The Belgian mavericks go from strength to strength in London!
Truly, Ronker are a band on their way up. The Belgian quintet played a great gig at the New Cross Inn about a year ago, and since then they’ve released their second album ‘Respect The Hustle, I Won’t Be Your Dog Forever’, which has deservedly earned widespread plaudits. A shame, then, that there aren’t more folks present tonight, but you get the feeling that those who have shown up will be eager to spread the Ronker gospel – as are we.
We’re happy to see a large pedal board and a Fender Jaguar onstage before openers Test Plan kick off – does this mean we’re going to get some My Bloody Valentine-esque sonic wizardry? As it happens, we do; the trio almost constantly teeter on the edge of all-out sonic warfare on the likes of ‘My Teeth’ and ‘Walking In A Vacuum’, with their mix of noise rock and post-hardcore complemented by their drummer/vocalist’s deranged howl. We are well and truly shaken out of our lazy, sunny-day haze, and for that we salute them.
The Sad Season have less of a kitchen sink approach, but are no less compelling. Their vocalist cuts something of a Chris Cornell figure, with stage presence to burn, and indeed the insistent riffing and mournful atmospherics of ‘Tungsten Lights’ and ‘Breathing Out The Smoke’ would surely get the much-missed Soundgarden frontman’s seal of approval. They’ve had a debut album recorded and ready to go for over four years, apparently – here’s hoping it soon sees the light of day.
There’s never a dull moment at a Ronker gig, and from the moment the Belgian quintet take the stage to a grin-worthy intro tape of Justin Timberlake’s ‘SexyBack’, vocalist Jasper goes bonkers à la Ronker (bet he’s never heard that before). Whether riffing away on top of an upturned flight case, dancing with his mic stand or even planting a kiss on bassist Bram mid-song, it’s clear he’ll stop at nothing to make this a show in the true sense of the word.
All this wouldn’t count for much if they didn’t have the music to back up such antics, but few bands are straddling the noise rock, punk rock and hardcore camps as well as Ronker. With three guitars in their line-up, they – unsurprisingly – sound absolutely massive, with newer gems like ‘Tall Stories’ and ‘No Sweat’ utterly levelling all that stands before them – and even starting a small but volatile pit to boot. This is Ronker taken to a new level; more confident, blasting out every song with conviction, and boasting the kind of riffs that most bands would kill for.
Folks, if you’re reading this, please don’t wait for the next bizarrely-titled Ronker album to drop; these guys are truly on top of their game, and you’d be well advised to catch them next time they’re in town. Keep an eye (and ear) on them via the links below.
All Photos: 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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