Monday, 15 October 2012

Gig Review – Gallows at The Fleece, Bristol (03-10-12)




The Fleece welcomed back rowdy UK punk five-piece Gallows to their fine venue some 16 months after their last performance there, the band having undergone some considerable and ground-shaking changes, in particular the addition of brand new frontman Wade MacNeil following talisman Frank Carter’s decision to leave the fold for pastures new with musical project Pure Love. Former Alexisonfire guitarist MacNeil has cast doubters to the wind with his vocals on last year’s EP ‘Death Is Birth’ and the recent self-titled album. While it was most definitely a different Gallows that appeared on stage at The Fleece, it was a band with a renewed hunger and energy for live shows, a point needing to be proved for anybody who wanted to remove them from their throne upon the UK hardcore scene.


The whole night felt like it was going to be a huge one, and right from the get-go, the sheer volume and passion from the bands on stage grabbed the attention of everybody and refused to let go. Brotherhood of the Lake opened the show with 30 minutes of dark, doom-fuelled riffs, their understated performance working the crowd into a swaying frenzy. The dark songs and bleak lyrics combine in a way that is quite compelling to watch, and some of the tracks from latest release ‘Desperation Is The English Way Vol. 1’ hit hard. A highlight from the set is ‘Black Hearts’ which cuts through the distortion with a hook that’s quite anthemic, something BOTL don’t seem to commonly deliver. 


Feed the Rhino waltz on stage to a drum and bass intro, gazing wild eyed into the crowd and calmly strapping on their instruments. When the first track smashes in, the energy and rage that erupts from all (including charismatic frontman Lee Tobin) is a bit of a shock, the heaviness created by the band both skull-smashing and chest-stomping. The pit gets in full swing as FTR tear through songs from their latest album ‘The Burning Sons’ (the title track being a highlight) with a ferocity that is unrivalled by many. Tobin springs into the carnage, stepping on heads and shoulders to fight his way through the bodies, every single person in the room lapping up the likes of ‘Mr Red Eye’, ‘The Butchers’ and another new track in the form of ‘Left For Ruins’. It’s a set that’s worthy of a headline slot, had FTR not been playing second fiddle to Gallows. It won’t be long before this band are the ones selling out the venues and a headline tour must surely soon be on the horizon. 


Gallows storm onto stage in formidable fashion, dropping into opening song ‘Misery’ as easily as they ever have, it’s quite clear that Wade is a commanding force, his physical appearance everything as menacing as the raw tone of his voice. The band bring tracks from the new album to the plate with venom, highlights including ‘Last June’ (which generates a rousing reception from the crowd) and ‘Odessa’, the heaviness being delivered with effortless cool. The energy from the band is pleasing as tracks from the ‘Death Is Birth’ EP are screamed along to by the swaying, sweaty masses, Gallows fan of old and new knowing every single word. The Frank era songs (‘In The Belly Of A Shark’, ‘Abandon Ship’, etc) is where Wade’s test really lies, and for many the main talking point when coming away from this show. But the big man delivers, the songs perhaps not seeming as personal to him as his own, but each word bellowing out of him in a convincing fashion. It’s an exhausting performance for both band and audience. The final riot of ‘Orchestra of Wolves’ pushes the crazy factor up a notch and when the band finally leave the stage, everybody in the room is convinced (if they weren’t already) that Gallows may be different, but they’re definitely one of the best live acts in the country right now.

Here's some videos I managed to capture on the night!


No comments: