The legendary anarcho-punks play a ripper of an intimate London gig!
Tonight, it’s heartening to see plenty of young folks show up to see a veteran band, and indeed, youthful State Sanctioned Violence vocalist Owen gives a shout out to Subhumans for inspiring his own band and “putting politics at the front and centre of their music”. Dick Lucas’ anarcho-punk crew may have emerged in more innocent times, but their unflinching state of the world address is – regrettably – still as relevant as ever, and has clearly struck a chord with yet another new generation of punks.
Speaking of things being struck, we can’t help but feel sorry for Owen’s mic stand – and his mic, for that matter. They both come in for some serious abuse, but hey, if that’s what it takes for State Sanctioned Violence to deliver a performance of this intensity, then who are we to complain? The London quartet continue to get ever tighter – witness guitarist Andy’s shredding on ‘Hunger Crawls Inside’ – and their fusion of crust, thrash and d-beat ever nastier and more potent. A pit kicks off about halfway through their set, and it’s high time, too; here’s to even larger and crazier ones to come.
Like the headliners, Lost Cherrees started out well over forty years ago, but still sound remarkably sprightly. The sextet’s dual lead vocal attack is something more bands should try, especially if they can balance raw energy and anthemic choruses as well as Lost Cherrees do on the likes of ‘Tsunami Of Shit’ and the hardcore-tinged ‘EDL’. Once again, that pit bursts into action; the band are clearly delighted at the unfolding chaos, and – quite rightly sensing victory – depart with ‘Living In A Coffin’ and the knowledge that they’ve deservedly gained a fair few new fans this evening. Great stuff.
From the moment Subhumans kick off a 20-odd song set with ‘All Gone Dead’, we know that this is going to be on a whole new level to their set at last year’s Rebellion Festival (and they weren’t exactly slouches back then). The music hits harder, Dick’s practically spitting in your face, there’s no barrier – it’s all just that much more intense, and the crowd responds in kind. Signature Brew gets increasingly hot and sweaty, and quite rightly so.
The energy and quality levels never dip throughout the set, but as ever, the “drink, sex, cigarettes…” sing-along to ‘Apathy’ and the following ‘Fear And Confusion’ really do confirm the band’s status as the kings of sardonic social commentary. They can’t fail in front of such a partisan crowd, and it’s heartening that said crowd listens carefully and applauds Dick’s highly worthwhile explanations of the songs played this evening. Remember the days when all punk bands had something to say? Personally, I was too young, but it must have been a golden age, and undoubtedly one which shaped Subhumans as they are today.
They’d probably hate to be saddled with the ‘reliable’ tag, but in an increasingly uncertain world, it’s good to be reminded that Subhumans are still as smart, vitriolic and passionate as they’ve ever been. Long may they continue to rage.
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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