calls) and Landscapes. Anyway, I have managed to spare a little time to review Propagandhi, so here goes!

To say I was excited for this gig was an understatement. It seems like a very rare occasion that Propagandhi venture over to our shores to grace us with their politically driven brand of hardcore punk, (so rare that this was in fact my first time seeing Propagandhi). This was one of the few opportunities to witness one of the most passionate and long-withstanding bands in the hardcore and punk, being one of only four UK dates across the whole tour. And if Propagandhi's live reputation and quality of music or rarity of a Propagandhi show isn't enough to give you goosebumps, the addition of Comeback Kid, Shai Hulud and War on Women to the bill certainly will be! For anyone who is still religiously attached to 'old' Propagandhi may be confused by the choice of bands, but with Propagandhi's continuing progression into a more hardcore and metal influenced sound in their 2012 album Failed States, they were a perfect choice. 

To start off my night of Hardcore were Shai Hulud. Frankly, I had only really listened to them as a lead up to the gig, but I was fully aware of their eminence in the Hardcore scene. Propagandhi weren't lying when they said it was going to be a full house. Despite Shai Hulud being only the second band on out of four, the room was already filling to the brim within a few songs of their set. This seemed to play to their advantage. It took a while for Shai Hulud to really step into their stride but halfway through their set they had managed to get everyone in the front involved; as the venue continued to fill, more and more people ventured to the front thanks to the vocalists stage presence and charisma and their infectious breakdowns. By the end of their set it felt as though they were worthy of being a sub-headline act. 

And now for the moment that a lot of people have been waiting for: Comeback Kid. Even though Comeback Kid are playing down the road in merely 5 days at Camden Underworld, they had certainly attracted a few of their own fans to this gig. Kicking off with G.M Vincent and I from their most recent album Symptoms and Cures it was understandable that this was going to be a stark contrast to their upcoming Underworld gig, in which they will be playing their first two albums with their original line-up. Having spoke to a few people that went to gig without having listened to Comeback Kid much beforehand, they without a doubt had won over plenty of new fans, though I can't imagine how many new fans there were to be had at this rammed out venue. Being at the front, I felt the full force of the crowd behind me, and it was forceful! There was hardly any space to escape the ever growing pit.

This was probably about my fifth or so time seeing Comeback Kid but this was definitely the best. They've always seemed completely at home and compelling on stage, but somehow, god knows how, tonight they had grown as a band since I last saw them. Andrew Neufeld entered the room as though he owned the place, and rightly so. Throwing his weight around the stage and projecting his booming voice filling the room, he possessed everyone's gaze. Musically, they were just has good as they have ever been, blasting through old classics like Talk is Cheap and of course you can't forget Wake the Dead, which I'm sure was played even faster than last time. Their set left me breathless and eager to see them again. After this show, they may find their Monday show at the Underworld selling out rather quick. 

I would say next is Propagandhi, but instead, the stage was graced by a couple of activist from the Sea Shepherds. For anyone who doesn't know who the Sea Shepherds are, they're a conservation organisation aimed at protecting the ocean's wildlife. To read more go to http://www.seashepherd.org/ I understand that Propagandhi are an incredibly outspoken, socially conscious and politically active band, and this is obviously an issue close to their hearts, as they're also all vegan and animal rights activists. I understand it's great to get an opportunity like this to talk to hundreds of like minded people to promote your cause and I respect Propagandhi for giving them this opportunity, but at the end of the day, I'm here for Propagandhi. Any expression of opinions or beliefs at gigs should be expressed through music.

Anyway, enough on expressing my opinion on preaching at gigs (though that may be slightly hypocritical!) After little delay, Propagandhi surprisingly open with Dear Coach's Corner instead of the expected Failed States opener Note to Self. But honestly, they could not have picked a better song to set the pace of this gig: really fucking fast. The chaotic intro to Dear Coach's Corner showcased Propagandhi's relatively new metal influenced riffs and incredible technical work from David Guillas. And then to follow on with Fuck The Border, which accelerates on from Dear Coach's Corner and is one and a half minutes of sheer relentless speed. During Fuck the Border it's Todd Kowalski's turn to stun us with his impeccable musicianship.

Shai Hulud praised Propagandhi during their set commenting on how they aren't associated with either the Hardcore or Punk scenes, and that they stand out from the crowd, doing 'their own thing'. Judging from tonight, I couldn't agree more. Just looking around at the crowd alone, it's a mix of punks, hardcore kids and metal kids and everything in between. Regardless of their eclectic fan base, there are few bands that have managed to make the seamless transition from punk to hardcore to a more 'metal' influenced sound that Propagandhi have. They're able to mix songs like Rattan Cane (which to me has a very Converge-esque feel to it in the intro) with punk songs such as Apparently I'm a PC Facist.

It's not just the musical diversity and evolution of Propagandhi that never ceases to amaze me, but it's also their musical dexterity. There is not a single weak link in the band, and they take full advantage of their prowess. Being the punk fan that I am, I have to say, not many of the bands that I see live are particularly 'skilled', but Propagandhi are an exception. Not only are they impressively faultless throughout their set but throughout their epic 21 long set, they grasped onto everyone's attention, refusing to let go or relent. 

Finch - What It Is To Burn 10th Anniversary Show @ O2 Academy Brixton (22/03/2013) Review

Few bands of the 'post-hardcore' genre can say that they have played a venue the size of Brixton, and hardly any of them can say that they can play a venue of this magnitude after only two full-lengths, a hiatus, a reformation and then a break-up and then another reformation! It's even more shocking that Finch's second album of the two hardly made a blip on the post-hardcore radar, and that still, after a whole decade since it's release, What It Is To Burn, is still causing as much of a stir now as it was the day it was released. Having sold out Shepherd's Bush Empire, the venue was quickly upgraded, and here we are, outside Brixton academy, waiting for quite possibly my one and only chance to see one of the biggest post-hardcore bands play one of the most critically acclaimed and loved, if not the most, albums of all time in it's entirety.

First band I caught of the night was Mallory Knox. They may have been musically relevant, being, as many other bands are out there, basically a product of the What It Is To Burn album, but it certainly didn't feel that way tonight. Mallory Knox are certainly making waves among the up and coming rock scene, having just released their debut album Signals earlier this year and making the festival run this summer with Hit The Deck, Slam Dunk and Reading and Leeds, but unfortunately they hardly got a response tonight. Having a band that is popular among mostly teenagers, with only one two month old album under their belts, supporting a veteran post-hardcore band that has been around for over a decade, whose fan base is between 20 and 30 years old, just didn't work. Despite this, I had to admire their enthusiasm on stage. Mikey Chapman's vocals were excellent and Lighthouse did manage to raise a few heads. Though their poppy infused post-hardcore just didn't ring with the crowd tonight.

And surprise, surprise the intro to New Beginnings echoes around the colossal Brixton Academy, and the hour long sing along ensues. Finch appeared to get off to a great start, with not a single person in the audience stood still, and not a single word was unsung. Of course with an album like What It Is To Burn, in which every single track is a stand alone anthem, the response is going to be epic. Nonetheless, about half way through, once the momentum of the anticipation of seeing Finch had died down, and of course once Letters To You had already been played, I started to notice that Finch didn't seem to share the same energy. I wasn't alone. The crowd started to lose energy and enthusiasm. Yes, they did say that apparently tonight was the best show they've ever played, but I highly doubt that! It was probably just a poor and desperate attempt at getting the crowd excited again. For the most part they seemed un-focused, impersonal and withdrawn. By the time that Ender came on, the crowd had fallen into a deep lull.

To make matters worse, when you didn't think the crowd could get any less bothered, they started playing songs that weren't on What It Is To Burn. I am aware that Finch simply cannot rely solely on What It Is To Burn to make up their set list, it simply would not be long enough, but honestly, they really could have done without playing old unheard tracks. It even would have been better if they had played Letters To You and second time acoustically, as opposed to playing anything else! Instead Nate played the little known Once Upon My Nightstand solo to a disappointed and confused crowd, made worse by the fact that his voice did seem a little out of tune. They didn't even play anything off Say Hello To Sunshine. And so it was left up to the crowd to get the momentum flowing again for the finale title track, What It Is To Burn. At least it ended on a high.

With a year like the last, with countless reunions and comebacks such as Refused, Alexisonfire and Hundred Reasons just to name a few, Finch just didn't live up. That being said, the sheer quality of What It Is To Burn and the fact that is easily one of my favourite albums of all time meant that this gig was saved for me, and probably for almost everyone else. Despite Finch's poor effort, it didn't mean that the crowd couldn't at least enjoy singing along and experiencing a moment of sheer nostalgia and getting a chance to pretend they were their 15 year old emo self again. It was great to start off with, but unfortunately Finch did suffer in the middle from lack of interest in older material, which resulted in a disappointingly mediocre gig.

Godard/Like Home Split Review (2013)

So today I'm trying out something new. Recently I've been sent a few emails from bands with links to their EPs and albums asking me to review them, so I thought why not? Might as well give a little something back to the punk and hardcore community and try and promote some of the smaller bands out there. So here we go!

The first EP I shall be reviewing by request is the new split EP by British melodic punk/hardcore bands Godard and Like Home. The first half was mastered by the legend Pete Maher who has also mastered material by Nine Inch Nails , U2 and Depeche Mode just to name a few. In contrast, Like Home's half was mastered and recorded in a bedroom!

Kicking off this EP is Godard with the first two tracks, Carolyn Burnham Club and Santa Maria. Carolyn Burnham Club creeps in gradually with soft plucking building up into a coarse vocal introduction, reminiscent of Daylight or Hindsights, alternating and pleading, leading into a classic fast-paced melodic hardcore track. It is a clear EP opener with its attention grabbing introduction and its upbeat mid-section. The plucked guitar theme heard in the introduction and the coarse lyrics 'Stay there one more night...' is repeated throughout the song reeling me in by the hook. All in all, a great start with an incredibly well structured song. Santa Maria is a much more catchy and bouncy indie influenced number that's sure to bring in the sing-alongs. Again, this song was well produced and overall well written, with crescendos, diminuendos, small vocal and and instrumental interludes, but I did feel that the main 'My knuckles are red' theme was a little repetitive.

The second half of the EP features Like Home, a slightly punkier band from Hampshire. Their first track, entitled Drown, is uncannily like Title Fight, everything from the drumming to the vocals. It did make the lyrics 'We all sound the same' slightly ironic. That being said, I adore Title Fight so Drown was definitely a winner with me. It had everything from the raspy gang-vocals, to the calm interlude in the middle with the distorted solo guitar. Ernest Grace displays more aggression, and is lyrically wrenched from the heart: 'I swallowed my pride but it crawled back out me'.  Though again, it's very similar to Title Fight!

Overall, this album was obviously incredibly well mastered, very professional and sounds great, despite half of it being recorded in a bedroom. Though if any bad comment could be made is that it may have been a tad repetitive and wouldn't have worked over a whole album and it's been done before by bands like Basement and Title Fight. But if you are a fan of Basement and Title Fight, you will DEFINITELY like this EP, and with Basement (sadly) gone, Godard look set to step in behind them at take the role as the new British melodic hardcore/punk band. I'm sure you'll be seeing a lot of them on the bill at future hardcore and punk shows.

(7/10)

If anyone fancies a listen themselves here is the link: http://dstmpromotions.bandcamp.com/album/godard-like-home-split

They've also released their split on cassette. 

Yellowcard @ The Peel Kingston 03/03/13 Review

Attending gigs at the Peel is always a weird experience, let alone to see a band with the level of presence as Yellowcard. For anyone who has never been to or heard of the Peel, it is a little gem of a venue in the heart of Kingston suburbia. Located amongst stripper bars, kebab shops and council estate, it is the most unassuming of pubs; little would you know that tonight, history was going to be made: Yellowcard's first (two!) ever Kingston show(s). Banquet Records, an independent record store based in Kingston, has long been hosting big bands at tiny venues, such as All Time Low and You Me At Six just to name a couple, so it's about time that Yellowcard grace the stage.

Before the immense Yellowcard take us on a trip down memory lane, it's up to the Swedish quintent Like Torches (formerly know as You Ate My Dog) to warm us up (not that we need it in this sweat box!). I was honestly completely unaware that any kind of pop-punk/post hardcore scene existed in Sweden, possibly out of ignorance, but before this mammoth tour, Like Torches were not much more than a blip on the UK 'alternative' radar. Their show, however, would suggest otherwise. Starting this tour right on the back of the release of their new album, Keep Your Head High, which was produced by Yellowcard members Ryan Mendez and Ryan Key, this was the perfect opportunity for Like Torches to break across the channel and into UK scene. They weren't afraid of the challenge and they came out on stage as though they themselves were headlining. Their set had everything from sing-alongs, lead by the wonderfully harmonic voices of Jonathan and Daniel Kärn, to fast-paced percussion, breakdowns and pits. There wasn't a single song in the set that wasn't anything less than infectious! Though the songs Wounds Like These and Made Of Glass.

After their set I bought the album from them, and I have been listening to it all day, so for anyone that likes their post-hardcore bouncy and with lots of hooks, I recommend picking up Like Torches-Keep You Head High.

Signed Like Torches Album

In the sold out 250 capacity room that feels much more like someone's basement or garage rather than a venue that is just about to host one of the biggest pop-punk bands of all time, the atmosphere is electric. There is already sweat dripping from the ceiling and walls from the matinee show that ended hardly an hour before this one started. Then Yellowcard enter the room and deafening screams and yells erupt out of the mouths of this packed out room.

Undoubtedly they were a little put off by the matinee show, which from the sounds of it didn't resemble the kind of no barriers punk show they were expecting, and they were not going to have another one like it. The moment they got on stage, they demanded a real punk show. No photos. No idle standing around. Everyone had to get involved. Without further ado, Yellowcard blared in with Southern Air openers The Awakening and Always Summer.

One danger with this tour was the fear that either it was going to be nothing more than a nostalgia trip, replaying Ocean Avenue start to finish and not moving forward musically, or that their new material was not going to have the same impact as their established classics and simply wouldn't live up to the name. I don't know what other shows were like, but this show certainly did not suffer from either. Yellowcard were not shy from playing their less heard new material as demonstrated with their opening tracks. Perhaps it was because it was such a small intense and intimate gig, and filled with the more committed fans that no song was unknown or got anything less than a full sing along. Despite this, it is undoubtable that Yellowcard are definitely back on form. If the pop-punk era was just as influential and popular as it was when Ocean Avenue was written, Southern Air would have been an album of classic pop-punk anthems. The Awakening is already one of my favourite ever Yellowcard songs, and it seemed like the rest of the crowd felt the same.

It did take a while for Yellowcard to really get into the set, possibly because of the disappointment of the matinee show (sorry for anyone who was there!), but soon enough, it became apparent that this show was a different affair. There wasn't a single person who didn't have a massive grin on their face; very few people were shying away from getting messy in the pit and at the front. Yellowcard demanded a circle pit to involve at least 3 females, and believe me, it doesn't happen that often, but they managed to get almost a dozen girls involved. It was the most positive, uplifting, all inclusive and just generally best atmosphere I have experienced at a gig for a long time if not ever. As every band does, Yellowcard said that this was the best gig that they have played all tour, but for once I actually believed them.

Despite a couple of technical difficulties affecting Ryan Mendez, Yellowcard were spotless. Any band that can pull off playing an electric violin on stage at a tiny little raucous pop-punk show should get a lot of praise!  And Yellowcard didn't just pull it off, Sean Mackin was exceptional. You could see and feel from the floor how humid it was up on stage, and when Sean said his frets were melting, you couldn't be sure of whether he was joking.

Unfortunately, as the intro of Ocean Avenue, kicked in, we all knew that it was the end, the show was over. Truth be told, it has to be said that Yellowcard have aged since the days of Ocean Avenue, and they joked about how they can't handle these kinds of intense chaotic punk gigs, with no barrier, where people are free to jump on stage, any more. Though there was some truth behind this, it didn't stop Yellowcard from giving it their all and playing one hell of a brilliant gig.

YELLOWCARD FESTIVAL RUMOURS:
Yellowcard festival appearances were speculated about on the night. They admitted they really wanted to play Reading/Leeds but hadn't been asked yet.
Also, Yellowcard said that they have been confirmed to play another UK festival this summer but couldn't say which. Does anyone have any ideas? Slam Dunk, Download, Hevy....?

Rock Sound Impericon Exposure Tour @ O2 Academy Islington 23/02/2013 Review

It's six o'clock on a blisteringly cold Saturday evening, and the N1 shopping centre in Islington, normally frequented by Oasis and New Look regulars, is now packed with a hundred or so hardcore kids waiting outside in the biting wind to witness the mayhem that is the Rock Sound Impericon Exposure tour. Some might argue that this is just yet another corporate sponsored tour to add to the list, but from just looking at the line-up alone, it's obvious that this is not the case. Supporting both new and old, British and International talent, this tour is one of a kind. It's no wonder that this gig sold out even with Your Demise, who headlined this exact same tour last year, playing down the road. 

Even I hadn't anticipated the popularity of this tour, and also how intent people were on getting to the show early to see openers Landscapes. So to my dismay, after rushing out of the Emirates Stadium, scoffing down my Fish and Chips and turning up at the O2 at 6:20pm when Landscapes were due to start, I only managed to catch the very last song of their set. From what I could tell, the Landscapes set was probably quite disjointed due the sheer amount of people outside in the queue like me who were desperate to see them but only catching a mere fraction of their set. But not to worry! I only have to wait a month to see them at Dead Swans last ever show, so there will be a review eventually!

And so it was left to Stray From The Path to make up for my disappointing start to the gig, and they did not fuck about. If you had come to this gig, being unaware of any of the bands, you would have thought that this band could have been the headliners judging from the response of the crowd. The last time I saw them, was in support of Every Time I Die which was only 4 months ago, and I can say that Stray From The Path have come miles since then. Songs like Damien and Negative and Violent felt like hardcore classics and the pit was (I really hate this word but I really can't think of another word that does it justice!) brutal. Though they did suffer from poor sound as the classic Stray From The Path distortion and reverb just sounded like a broken mic.

Next up was British metalcore up and comers Bury Tomorrow. With their release of The Union of Crowns, which was arguably the best British metal(core) release of 2012, they again were definitely worthy of a headline shot. Though I was amazed that Bury Tomorrow seemed to get an ever shorter set that Stray From The Path, and probably only played about half a dozen songs. this might be part of the Rock Sound/Impericon deal or that the gig had to finish early due a club night, but with a band like Bury Tomorrow, they really deserve a much longer set that that. Nonetheless, even with their severely limited time slot, they managed to play some old favourites such as Waxed Wings and ended with the already classic Royal Blood. But they unfortunately still had to miss out some set regulars like You and I. I'm sure most people were in the same mind set as me when Bury Tomorrow left the stage, they NEED to do a headline tour soon. 

If Bury Tomorrow and Stray From The Path hadn't tired you out enough yet, there was still The Ghost Inside to finish you off. Undoubtedly, 2013 is going to be The Ghost Inside's year. A couple of years ago, it would have been unthinkable that they could have sold out a venue the size of O2 academy Islington and actually out-sold Your Demise. It feels like yesterday I saw them supporting Comeback Kid at ULU to a crowd that barely surpassed a couple of hundred. Today, The Ghost Inside rival the likes of Parkway Drive on stage. And with their new release Get What You Give, which saw them push the boundaries of hardcore and metalcore and develop their sound to incorporate clean vocals to create a more melodic sound. The Ghost Inside seem to have an unbeatable combination of breakdowns, gang-vocals, clean vocals, melody and emotion. 

Exploding onto the stage with Get What You Give opener This Is What I Know About Sacrifice sets the crowd off to a vicious start with an immediate breakdown, which TGI know how to do all to well. They were not going to give us any kind of breather or warm up as TGI sustain this anarchy with the second track off Get What You Give: Outlive. Instantly, O2 Academy was seen getting ripped apart from the inside by flailing wind-milling limbs. 

Despite the success of Get What You Give, the more established track from the TGI back catalogue were not neglected, notably Provoke and Faith and Forgiveness off their debut release commanded impressive pits and Unspoken and Chrono demanded throat-wrenching gang vocals. Nonetheless, it was still TGI's new releases that were the real highlights of the night, and foretell the inevitable success that they will achieve in hardcore. Closing with the, by now, most popular TGI track, Engine 45, saw by far the biggest pit and crowd sing-a-long of the night. Out of nowhere, Jonathan Vigil launched himself over the barrier and into the crowd along with his mic, ensuing sheer chaos. The mic is immediately lost among as it's grabbed and snatched by various anonymous hands, and before you know it, the gig is over before it's even 10 o'clock!

This is without a shadow of a doubt, the most enjoyable gig of 2013 so far with quite possibly an unbeatable line-up. That being said, every band on the line-up could have done with much more time. Either doors should have opened earlier to let people get in in time for Landscapes, or club nights should not be given priority over gigs! I'd rather the latter. 

Funeral For a Friend @ Relentless Garage London (18/02/2013) Review

Funeral For a Friend are one of those bands that most people at some point in their teenage years, probably during that regrettable emo phase, used be infatuated by, myself included. Fast forward to 2013, when emo is a dying culture, Funeral For a Friend are playing a sold out show at the Relentless Garage, which is a feat in itself. Though they aren't the same band that we listened to when we were fifteen. With the release of their new album Conduit, they have reinvented themselves, or more like returned to their roots with a much more hardcore influenced sound. How was this new (or old) sound going to go down with the crowd?

The opening act of the night was post-hardcore quintet I Divide. Despite being the opening act, having to deal with a mostly empty room with people straggling in through the entrance throughout their set, they were definitely the band which drew most attention to the crowd. They managed to get every single person at the front to sway their arms in unison. Mostly for an opening act, when the front man jumps down to the barrier, desperately trying to communicate with the audience, it's rather awkward, but for Tom Kavanagh, this was not the case, getting members of the audience to wail into the mic. However, at the end of the day, I Divide did sound like a band trying to reproduce the same kind of sound and success that bands like Sleeping With Sirens have achieved. However, they did it VERY well incorporating some insanely catchy vocals, stage presence and raw emotion. Even without having given them a proper listen beforehand, you couldn't help but get swept up in their addictive melodies. Judging from tonight, I Divide are definitely a band worth keeping an eye on.

This tour was definitely displaying modern pop-punk/melodic hardcore in its full force with up and coming bands Such Gold and Major League, the latter of which was my first full set of the night. Major League were always going to struggle tonight, this tour being their first ever time playing the UK, and also that the growing pop-punk scene, lead by bands like Such Gold and The Story So Far, doesn't really seem to ring with a lot of the audience tonight at FFAF. Though this didn't wear them down. In true pop-punk style, they came out up beat and bouncing, eager to play their new album Hard Feelings to some new ears. Technically, Major League were faultless. Their fast paced brand of pop-punk is just so insatiably uplifting that whether they liked it or not, the crowd found themselves happily bouncing away with them. Unfortunately, with the exception of the already fans and general fans of the melodic hardcore/pop-punk movement, I doubt Major League made many more.

And finally, half the reason I came to this gig: SUCH GOLD! For some reason it took me until the latter part of last year to discover and truly fall in love with them thanks to their incredible debut album Misadventures, and I've been waiting impatiently since then to see them. Finally I had my chance. Though unfortunately this wasn't quite the environment that I was hoping to see them in. There were only a handful of people in the crowd who seemed to know who they are despite being the largest of the three support acts. And Such Gold seemed to notice this fact too. The lack of enthusiasm from the crowd definitely seemed to affect the bands performance for the first part of their set, frequently making jokes about how tame the crowd were. Though this didn't stop the few who were just as excited as I was about such gold from two-stepping and screaming along to Storyteller and Two Year Plan.

Undoubtedly tonight was purely Funeral For a Friends night. As soon as Such Gold left the stage, people were already eagerly surging forward. As the intro to She Drove me to Daytime Television roared in, the crowd, old and young, male and female, metal or punk, erupted into a sea of unified bodies and voices. Expecting this gig to be primarily about the release of Conduit, I was surprised to hear a set which spanned their whole history as a band. But even after a whole decade of being a band, and after six studio releases funeral for a friend are still on top form. Its rare for a band to have so many songs which still prove crowd favourites, such as Juneau, history and roses for the dead, and with FFAFs return to their roots, they still manage to please the crowd.

The set list felt like it was telling the musical story and evolution of Funeral for a Friend as a band. The middle part of the set displayed funeral for a friends return to hardcore. Despite these songs not being as established as the rest, they made up for this in breakdowns which commanded pits that any hardcore band would be proud of. Its just not musically that funeral for a friend are being loyal to hardcore, its in ethics as well, quoting Toby Morse of H2O "passion before fashion" (though I think this reference was lost on much of the crowd). Furthermore, there was a certain feeling that the current government and socio-economic situation in the UK may be slightly responsible for the increased aggression in funeral for a friend, citing the Tory government of the 80s responsible for the unemployment and struggles of Wales. It makes FFAF all the more relevant even today. 

Not only are Funeral For a Friend musically on top form, beyond shadow of a doubt, tonight was the best performance I have ever seen from them. It honestly felt like they had rediscovered themselves as a band after the few lost years of Memory and Humanity. Despite having played to crowds and in venues much bigger than this, FFAF genuinely seemed humble to be at the Garage. The songs Juneau and History could have brought tears to Matthew's eyes as surely every single member in the audience wailed along to every single word in perfect harmony. And from his speech to introduce Juneau, it's apparent that these songs still 
mean just as much, if not more, now as they did when they were first written.

Dropkick Murphys @ HMV Forum (18/01/2013) Review

Happy New Year! It's been a while since my last post due to lack of gigs and releases over the Christmas period, but I'm back to reviewing starting with my first gig of 2013: Dropkick Murphys.

Dropkick Murphys have been the band at the forefront of Celtic Punk ever since the release of the song I'm shipping up to Boston' and it's feature on the the Academy Award winning film The Departed. It's surprising to think that Dropkick Murphys, even with a reputation to rival bands like Bad Religion and Pennywise, are a relatively new song. Yet songs such as evidently I'm shipping up to Boston and The State of Massachusetts have become more or less anthems, or literally so for sport teams in Boston. Few punk bands have seen as much success in the charts as Dropkick Murphys. Their most recent release, Signed and Sealed in Blood, which was a huge success in the US, peaking at number 9, didn't make much more than a ripple over here in the UK, most people seeming relatively unaware of its release. Nevertheless with two consecutive sold out shows at the Forum, it's evident that their solid reputation hasn't faltered.

My first full set of the night was courtesy of the Fat Mike discovery Teenage Bottlerocket. Having been a fan for a couple of years after hearing them for the first time on the Mike Davies Punk Rock Show, I was pretty excited to be seeing them for the first time. Though unfortunately they seemed to suffer from the effects on the so-called 'snowstorm'. As Dropkick Murphys said later in the night, despite the night being sold out, 500 people couldn't make it, and I'm sure that most of the people that did manage to make it were late and missed Teenage Bottlerocket. Playing to a half empty room, it's always going to be tough to put on a good performance and fill the gaps in the room. Teenage Bottlerocket were bursting with energy, both musically and physically. The set was a whirlwind of fast-paced skate punk tracks with a hint of pop-punk and a welcomed cover of the Ramones classic Blitzreig Bop. It featured some of my favourite tracks Skate or Die and Radio. However their music does lack variety and became repetitive and Teenage Bottlerocket didn't seem to be having their best night, often slipping up in timing. Despite this, it was still an enjoyable set.

And finally, the moment we've all been waiting for, the Boston Celtic Punk Legends, Dropkick Murphys! Opening with the more than appropriate The Boys are Back from their new album, it gave a clear indication as to what this show was about. It was about continuing their riotous past and showing us that their new material is just as anthemic as their old: Dropkick Murphys are back.

Sure enough, their new tracks are as anthemic as their old. The set was certainly not lacking in features from Signed and Sealed in Blood, including their first single release Rose Tattoo and Prisoner's Song. These tracks received as much of a reaction and as loud a sing along as well-established songs. One thing Dropkick Murphys do have is variety. They definitely exploited this, playing the more recognisable fast-paced Dropkick Murphys songs we all know and love like Shipping up to Boston, but also experimenting by playing a country version of a song. Surprisingly they failed to include The State of Massachusetts, which was a disappointment. Though I wasn't completely convinced they managed to pull it off, it certainly made their set interesting.

Regrettably, Dropkick Murphys severely suffered from technical difficulties. Being forced to stop halfway through their set in the middle of Jimmy Collins' wake for possibly 10 minutes, it certainly created a rift in their set, several members of the audience even seemed to leave. The crowd lost momentum and energy, and what was originally a wild pit of Irish dancing faded away during the break and took much of the remainder of the gig to build bag up again. Though by the time I'm Shipping up to Boston kicked in, the pit was in full swing again. Finishing the set with new classic End of The Night and TNT (the AC/DC cover) complete with a full on stage invasion, the set managed to end on a high and overcome the technical difficulties until they were nothing more than a distant memory.