A Special Time Creative

Casey – farewell shows at The Dome

Farewell, Casey!

‘It’s time for us to bury our love.’ – The talented guys in Casey have decided to call it an end and headed out on the road one last time for their final tour.

In December 2018, the Welsh emotive post-hardcore outlet, comprising vocalist Tom Weaver, both guitarists Toby Evans and Liam Torrance, bassist Adam Smith and drummer Max Nicolai released a statement saying that they decided to end the band and shortly after announced their farewell tour. The quintet is known for their pure, honest and personal lyrics as well as the melancholic ambient guitars mixed with a heavy rock sound. Thematically, the band wrote about their struggle with mental health, about past relationships and about dark parts of their lives. Musically they created a unique dark, raw and vulnerable atmosphere with their both explosive and ambient sound. Tom’s impressive vocals alternate between clean and screamed vocals, spoken paraphrases and emotional outbursts which adds to the overall dynamic of the songs. All different elements help to deliver the message of the songs in the most honest, vulnerable and raw way possible. Until now, they released an EP named ‘Fade’ in 2015 (via Hassle Records), followed by their debut album ‘Love Is Not Enough’ in 2016 (via Hassle Records) and their second full-length ‘Where I Go When I Am Sleeping’ in 2018 (via Hassle Records). For their two sold-out final London shows at The Dome, they played one album per show in full length each, as well as their singles and EP.

The venue opened its doors on both days around 7pm, letting a mixed audience of both younger and older fans enter. On Friday, the first band on stage was the American melodic hardcore band Gatherers who played their first Europe and UK shows on this tour. The quintet comprising vocalist Rich Weinberger, both guitarists Anthony Gesa and Rob Talalai, bassist Zach Crockett and drummer Adam Cichocki, formed in 2011 and released three full-length albums to date, the latest being ‘We Are Alive Beyond Repair’ (2018, Equal Vision Records). Musically, they mix mostly rough and screamed vocals with a dark and heavy guitar sound. Starting off the first night, they set the energy levels high and got the crowd excited for what was coming next. The second band was the British emotive post-hardcore band Acres, comprising vocalist Ben Lumber, the guitarists Alex Freeman and Theo Sandberg, as well as drummer Konnor Bracher-Walsh. For their live shows Jack Rogers joined them as bassist. Musically, the quartet creates an emotional, melancholic and ambient sound with heavy breakdowns and atmospheric melodies. Ben’s vocals alternate between calmly sung and rough screams in their verses, as well as emotional outbursts and belted vocals in their choruses which creates a dynamic but at the same time haunted atmosphere. Until now, Acres self-released their debut EP ‘In Sickness And Health’ in 2017, followed by several single releases and an album announcement for 2019. Even though they struggled with some health issues, they powered through the set with help of the audience who screamed the lyrics back to the stage on the top of their lungs, warming up for Casey.

After a quick break and decoration of the stage, Casey dived right into Bloom and played through the first album, adding songs such as ‘Fade’ and ‘Teeth’ from their EP, as well as ‘Phosphenes’, ‘Fluorescents’ and ‘Bruise’ before ending the night with ‘Hell’. The second Casey entered the stage the crowd went absolutely mental. Everyone screamed the vocals on the top of their lungs and started crowd surfing. Towards the end of the set Tom took the chance to thank the fans for their continuous support and love before they dived right into the final part of the set.

The second day started slightly different with Acres opening the stage, followed by Gatherers who both have been welcomed warmly by the crowd and where deeply thankful for the crowd’s participation and feedback. As it was Casey’s gig for ‘Where I Go When I Am Sleeping’, they started the set with ‘Making Weight’ before running through the original order of the songs on the album which ended with ‘Wound’. Before diving into the final part including ‘Fade’, ‘Haze’, ‘Hell’, ‘Ceremony’ and ‘Teeth’, Tom took the chance during a little break, to speak to the audience, thanking everyone who was involved in the band, the other supporting bands, as well as the audience. The final song of the night was ‘Little Bird’ which followed a short introduction of Tom in which he turned to the audience once more with a heartfelt speech to give everyone a message on their way – ‘Live is uncertain’ and even though it might look hopeless at present it can turn into light and get better in the future.

The acoustic and lightshow for all three bands were on point and suited each set perfectly. Casey put a lot of thought into their stage appearance, decorating it with flowers and smaller standing lights to create a funeral-like vibe.

Overall, both evenings where a special time and full of emotions. It was great to see that every band member seemed to be happy and positive even though it was their farewell tour. They seemed to have a blast on stage and gave their best while appreciating the overwhelming crowd participation. The fans enjoyed themselves by screaming the lyrics on the top of their lungs and wildly crowd-surfing.

It is sad to see such a talented group of musicians go, but it is exciting to see what the next chapter in their lives will bring. With this chapter closing, it is now time to burry our love. Farewell, Casey! And all the best for whatever exciting adventures the future may hold.

Venue: The Dome

Band: Casey

Support: Gatherers, Acres

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Carcer City – Final gig at the Black Heart

Fare well, Carcer City.

The Liverpool based metalcore band Carcer City headed out on tour for the last time as they decided to call it an end with the last stop of the fare-well-tour being the Black Heart in Camden. After twelve years of being a band and two full-length albums, Patch (vocals), Lewy (guitar), Ollie (Bass) and Brad (drums) released one final EP called ‘Silent War’ in March offering all the heavy guitar riffs and screamed vocals they are known for but also a melodic and atmospheric metalcore sound.

Carcer City

The Black Heart opened its gates around 7pm and slowly started to fill up with each set. Starting off the night, Tides Of Ire, a five-piece metal band set the vibe for the night, offering a mix of metal and rock with occurring nu-metal influences. Next up was the London based metalcore band Confessions Of A Traitor who upped the game and immediately set the energy levels high. Their set is known to be energetic and wild, especially as Stephen, Jack, Jackob and Tony turned on their beast-mode and joined the crowd in front of the stage for almost the whole set and got the audience moving. Third band of the night was the hardcore punk quintet Last Hounds who mix styles such as metal, hip-hop and punk. They directly picked up the energy Confessions Of A Traitor have left the stage with, branched out to fill the space in front of the stage and hyped the crowd for the final band of the night.

Tides Of Ire

Confessions Of A Traitor

Last Hounds

Carcer City upped the game and started their set with a blast. They played a good mix of all of their releases which was highly appreciated by the audience who screamed the lyrics back to the stage and enjoyed themselves moshing around. While all of the other sets where kept rather dark, Carcer City added fog machines and additional lights to the front of the stage which added more dynamic and a great vibe to their set. At the end the metalcore quintet thanked their fans from the bottom of their hearts for all the support over the years and left the stage with a happy and a crying eye.

Carcer City

Overall, it was a bittersweet evening as there were great bands playing amazing music which was highly appreciated by the fans. Even though it was to say fare well, everyone seemed to have a great time and enjoyed themselves either being on stage or as part of the crowd shouting the lyrics back to the bands. It was a special time for sure.

Venue: The Black Heart

Band: Carcer City

Support: Tides Of Ire, Confessions Of A Traitor, Last Hounds

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Dream State – The Underworld, Camden

Dream State headed to the Underworld in Camden and played a sold-out headlining show.

The Welsh alt-rock quintet comprising vocalist CJ, both guitarists Aled Rhys Evans and Rhys Wilcox, bassist Danny Rayer and drummer Jamie Lee just released their latest single ‘Hand In Hand’ (2019, UNFD) before heading out on their March / April UK tour. With their previously released Eps, Dream State presented a mix of emotional and raw lyrics underlined by heavy riffs and ambient melodies. Especially CJ’s powerful voice and rawness creates a vulnerable but at the same time dynamic atmosphere that is unique for the band, alternating between shouted and clean vocals.

Dream State

Around 7pm, the doors of the Underworld opened to lead a quite young audience downstairs into the venue, filling the room in front of the stage quickly. First band of the night was the London based emotive hardcore outfit Tropic Gold comprising guitarist Joshua, bassist Brad, drummer George and vocalist Jacob who made their live debut that evening. Musically, the present a mix of both screamed and clean vocals supported by heavy guitar riffs and melancholic ambient vibes. So far, they released two promising singles being ‘Human’ (2019, self-released) and ‘Living In Colour’ (2019, self-released) and are definitely a band to keep one’s eyes on. Setting up the energy levels high right from the start, the quartet got the crowd hyped and prepared the for the rest of the night. Next up was the alternative punk band Jack The Envious from London who heated up the room with their up-tempo and fast paced set. Third band of the evening was the Manchester based post-hardcore band Parting Gift who recently released their debut EP ‘Ensom’ (2019) via Fearless Records. With their dark and haunted emotive hardcore sound they created a spooky and vulnerable atmosphere in the venue. Zac Vernon’s voice was on point and delivered the emotions while George Barnes (drums) and Jack Dutton (guitar) created the energetic yet delicate sound to support the vocals. They got the crowd right from the beginning, having them screaming all the lyrics back to the stage.

Parting Gift

Jack The Envious

Parting Gift

Tropic Gold

With Dream State entering the stage the crowd went mental. Everyone was off their feet dancing along, belting the lyrics back to the stage, crowd surfing and turning the whole area in front of the stage into one big circle pit. The post-hardcore quintet played a good mix of their released up to date including songs such as ‘New Waves’, their latest release ‘Hand In Hand’, the Linkin Park cover of ‘Crawling‘ and ‘White Lies’. CJ’s impressive vocal range was on point seamlessly switching between grunge-ish screams and softer clean vocals. Towards the end not only the audience was making their way up onto the stage but also CJ and Danny took their chance and surfed the crowd. Everyone seemed to have an amazing time and Dream State highly appreciated the energy and participation of the crowd.

Dream State

The acoustic was good for all four bands, while the light show was adequately adapted to each set. Tropic Gold and Parting Gift had the most simplistic and darkest shows which perfectly enhanced the ambience their music creates, while Jack The Envious and Dream State had slightly more colourful and dynamic lights which helped to create a more energetic vibe.

Overall, it was a lovely evening with talented and promising bands and great music. Both, the bands on stage and the audience seemed to have a great time and enjoying themselves. The bands gave their best which was highly appreciated by the audience who screamed all the lyrics back to the stage and turned the area in front of the stage into one big moving pit. It definitely was a special time.

Venue: The Underworld

Band: Dream State

Support: Tropic Gold, Jack The Envious, Parting Gift

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Emmure – o2 Academy Islington

Emmure headed to the o2 Academy Islington.

The American metalcore band Emmure formed in 2003 and currently comprise vocalist Frankie Palmeri, guitarist Joshua Travis, drummer Josh Miller and bassist Phil Locket. So far they released seven full-length albums of which the last one was ‘Look At Yourself’ in 2017 via Sharptone Records. Musically, the quartet mixes elements from metalcore, deathcore, nu metal, and alternative metal, as well as spoken words or rapping and shouted vocals with breakdowns.

Emmure

Around 6.30pm, the o2 Academy Islington opened its doors to a diverse audience of rather young male adults. However, depending on the band playing on stage the audience right in front of the stage seemed to change slightly. First up was the Australian metalcore band Alpha Wolf who set the energy levels for the night high and got the attention of the audience right from the beginning. Next up was the American metalcore band Fit For A King who are currently comprising Ryan (vocals), Bobby (guitar), Jared (drums) and Ryan (bass/clean vocals). With their latest release ‘Darke Skies’ (2018, Solid State Records) they offered the audience a good mix of equally heavy and melodic metalcore tunes which was highly appreciated by the audience who screamed the lyrics back to the stage. With their energetic set, the crowd engaged by crowd surfing up their way to the front. Third band of the night was the Canadian metal and hardcore quintet Obey The Brave who added some punk and nu metal influences to the set and got the crowd moving. With the next band on stage, Rise Of The Northstar, a crossover metal band, brought together a mix of the 90’s New York Hardcore scene, heavy riffs and catchy rap vibes all wrapped in traditional Japanese uniforms and culture. Being the most diverse and heavy band of the lineup of the night they increased the energy in the room even though, it might not have been everyone’s cup of tea.

Alpha Wolf

Obey The Brave

Rise Of The Northstar

Fit For A King

Final act of the night was Emmure who caught the audience’s attention right from the start. The space in front of the stage turned in to one big mosh pit and left the crowd a sweaty mess. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves screaming along, crowd surfing or running around in the mosh pit which was highly appreciated by the band. The set was a good mix of both older and newer songs which pleased the fans.

Both the sound and light show for all of the sets were well balanced and adapted. While Fit For A King and Emmure kept their sets slightly darker which supported the atmosphere of their music, the other sets were slightly more dynamic.

Overall, it was a special time with a diverse and heavy lineup. Both, all bands on stage and the crowd seemed to have a great time and enjoyed themselves.

Venue: o2 Academy Islington

Band: Emmure

Support: Alpha Wolf, Fit For A King, Obey The Brave, Rise Of The Northstar

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From Inside – The Black Heart, Camden

From Inside headed to The Black Heart for their first headlining show in London.

The Liverpool based alternative metal band From Inside formed in late 2016 and self-released two EP’s, being ‘The New Era’ (2017, self-release) and ‘When I’m Breathing Without You’ (2018, self-released). Since vocalist Simon Mora decided to step back from his position just before they headed out on tour, the band currently comprises guitarist Thomas Booth, bassist Bam Roberts and drummer George Collins. Musically, From Inside mix heavy distorted guitars with emotionally driven orchestral, electronic and atmospheric backings, alongside both screamed and sung vocals. The lyrics are about the more difficult aspects in live and wrapped in catchy and emotional melodies.

From Inside

Around 7pm, the Black Heart in Camden opened its doors to a quite mixed but rather young audience. First band on the stage was the London based post-hardcore band Take The Backseat Casey who mix metalcore riffs, with industrial synths, orchestral influences, anthemic choruses and a touch of horror. With their music, the quartet set the mood and ghostly atmosphere for the night. Next up was the melodic hardcore quartet XIII Weeks from Kingston who further built the energy in the room just before Thousand Thoughts entered the stage. The alternative rock quartet, formed in Enfield in 2017, show elements of nu-metal, pop-punk and alt-rock, with lyrics themed around tragedy and loss, which created a powerful and emotive ambience. Everyone in the audience screamed the lyrics at the top of their lungs and added to the band’s performances. They highly appreciated the energy coming from the bands, especially when Ethan (vocals in Thousand Thoughts) joined them in front of the stage.

Thousand Thoughts

Take The Backseat Casey

Thousand Thoughts

XIII Weeks

With the amount of people in the venue seeming to increase before each set and the crowd warmed up, From Inside started their set highly energetic while creating an emotional a vulnerable atmosphere. Everyone screamed the lyrics back to the band and seemed to enjoy themselves. From Inside played a good mix of their songs and appreciated the crowd’s participation and energy. The lights for each set enhanced the atmosphere and were kept rather dark. While Take The Backseat Casey added more fog to created a haunted vibe, XIII Weeks and Thousand Thoughts had slightly more colourful sets. From Inside created more dynamic by having flashing lights. The acoustic was well mixed, and both the vocals and instruments were balanced.

From Inside

Overall, it was a great evening with talented bands, good music and an energetic crowd. Both, the bands and audience seemed to have enjoyed themselves. All four bands highly appreciated the crowd’s participation and thanked their fans who sang along and jumped around. It was definitely a special time.

Venue: The Black Heart

Band: From Inside

Support: Take The Backseat Casey, XIII Weeks, Thousand Thoughts

From Inside on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7fWWCEf6DEXakYg8gG51ta?si=S0CkWmXuTWuTJnA0OSI3xw

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Holding Absence – Underworld, Camden

Holding Absence ended their first run of UK headlining shows at the Underworld in Camden with an unforgettable show!

The Welsh emotive hardcore quintet from Cardiff just released their highly anticipated self-titled debut album ‘Holding Absence’ via Sharptone Records and played a couple of UK headlining shows to support the release. Lucas (vocals), James (bass), Chris (guitar), Ashley (drums) and Scott (guitar) created a well-crafted piece of art, showing elements of emotive hardcore and post-hardcore, combined with catchy and anthemic choruses, offering an emotional as well as a deeply honest rollercoaster of emotions. Musically the band alternates between heavily punching guitars, atmospheric synths and raw and emotional vocals which creates an intimate atmosphere.

Holding Absence

The venue, the Underworld in Camden, opened its gates at around 6pm and let the well-mixed crowd of mainly younger adults and teens decent into the depth of the venue. First band of the evening was the Welsh melancholic alt-pop quartet The Nightmares who perfectly set the ambience and vibe of the evening with their keys and guitar driven sound. Next up was the Birmingham based acoustic emo singer-songwriter Luke Rainsford who was joined by his friends, adding keys, bass, guitar and drums to the set. With the full band backing him, Luke created an energetic set that prepared the audience for the main act of the evening and added an emotive punk vibe. The whole crowd engaged into their performance and sung all the lyrics back to the stage.

The Nightmares

Luke Rainsford and friends

Luke Rainsford

Luke Rainsford and friends

With Holding Absence entering the stage the energy level inside the venue rose immediately and the crowd went mental. Everyone was screaming the lyrics on the top of their lugs, was jumping around and crowd-surfing which was highly appreciated by the band. The quintet played a good mix of some of their singles and new tracks of the album. Starting the set with ‘Perish’ and ‘Your Love (Has Ruined My Life)’, they kept the energy going with ‘Saint Cecilia’ and ‘Dream Of Me’ before ‘Wilt’ let into a more atmospheric part of the set where Lucas played a solo piano version of ‘Marigold’. The set finished on full speed with ‘Like A Shadow’ and ‘Penance’ leaving the crowd hyped and excited, taking the final chance to stagedive and sing along. Both the acoustic inside the venue and the lightshow were well fitted for each set. The lights were kept rather dark to help cerate a unique melancholic and mystic atmosphere which suited the music perfectly, enhancing the overall ambience.

Everyone seemed to have a great time. Holding Absence were highly thankful for the positive feedback they received from their fans and the crowd participation. The crowd enjoyed themselves and showed their excitement by dancing, jumping and singing along as well as taking the opportunity to crowd-surf as much as possible. It was a special time with good music, highly talented bands and a great end of the first part of the tour with more shows to come.

In April, Holding Absence will be joining Being As An Ocean for their EU tour dates!

Holding Absence

Venue: Underworld

Band: Holding Absence

Support: Luke Rainsford, The Nightmares

‘Holding Absence’ album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4QjyWGfAEiYmHQRAZiAdA1?si=UDK1RcUOT0avg1qsKy7KyA

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Bring Me The Horizon – acoustic gig at Pryzm, Kingston

Bring Me The Horizon visited London for a intimate acoustic set and Q&A at Banquet Records Kingston upon Thames.

The British alternative rockers are well known for their experimental reinventions of their sounds. Their latest album release ‘Amo’ turned number one and is a well-crafted piece of art with a mix of influences from rock, pop, electronic and orchestral elements. Just coming back from their America tour, the quintet did a few signings and intimate acoustic sets one of which was held at Pryzm (Banquet Records) in Kingston.

Bring Me The Horizon

With a slight delay and a joke that the band figured they are not an acoustic band, Bring Me The Horizon started with a stripped down version of ‘Follow You’ before they dived into the first round of question some of the fans wrote down. The Set continued with ‘Medicine’ followed by ‘Mother Tongue’ and ‘Down’, as well as ‘In The Dark’ as encore. Between each song Matt entered the stage to read some questions that the band answered with charm and laughter.

The line up included Oli and Jordan on vocals, Lee on the acoustic guitar, Mat (Nichols) on the cajon and Matt (Kean) moderating the questions. Since the overall set was raw and stripped down the lights were kept simple and rather dark which suited the general atmosphere. The acoustic was alright and quite well mixed.

Everyone seemed to have an amazing time. The fans were singing on the top of their lungs being the sixth member end fully engaging into the performance which was highly appreciated by the band. It was a special time with great music and loads of fun during the Q&A!

Venue: Pryzm

Band: Bring Me The Horizon

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1Ffb6ejR6Fe5IamqA5oRUF?si=xmlnXll-SMmV_oqWCGV7xA

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Mike Shinoda – Roundhouse, Camden

Mike Shinoda headlined the Roundhouse as part of his solo tour.

Since Chester Bennington’s (Linkin Park) passing in 2017, the American singer-songwriter and Linkin Park member Mike Shinoda processed his grief and thoughts with music. As result, he released a very honest, raw and emotional EP named ‘Post Traumatic (2018, Warner Bros. Records) and started touring to thank the fans. Even though the lyrics and topic of the EP seem to be quite dark and resulted from a deeply sad place, the music itself sounds rather euphoric in comparison and mixes different styles or genres showing elements from hip hop, pop, rock and electronic music – an impressive piece of art.

Mike Shinoda

The venue, the Roundhouse in Camden, opened its doors around 7pm to a long queue of excited audience consisting of fans of all different projects Mike is involved in such as Linkin Park, Fort Minor or his most recent solo project. Coming all the way from Scotland, The LaFontaines opened the stage and offered a mix of rap and dance or electronic music. The crowd seemed to be quite difficult and did not engage in the performance at the beginning but after constant demands to clap along and to show their excitement for Mike Shinoda, the crowd eventually started to wake up towards the end of their set.

The LaFontaines

With Mike Shinoda entering the stage the energy in the room exploded and everyone was excited singing along or jumping around. The set was a good mix of songs from Post Traumatic, Linkin Park and Fort Minor including songs such as ‘Remember The Name’, ‘Sorry For Now’, ‘Roads Untraveled’, ‘Castle Of Glass’, ‘Bleed It Out’, ‘Papercut’, and many more. Especially ‘One More Light’ which was joined by co-writer Eg White and ‘In The End’ were highly emotional and changed the atmosphere in the room for a little while remembering and celebrating Chester Bennington. The whole crowd sung the lyrics on the top of their lungs and chanted Chester’s name between the songs and Mikes emotional speech not only talking about his passed band mate but also about helping others and looking out for each other. Taking up the pace again after the emotional and vulnerable middle section, the set ended with ‘Running From My Shadow’ and a huge circle pit in the middle of the crowd.

Mike Shinoda

The acoustic in the venue at the beginning was slightly over the top and mixed up the sound but improved throughout the first set and was fixed or well-balanced during Mike’s set. Visually, the light show was well fitted for both sets and helped to enhance the vibes of each song.

Overall, it was a special time and an incredible evening with great music, an emotional atmosphere and an energetic audience. Mike seemed to have loads of fun on stage and was highly thankful and humble. The crowd showed their appreciation by dancing along, jumping around and singing the lyrics of the songs on the top of their lungs. It was a great mix of songs from Post Traumatic, Linkin Park and Fort Minor, not only honouring Chester Bennington but celebrating music.

Venue: Roundhouse

Band: Mike Shinoda

Support: The LaFontaines

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Holding Absence – Banquet Records, Kingston

Holding Absence played a cosy acoustic set at Banquet Records Kingston to support their upcoming album!

Holding Absence

The Cardiff based emotive hardcore band Holding Absence, comprising of vocalist Lucas Woodland, both guitarists Chris Smitheram and Scott Carey, drummer Ashley Green and bassist James Joseph, hit the road to play a few acoustic shows prior to the release of their highly anticipated debut album ‘Holding Absence’ (2019, via Sharptone Records). One of the stops let the quintet to the Banquet Records store in Kingston. The small room right next to the store was packet with all the fans curiously waiting to hear the band play through their set which included some of their already released singles such as ‘Saint Cecilia’, ‘You Are Everything’, ‘Like A Shadow’, ‘Monochrome’ and a surprising unreleased one called ‘Wilt’.

The fans joined in singing along, backing up Lucas (vocals), Chris (guitar) and Scott (guitar), filling the room with all their beautiful voices which was highly appreciated by the band. The small size of the room and the stripped back setup supported the rawness and vulnerability of the music, as well as it created a cosy and melancholic atmosphere. Following the acoustic set, the band stayed for a little signing session in the record store next door.

It was definitely a special time for both Holding Absence who were highly thankful and humble, and the fans who were excited to listen the band’s music. Everyone seemed to have a great time and to enjoy themselves.

Holding Absence

The album ‘Holding Absence’ is finally available as of today (March 08^th, 2019) physically as CD and vinyl, as well as on all major streaming platforms.

It is a well written and composed piece of art alternating between heavily punching guitars, atmospheric synths and raw and emotional vocals. Musically, the album shows elements of emotive hardcore and post-hardcore, with catchy and anthemic choruses. Lyrically, the album touches on love, hope, hate and offers an emotional and deeply honest rollercoaster of emotions. The album starts off with the atmospheric yet energetic ‘Perish’ builds its energy which each following song resolving into the piano ballade ‘Marigold’ before picking up the pace again leading to the anthemic and heartbreakingly emotional closer ‘Wilt’.

Following the release, the quintet is hitting the road again towards the end of March to play a few headlining shows in the UK!

Venue: Banquet Records

Band: Holding Absence

‘Holding Absence’ by Holding Absence on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4QjyWGfAEiYmHQRAZiAdA1?si=3ruI6wcJSiCpxDhudarU4w

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Selfworth, Pengshui & Black Coast – Kerrang! Fresh Blood, The Old Blue Last

Alex Baker presents Kerrang!‘s Fresh Blood at The Old Blue Last with Selfworth, Pengshui and Black Coast.

Alongside their latest single release ‘Paperskin’ (2019, self-released/Silent Cult), the London based emotive hardcore outlet Selfworth was part of Kerrang!’s Fresh Blood show at the Old Blue Last. The quintet comprising vocalist Jack, both guitarists Brandon and Tom, bassist Ben, and drummer George mix a heavy and dynamic guitar sound with more melodic and atmospheric parts in between which supports the mainly shouted vocals, telling deeply honest and personal stories. So far they released several singles being ‘Sleep In Deep Colour’ (2018, self-released) ‘The Sorry Notes’ (2018, self-released) and the latest one ‘Paperskin’.

Selfworth

With a slight delay, the venue opened its doors just before 8pm and let in a patiently waiting crowd of young adults. First band opening the stage was Slefworth, who delivered an atmospheric and dark set, filled with energy and emotion. Even though, they had technical issues with one of their guitars towards the end of their set, they powered through with one band member less and made the best out of the situation which worked well. Next up was the highly energetic London based rap punk band Pengshui, comprising of vocalist Illaman, bassist Fatty and drummer Pravvy Prav. With their upbeat heavy sound, they got the crowd moving and opening up a big circle pit right in front of the stage. The crowd was highly motivated and engaged in the performance.

Pengshui

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Ending the night, the melodic hardcore band Black Coast from Stoke-on-Trent brought back a rather metal influenced sound with added melodic influences. Even though the crowd shrunk during the break before Charlie (vocals), Jack (bass), Joe (guitar), Scott (guitar) and Matt (drums) entered the stage, the quintet didn’t let it affect them and powered through their set. The remaining people opened up another circle pit which was highly appreciated by the band.

Black Coast

The lights for each set were kept rather simple and dark which suited the overall atmosphere, especially for Selfworth as it created a cosy but vulnerable and melancholic ambient. Despite several complications with the equipment, the overall acoustic was alright. However, the balance between vocals and instruments could have been better mixed as the music seemed to over power the vocals at times.

Selfworth

Overall, it was a great evening with good music and highly talented upcoming bands. The crowd was motivated and engaging which was much appreciated by all three bands. Despite technical issues and a disappearing crowd towards the end of the night the bands stayed motivated and gave their best. It was definitely a special time.

Venue: The Old Blue Last
Artists: Selfworth, Pengshui, Black Coast
Event: Kerrang! Fresh Blood, presented by Alex Baker

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