Gig Review – Funeral For A Friend at The Fleece, Bristol (29-01-13)

Funeral For A Friend’s appearance at Bristol venue The Fleece came just one day after the release of their brand new album, ‘Conduit’, and the air of anticipation to see the Welsh five piece was bubbling away as 3 very solid support bands got the young crowd warmed up.

I, Divide are enthusiastic and tight, their sub-drop soaked heavy rock providing a wonderful opening to the night. Major League are an entirely different kettle of fish, the US band bring sun-soaked punk rock with hooks aplenty and a sound that is everything as much Green Day and Blink 182, and the group seem fine with that. However, Such Gold seem completely devoid of hooks and their hardcore/punk doesn’t hit the mark, the crowd not warming to them and they soon realise this. They want FFAF and they aren’t afraid to show it.

Funeral For A Friend arrive on the stage to uproar, the band appearing modest and even perhaps underwhelmed by their reception. For a group who have sold out Bristol's O2 Academy in recent years, the somewhat more quaint surroundings of The Fleece may feel unfamiliar to a band that have fallen slightly from atop the perch they used to rest upon at the heights of debut album 'Casually Dressed & Deep In Conversation' and follow-up 'Hours' from 2003 and 2005 respectively. 

The set they tear through is a little disjointed and unsatisfying, perhaps because some particularly effective FFAF tracks include the screamed vocals of now departed drummer Ryan Richards, so unfortunately these songs seem to have no place (although replacement drummer Pat Lundy does a cracking job behind the kit). This leaves Matt Davies isolated on vocal duty, and although his melodies have always done enough to give the band a distinct and memorable sound, tonight it just doesn't feel enough. Despite this, the crowd lap up every single track that's presented, from the definitive classics such as 'She Drove Me To Daytime TV' and 'Red Is The New Black' to highlights from brand new album 'Conduit' (the sixth full length offering from FFAF) like 'The Distance' and 'Best Friends & Hospital Beds'. Dotted amongst the classics are a few less played tracks, such as ‘Recovery’ and ‘Alvarez’, but nothing really whips the crowd into the frenzy that is threatening to happen throughout the set. 

The fans sing along passionately but the pit never really gets going, and there’s not a single crowd surfer in sight, making it obvious that the punters tonight are feeling exactly the same as the band appear to be – disappointed. That’s not to take anything away from the band, they clearly are great at what they do and it’s admirable to see them continuing to perform to the masses so many years into a solid career. However, some tracks from the wonderful ‘Tales Don’t Tell Themselves’ or ‘Welcome Home Armageddon’ would have given some dynamic to a performance that didn’t quite hit the mark. Set closer ‘History’ is nostalgic and briefly held magic in the air but the lack of an encore (or even a call for one) left a slight bitter taste.

Gig Review – Every Time I Die at The Fleece, Bristol (25-10-12)

Every Time I Die, hailing from Buffalo, New York, really know how to put on a show. The self-confessed kings of ‘party hardcore’ have arrived on UK shores off the back off the highly successful release of one of this year’s best heavy albums, ‘Ex Lives’, and are set to smash some of the best small stages in the country to dust, starting in spectacular style in Southampton and moving onto night number 2 at The Fleece in Bristol, bringing with them a solid touring line-up (including New Yorkers Stray From The Path and the UK’s own Last Witness). With years of experience on the circuit and a bunch of classic albums under their belt, it was clear from the get go that this wasn’t going to be a show to miss, and when the banner of the ‘Ex Lives’ album artwork was revealed on stage soon after the doors opened, the excitement started to build.

This excitement may have been the undoing of Last Witness, who although were solid in terms of their dirty hardcore and slick delivery, didn’t really seem to manage to get the Bristol crowd on their side. Sure, for a few songs things seemed to be going their way, but evidently much of the audience that were here at this early stage hadn’t done so out of interest in seeing this band. There wasn’t much applause between songs and the band didn’t seem to have much interest in saying anything interesting to those watching them, let alone facing them every once in a while. It was all a little bit awkward, for band and audience member alike, and no amount of distortion could cover that up.

Stray From The Path gained a much better reaction, many loyal fans showing up in numbers to support them though a set that endured several technical hiccups but succeeded in terms of moshworthy tunes. Full of resentment and violence, the band unleashed some truly venomous songs that lived up to the hype they have been receiving in recent months. The likes of ‘Damien’ and ‘Bring It Back To The Streets’ saw the first crowd surfing of the night and the sneering presence of vocalist Drew York proved that they are a force to be reckoned with in the world of hardcore. New track ‘Landmines’ hits hard and left the stage ready for the headline act to arrive.

Every Time I Die arrive with a bang, the first notes of ‘After One Quarter of A Revolution’ shaking The Fleece to its core. Bearded lothario Keith Buckley leads the charge with his fantastic and intelligent lyrics, each song arriving in quick succession and barely giving the crowd a chance to catch breath. ‘Bored Stiff’ and ‘Kill the Music’ sound particularly huge in this venue, the thick guitars shaking the walls and provoking plenty of crowd surfing. Between songs Buckley is as amusing as ever, his take on the Bristol accent uncannily convincing. The hardcore continues with some select tracks from the band’s most recent album, ‘Ex Lives’. Highlights include ‘Underwater Bimbos From Outer Space’ and ‘I Suck (Blood)’, but it’s the tracks from previous albums (getting a wonderful workout with renewed energy from the band) like ‘The New Black’ and ‘Wanderlust’ that stand head and shoulders above everything else. It’s a fast-paced, white knuckle ride that ends with a quick triple jolt of heaviness in the form of ‘Eloborama’, ‘We’rewolf’  and ‘Floater’ before ETID leave the stage as quickly as they took to it. There’s no encore, and to be honest, one isn’t needed. They’ve done enough to cement their position as one of the best live bands to come from across the shores without a final flurry, and you have to respect them for that.

Gig Review – August Burns Red at O2 Academy, Bristol (22-10-12)

One heck of a heavy line-up arrived at Bristol’s O2 Academy in the shape of US metalcore giants August Burns Red headlining European tour, along with the equally huge The Devil Wears Prada and the up and coming Veil of Maya. With Bristol having played host to some of modern metal’s best acts in recent weeks (including Trivium just days before this), the very lucky Bristol crowd piled into the venue with one of two things on their mind – sitting back and watching in awe as some fantastic technical metal unfolds before them or (and perhaps less inspiring) swinging their arms and slamming their feet on the floor in the middle of a ‘mammoth’ (see what I did there TDWP fans?) circle pit (populated mainly by 14-16 year olds and surrounded in close proximity by the more mature metal fan, sipping on a pint and headbanging the night away). Have fun how you must, but these acts weren’t to be missed due to a sudden and terrible head injury, so I behaved myself and got worked up in my own way as the night got into full swing.

Veil of Maya seem to know exactly what they’re doing, and the Chicago deathcore act go through the motions of some technically astounding and brutally heavy tracks in a reserved manner. There’s a lot of silence between songs (but for the occasional sample) and while the band appear to be 100% comfortable performing their industrial fury (‘djent’ might work well here as a description, if it ever does) they don’t seem to be giving their all. While tracks like ‘Punisher’ gain a short but intense reaction from the crowd, it becomes quite apparent that this might just be one of those nights on tour where Veil of Maya are feeling a little bit tired. Warm milk and an early night for them, I think.

The Devil Wears Prada were the band that many of the audience (including myself) were most excited to see, that was clear from the volume of applause as the band appeared on stage, the intro to ‘Escape’ (the opening track on the ‘Zombie’ EP) blaring almost as loud as the screams of anticipation. When TDWP get going it’s clear that Ohio’s Christian metalcore mob are well and truly on top of their game, and it’s shows like this that they lap up night after night. Frontman Mike Hranica is particularly chaotic tonight, his kinetic presence on stage almost impossible to take your eyes away from. Much of the ‘Zombie’ [EP] is played during the first part of their set, and when the tracks from ‘Dead Throne’ arrive, the pit grows to almost the size of the entire room. ‘Constance’ is a delight, ‘Born to Lose’ generates incredible scream/singalongs and ‘Mammoth’ is full of expertly executed breakdowns and a soaring melodic chorus. There isn’t much for the fan of early material here, despite the band’s set feeling lengthy for a supporting one. ‘Danger: Wildman’ and ‘Dez Moines’ get a run out but some other classic tracks get missed, which although disappointing is also understandable as the band now have such a vast choice of strong songs that fit into the live set perfectly. TDWP leave the crowd gasping, sweaty and exhausted, but things are far from over.

August Burns Red had it all to do when they arrived on stage, but they followed TDWP in outstanding fashion and certainly eradicated any doubt that they were worthy of the headline slot on this tour. The sheer scale of the technicality of some of the songs on show in astounding here, the band rarely looking tired as they shred through the likes of ‘Composure’, ‘Internal Cannon’, ‘Backburner’ and ‘Meddler’. Many metal bands would pale in comparison to some of what is on show here, and it’s all lead by the vocals of Jacob Luhrs, who orchestrates everything in volatile fashion. Breakdowns, solos, harmonies, tight rhythms and the inclusion of some unexpected genres and sounds amongst the furious metal really make this an unmissable show, the bodies flying and fists pumping incessantly. Towards the end of the set a remarkable double drum solo (including bassist Dustin Davidson on a mini kit) renders the audience silent, but it’s a stunned silence that I haven’t seen at a show for a long, long time. The band’s encore (which includes the breathtaking ‘White Washed’) ends the night on a high and resonates with a lasting message. THIS is how modern heavy metal is done.

Gig Review – Turbowolf at The Fleece, Bristol (19-10-12)

Homecoming shows are quite often extra special, and for Bristol quartet Turbowolf that’s something of an understatement. With the band’s 2012 tour coming to a spectacular end at Bristol venue The Fleece, it’s safe to say that the city is very proud of the achievements of the group following a fantastic 12 months or so for them. With a debut album packed to the brim with cracking songs and a recent EP of eccentric and distortion-laden covers, it seemed like every Bristol music fan and their dog were chomping at the bit to get a piece of Turbowolf live show. It fills the heart with pride to see a Bristol act doing so well on the national stage, so when they return to the city where it all began there’s much expectation for something extra special to go down, and perhaps that’s why The Fleece sold out not long before the doors opened. The atmosphere pops as Bristol folk pile in and there’s certainly a party atmosphere in the air.

While I was too caught up in the anticipation to catch opening act Throne, Black Moth had my full attention as their brand of dark, groovy garage rock and roll worked the crowd into an odd yet bouncing frenzy. The Leeds based, female-fronted five-piece had enough heavy and haunting material to be quite mesmerizing, but as much as a group of ten to fifteen punters deemed it moshworthy, it just didn’t have enough of an impact to leave me desperate for more. At times the vocals got lost behind thick walls of distortion and feedback, but maybe that’s what they were going for. Their thirty minute set seemed to last double that, and by the end I was thankful when they took their leave.

As a stage prop in the form of a huge King Tut head appeared on stage it was clear that the Bristol horde were as excited to see their sons return to the Bristol stage, and as Turbowolf bounded out you couldn’t blame them for looking slightly taken aback by the sheer volume of applause from the crowd. This only lasted several seconds, and soon the band were in their element, tearing through songs that helped them make their name while surrounded by what must be a high percentage of the same fans who made something as big as a UK headlining tour possible. The set is full of intense, mystical and supernatural heavy songs, the raspy vocals taking the lead and the solid band following suit. Tracks like ‘Ancient Snake’ (which the crowd scream along to constantly), ‘Let’s Die’ (which feels like it rushes along at 1000mph), ‘Read & Write’ (which is impeccably addictive) and the song which is perhaps THE Turbowolf track, ‘A Rose For The Crows’. The songs as rapidly fired out and the Bristol massive really can’t get enough, and as covers from the recent EP (which are relatively new to Turbowolf enthusiasts) are delivered, it’s clear that even the most casual of music fan must be able to appreciate the unique and vintage musical chic of the band. The likes of ‘Captain Caveman’ by Lightning Bolt and ‘Somebody To Love’ by Jefferson Airplane hit hard and prove that Turbowolf are one of the most exciting prospects in UK heavy music, and I’m not just saying that because I’m Bristol born and bred.

It’s apparent that now Turbowolf have completed a successful touring cycle that they are now returning to the studio to write and record the follow up to their debut album, and I have confidence that the next time the band have a ‘homecoming’, it will be on an even grander scale than this one, and that really will be something.