“Your friendship won’t save you now.“
Photography by Georgia Collins on the 21st March – contact Georgia prior to any image use. Words by Joe Edwards.
After the dust had settled on the debut of GLHC in the Frog and Fiddle (which for those who were there, might see it as one of the best shows they will go to this year), the looming question of the follow-up came around. Those in attendance were no doubt wanting to see what the next chapter in the re-emerging hardcore scene in the ‘shire had in store next. The promotor took the trickier step in seeing how hardcore’s return to Gloucester would be responded to, given it’s the less ‘acclimatised’ of the two major locations in Gloucestershire to this style of sound and show. This Maelstrom headliner went as chaotically as expected, and as some would say, that’s the Gloucester in ‘em.
Slighted Hand
Chalking their name into Gloucester Hardcore lore came Slighted Hand, both in making their live debut at Café René and seeing the return of hardcore to this fabled city after many years of absence. This early into the Slighted Handed project, there already seems an absolute force of will to them. Their raw hardcore sound moved an already packed room, with two-steppers and dancers ensuring that Slighted Hand‘s debut set was an absolute corker. There are more shows set for the South Wales unit, and if the material they played live at GLHC are anything to go by, the wildcard pick of ones to watch is a strong one; they have already shown they will be a force to be reckoned with this year.
Sanguine Rose
One force was followed by another, as Essex unit Sanguine Rose brought their metallic hardcore sound to Café René. Channeling the spirit of Misery Signals with a hardcore force, they once again brought the low ceilings of the catacombs to life. Much liked Slighted Hand, Sanguine Rose have yet to pencil their sound on record, but still they showed that both their sounds deserve to ring through ears in more than a live setting. Sanguine Rose have a sheer love for their old school metalcore sound which shone through during the set. Their cover of Renounced fully brought the sound in, seeing a crowd young and old chant through to the song. Which as their set closed, one even saw a conversation about “what metal is” between some older heads and new hardcore minds.
Raw Conflict
Raw Conflict brought their New York style-come-UKHC sound to Gloucester. The Wolverhampton unit were an absolute joy, seemingly looking to bring a blend of the Gridiron-mannered sound with the brutality of hardcore in their breakdowns. As every band across the bill did, there seemed to be a genuine thrill to play a new city and new venue. Channelling the spirit that hardcore is in part about bringing it to as many people as possible, rather than chasing the bigger stages. As the room became fully packed it was here that the carnage truly began, the close confines leading to a few exchanges. The hardcore mannerisms were new to some, who were baffled or even pissed off. For another demographic, Raw Conflict were clearly delivering exactly what was wanted.
Maelstrom
The bloody and battered nature of GLHC went into full fore as South Wales hardcore once again took to the stage with Maelstrom. The crowd saw this as its final opportunity to move, the limbs and two-steps going into a flurry, with moshing moving further and further back into Café René, only encouraged by the beatdown edge to Maelstrom‘s sound. Alongside Slighted Hand they showcased the strength of South Wales hardcore. With shows seemingly becoming regular in places such as Newport, it could soon become another hot bed for UKHC.
A bloody nose and some broken fingers were the collateral of GLHC’s debut in Gloucester, which seems light work given the bricky confines of the catacombs. It’s noteworthy that a return of Gloucester Hardcore seemed an impossible notion, with previous attempts not lasting long, struggling to even come near a semblance of a scene. The small confines of Café René showed the start of something from which hopefully Gloucester can build into regular shows, akin to that in Cheltenham, with crowds to go with it.
Tickets for the upcoming GLHC shows for Tempers Fray can be found here and for Passed Out here.