Romania - Cluj-Napoca

rock norris - opened the show. local band. first show. they play something like mix between metalcore and melodic hardcore like strike anywhere and stuff like that. wasn't really impressed by their overall attitude, but they have time to grow.



stuck in a rut - by now the mixer got all fucked up. it took like 40 minutes to fix. the club had a curfew so we had to hurry and played without a sound check. it was still fun.



drip of lies - awesome band. they play a mix of dark hardcore and crust. it was a great show, everybody went insane.



vodka juniors - greek band. used to play tharshcore/skate punk but now they are into reggae,dub and stuff like that. played only the older songs. it was fun, songs are a little too long though.



no turning back - i wasn't expecting this band to rule so hard. sucks they had to cut it short because of the curfew. but they we're great. so much energy and such a positive attitude.and the guys in the band are really nice dudes. the negative approach cover made my night.







overall great show.

Bistritz Hardcore Brigade
Thrashsilvania Bandana Collective

New Morality

Le Pub, Newport 17/12/09

Is hc a product? Do we need more people at gigs wearing more t-shirts buying more vinyl? Does it come down to money at the end of the night? Don't get me wrong, a little bit of money will always make things easier for bands, so keep buying the merch, but DIY effort and self empowerment will give hc its legitimacy and ultimately its ability to last.

So what are live music, split 7 inches and shirt designs if they aren't products? They are energy, ideas and attitudes captured to help communicate the spirit of hc's fight back. New Morality are a perfect example of what live music can show about a band. I went to see them because I knew they would be great live. Cornered had set Le Pub on fire a few weeks ago and my impression is that dutch bands can be trusted to offer honesty, intelligence and passion. Ferdinand plays drums in both bands, Jonne is the bass player in Cornered and the frontman for New Morality. I was expecting something when they stepped up on stage but all of us in the crowd were in a strange mood. It was as if we wanted to be entertained. As if we were asking "What have you got?" This isn't fair because we should be giving our dutch friends an unconditional welcome after their long journey. But we just stood there...we weren't in the mood at all.

"So who is going to a funeral tomorrow?" Jonne asked. No one replied.

("What have you got?")
It's like we are treating the band as a product.
("We've paid our money. We've come out on a cold Thursday night...What have you got?")

And then, as the first chord sounded, we all found out! New Morality have an extra dimension as a live band. Jonne likes to force a reaction out of the crowd. He likes the fight and it is clear he doesn't want the easy life. He enjoys the pressure of challenging people's perceptions. He told me afterwards that he constantly wants to start an argument. An argument in its truest sense, a dialogue, a persuasion. A new morality? Yes, my guess is that his motivation is to inspire people to a fresh way of looking at life. Real values for real problems. Everything that New Morality showed onstage was a call to mobilise against the forces that have squeezed the vitality out of our old ideals. It is time to look at old things with a new clarity and resume the fight with more purpose.

We spoke after the gig about the rise of right wing politics in the Netherlands and the problem of lazy sloganeering in politics that goes unquestioned in the media. There is a danger that the lyrics of our favourite new bands are nothing more than words. They will be if we don't get inspired and get involved. New Morality showed how hc is so much more than a product.

"So who is going to a funeral tomorrow?"

Cornered

Le Pub, Newport 4/12/09

Tom from Ironclad had bumped into Cornered at a gig in Europe at the end of the summer. He was quick to invite them to Newport and now I know why. The lads from Northern Netherlands and their friends waited patiently around the merch stall and, when their time came, jumped onstage with hardly any time in setting up and then it blew!! What a ramraid!! They hit hard too but their sound is so uncomplicated. It is Gibson/Marshall power and every chord delivered with precision. They are confident of their identity and show a passion to deliver a more traditional sound, more melodic and clean. No wonder they travel so far and wide...they have found a recipe that works and in Niels they have a frontman who you have to take seriously. Before the gig we talked about how the hardcore scene is no place for egos and that everyone has a responsibility to keep it alive and well. He mentioned Warzone as an influence and that is a big fire to keep burning! What a difference they made! But when you see Cornered at work, you know why they are prepared to drive for hours to play a half a hour set. All of the frustration, anger and love is condensed into every note. But there's something more than that...every sound adds a bit of extra magic to the mix. Sets like this energise our lives and keep our music alive and urgent.

Famine/Frustration

Le Pub, Newport
5th October 2009

Famine are a band well capable of carving a path all of their own with a well crafted melodic sound and a lead singer that has a vocal style that is full of character and range. And you can feel their rich history in every note. It is no surprise to see that they have played with Have Heart and Verse (as Forging Friendships, who were the same line up) and they really do have the potential to fill the gap that these bands have left. I hope this comes across as high praise because these are big shoes to fill! They have a well connected record company for support (Hurry Up! ex Bridge 9 staff, I'm told) and I can see no limit to where Famine might go. The guitar sound is carefully worked, sometimes hanging and then it pulses.

Their tour with Frustration has taken in shows right across the continent and they have played packed venues (although the van broke down and they didn't quite make it to Croatia!). They have received kindness wherever they have travelled. Ian and Neal (vocals in both bands) told me that the scene in Poland (especially Poznan) is brilliant and it was interesting to hear that a Polish friend, who is working in Dublin, sorted out two of their three gigs. I'd not thought that migrant workers may have a part to play in adding to our scene here in South Wales! The more the merrier, hc is a global community after all! They tell me that the Dublin scene is strong with lots of young bands putting on a variety of gigs and then there are always the visitors to support. I see from flyers that Betrayed and Agnostic Front have played recently, Madball soon. Galway city is another option but it seems that Belfast is offering little at the moment.

Famine will now return home and write new material since a few tracks on their CD are older songs. Huge possibilities, the promise of it all is mind blowing. Frustration, on the other hand, are only nine months old and have already travelled so far. They already show an accomplished melodic style that paints a broad picture. They have a 7 inch to promote on their return to Ireland and I bet their friends will hardly recognise them! They will have grown no doubt and be a stronger band for this trip. Along with Famine I can see a Dublin sound emerging with passionate lyrics of city life to the sound of those power chords hanging in the air just waiting for the breakdown! I can see droves of us from South Wales on the ferry as soon as possible.

Paint It Black/Ceremony

Le Pub Newport
27th September 2009

This gig was unmissable. It promised so much and it delivered. Two bands who have taken different styles to the limit and still show signs of stretching further and taking hardcore to new places. Complete contrasts too. Paint It Black have intent that is crystal clear, directed, to the point. Ceremony are like a natural disaster, a flood, an earthquake, awesome natural power that takes its own course. Both sets were delivered with honesty, energy, passion and precision. They are bands at the height of their powers and this gig (and probably the tour too) felt like the end of something. They will definitely launch into something new next time. They cannot be tamed. There is too much to be contained, too much going on.
It was announced that this would be the last Paint It Black gig for a while because Dan is going to be a father within the next fortnight. It is inevitable that this will have an effect and I hope that he continues to share his new experiences in his writing. This would add a fascinating new dimension to his lyrics. He has the wit and intelligence to bring reality to all situations and, as a father of two, I look forward to his response to this new chapter in his life. Paint It Black communicate so well and show great unity as a band. They will surely return when the time is right, when the right things need to be said in the right way.
Ceremony, on the other hand, could explode at any moment. They seem totally unpredictable. They are essential and pure. They are pushing the hardcore formula to extremes and seem catastrophic but deliver their songs with such skill. Their energy is focused and their voice is so distinct. They are mesmerising. So many hardcore bands lack their danger, their edge, their rage.
These bands have to be seen. They are both far beyond just being bands. They give you more than music. Wake up and live.

What's life without love? What's love without hate? (Troubled Waters)

Now I try to give more than I take. But there's more at stake... (Sacred)

ON

Le Pub Newport
17th September 2009

It's a very subtle wind that has brought ON together. With the pedigree that they have (Go It Alone, Champion, Blue Monday), it is surprising that they still are uncertain of the response that they will get as they drift into new territories, driving through the night to whatever awaits them. It seems that they are living in the moment and, from the way that they play and the passionate way that they talk, they are taking nothing for granted. Musically they are still talking about where they will be lead and it's the same open hearts that have found packed venues in Eastern Europe and a few curious glances on the west coast of Ireland. But ON's beauty is they treat them just the same. There's a real maturity to their slowburn approach, using contacts and friends for tours and releases so they can keep in full touch with and possession of what they are. They met through the west coast community, which they report has a reliable network of venues, but don't seem offended by being seen as Seattle in character. Their city suits them well. Like it, they show talent with restraint. But what is obvious is that ON are intent on finding something within themselves that will maybe give new breath to the music that we all love.

We've come here to make our mark (Generations).

Bane/Down To Nothing/Lewd Acts/Gold Kids/Losing Sight/All Will Suffer

The Golden Cross Coventry
30th August 2009

This is the gig where the idea for the blog started...squeezed into a tiny upstairs room in one of the oldest pubs in Britain with some of the hardest working bands on the scene today. This is more than entertainment when bands of such standing (esp. Bane and Down To Nothing) play in a place like this...their philosophies and motivations need to be collected for the wider community.

Also there's the issue of how these people are together from different perspectives: EC/WC US, Italy, the Midlands UK...what's the same, what's different? How is hc local and global?
It is more than music, as we all know...

So this blog is an accompaniment to my experience of seeing and talking to bands about the hc community and its many perspectives...