Abolition/Thrones/Iron Curtain/Discontent/Uncommon Valour

Has it ever occurred to you how weird a hardcore live show actually is? A group of teenagers and grown men will gather together (usually in a basement), listen to loud and angry music and stomp around like children mid-tantrum in an attempt to do something called a ‘2 step’.

I mean what else could you want to do on a Friday night?

I haven’t been to a Days of Last show in a good while; in fact the last time I was at the Firestation was for the Cruel Hand/Wrong Answer show so it was pretty sweet to be back in that particular basement. The fact that I can walk twenty minutes from my house and pay a fiver to see five bands in a night still leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Opening were Uncommon Valour, slightly melodic hardcore from Reading. Their twenty minute set was a mixed affair. On one hand there were points where you felt you were watching a good, solid Hang the Bastard-esque band who it would be well worth checking out after the show. Yet at other points I couldn’t help but thinking ‘Someone needs to by the guitar player a half decent amp head and set of pedals and get the bassist to do something interesting’. In other words, there were as many misfires as genuinely exciting moments. Full marks for energy on the vocalists part though, especially as the room was less than half full.

Local boys Discontent were up next, playing only their second official show after a first gig in Kent that comprised of playing to a ‘load of crack heads’. I’d really recommend you hit up their Facebook (link below) and download their free demo tape. Old fashioned shouty hardcore at a breakneck speed and with songs under the two minute mark galore. No more to say other than it was a really impressive set and as I said, the band are well worth a look at.

Iron Curtain, ‘LDN Straight Edge’ finest followed, bringing chugging riffs and a hyperactive, backwards cap wearing singer to the table. Possibly the most energetic band on the bill they kept things tight and moving forwards at about a thousand bpm. If you’re into the British hardcore scene you’ll almost certainly like this band. If you’re more of an American hardcore type, you’ll probably still like them. Aggressive and stripped down and with enough originality not to get samey after the first few songs, another very good set.

Thrones are most definably not straight edge as proven by the between song cider sipping and request that everyone come to their Pulse Fest show next weekend and ‘get drunk’. Metallic Hardcore though is probably something you can’t do without a little intoxication at some point. I’ve reviews Thrones before and this time the set was even better, they seemed much tighter live than when I’ve seen them before and the set came together like a treat. The obligatory sing along to ‘The Shore’ was as mental as ever and frontman Sam’s stage anger is a truly beautiful thing (whatever crap he said afterwards about his vocals ‘sounding shit’). Great set.

After all that then, Abolition were a tad disappointing. After all the hype and that excellent split with Hang the Bastard I was expecting much more than I got. Technical difficulties and being a guitar player down may not have helped but it was all a little disappointing, especially the ‘that’s all for tonight, bye’ exit after their last song. Maybe it was just an off night but by half way through their set I was feeling more than a little bored and empty.

That being said, the whole night was itself excellent. Links to the bands Facebook pages are below and I particularly recommend Discontent, Iron Curtain and Thrones. Go Like their pages at least and give them a listen, you’ll like at least one of them, guaranteed.

http://www.facebook.com/UncommonValourUK
http://www.facebook.com/discontentuk
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Iron-Curtain/133972186667920
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thrones/185169918167699
http://www.facebook.com/xabolitionx