“We got to know some pain to show we’re still here.“
Sovereign open the show with their no-nonsense heavy hardcore, with plenty to love for 90s heads and Merauder worshippers, these songs really do speak to themselves and Sovereign‘s confidence does justice to the pedigree of the members. The audience might still be trickling in slowly from the lashing rain outside but new material teases the first few dancers of the night onto the floor with ease.
With the lines that previously held scenes in heavy music apart becoming increasingly blurred, it’s no longer a rare thing to see the crowdkilling antics once unique to beatdown shows make an appearance at a hardcore gig. It’s hard to remember that there was even a time when such aggressive dancing was a serious talking point, now having long outlived the controversy that followed beatdown as it slowly permeated heavy music culture. Desolated have survived to see their influence show up in some of the most commercially and critically successful bands of the moment; Paleface Swiss, Knocked Loose and early peers Malevolence are at the peak of relevance and all hold Desolated‘s distinct, downtempo, relentless chugging at the core of their sounds. It’s a real treat to enjoy that sound in a venue like tonight’s, with no barrier to obstruct the audience it feels like a throwback to a much simpler time and while it takes a few songs for the more confident moshers to loosen up the crowd they’re soon trading blows and piling on for the mic with equal enthusiasm.
Having never committed to the gruelling and often unrewarding cycle of touring that breaks as many bands as it makes, seeing Incendiary has always felt special, knowing that any single show might be your only shot at seeing them for years at a time is a potent catalyst for creating a real atmosphere of anticipation and positive energy in the room. Which in spite of a brief and unfortunate incident involving a decidedly overenthusiastic stage diver and the venues unusually high stage, leaves the band free to dig into their back catalogue, unleashing a stream of classics. Songs like “Force of Neglect“, “Zeitgeist” and “Primitive Rage” have all successfully crossed the generational divide to younger hardcore kids, proving themselves still as relevant and vital as when the iconic Cost of Living LP first dropped. The method to Incendiary‘s measured approach touring and recording is proven in how obviously their energy has been preserved through time, frontman Brendan Garrone propels himself around the stage with an explosive force that could humble men half his age, being able to do justice to the ferocity of their material in a way so many bands fail to, it’s no wonder why Incendiary and their catalogue is held in such high regard.
