Tonight, the New Cross Inn is sold out, and it’s heartening to see such demand for such a diverse bill!
The label ‘hardcore’ simply isn’t enough to describe the bands; they’ve all taken influence from the genre, for sure, but they’ve twisted it to suit their own musical visions, and there’s a sense in the air that this evening will be full of surprises.
Ancient Lights give it their all with a fierce, abrasive anarcho-punk attack. Heavily tattooed vocalist Alex is as articulate between songs as he is scary when barking his way through the likes of ‘Seen But Absent’ and ‘But What About The Children?’, and a decent size crowd gradually edges their way towards the stage. Great stuff, but perhaps that certain extra something (or someone) is needed to spark off the pit.
Very handy, then, that Clobber are up next. “Don’t make me fuckin’ come down there!” That’s frontman Charlie, who soon makes good on his threat, even ending up on top of the bar during a vitriolic ‘Tottenham Court Road’. Now boasting an extra guitarist, their street-core anthems sound even more massive than before (if that is indeed possible), and it’s rare to see a band so tight, yet also so at ease with themselves.
Oh, and by the time they close with ‘World’s Gone Mental’, the pit itself is also going pretty damn mental. Ladies and gentlemen, Clobber have truly arrived, and we can’t wait to see (and hear) what they’ll do next.
Where others may pulverise, Poison Ruïn mesmerise, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all – as evidenced by the increasing numbers of folks dancing and yelling along down the front. The Philadelphia quartet deal in atmospheric, black-hearted punk rock cloaked in medieval imagery, and soon prove the most compelling band of the night, ripping through their fifteen-song set with the kind of conviction you’d associate with a band who are ready – if need be – to go down fighting.
It’s all beautifully bleak, and it feels like music made by outsiders for outsiders. Predictably, it’s their (probably) best-known track ‘Harvest’ that incites the loudest roars of approval, but there are no weak links here. As debut UK shows go, this’ll take some beating.
Home Front are unorthodox, to say the least. The Canadian quintet’s keyboard player adds an electronic edge to the evening’s proceedings; imagine if Depeche Mode or New Order decided to mix elements of street punk into their sound, and you’ll have a rough idea of where these folks are coming from.
They all look like they’re having a blast, but the true star of the set (and possibly of the night) is indefatigable vocalist Graeme. He bounces around in a manner equal to any self-respecting hardcore vocalist, exhorting the crowd to greater efforts as he leads them through the terrace-chant choruses of ‘New Face Of Death’ and ‘Nation’ – the latter sparking some serious stage-diving. You get the feeling that he and his band are going to need bigger stages, and with performances like these, they may well get some.
Certainly not a bunch of typical mosh crews, then, but this evening was always about so much more. Here’s to all involved, with a tip of the hat especially due to promoter Real Life Presents for putting it all together. Cheers!
Main Photo Credit: ALEX GOOSE
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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