“And when I’m called to be the bigger man, I couldn’t be more erect.”
Words by Jack Walker, photography by Maisie Cooper. Please contact Maisie before usage.
Mathcore is a genre that has faded in and out of love plenty of times over the last decade or so. Whether you were around for the boom in the early 2000s, or got into it a bit later on with the 2010s resurgence, chances are you’ve quickly realised one thing: few bands last in this genre long-term, and those who do, innovate. Such is the case with headliners The Callous Daoboys, who have found themselves innovating and changing their style with each release. Their latest effort, I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven, looks to be their most successful iteration yet by all accounts. With the prospect of seeing the band perform these tracks in some rather intimate venues, this was a tour that we absolutely could not miss.
Love Rarely
Kicking off the evening, UK-based mathcore act Love Rarely took to the stage, bringing their take on swancore-tinged post hardcore to the streets of Nottingham. Explosive vocals led their set, with vocalist CJ showcasing her raw vocal prowess for the duration. Backed by a stellar instrumental unit, their set was nothing short of fantastic. The newer songs from their upcoming album Pain Travels translated particularly well, and undoubtedly won many new fans over, but it was on older tracks like “And You Know It” where the crowd really got it. Given that our last time seeing the band was at 2000trees, this set was like seeing an entirely different band. Everything was elevated, and they felt at home on the stage, and it would seem that the only way is up from here.
Knives
Bristol’s Knives up next, bringing an energy which we can truly say we did not expect. Hardcore with a post-punk twist, it’s hard to put a label on this band, so we won’t. Having only briefly caught them at Burn It Down, we were excited to see them play a full set, and they really pulled out all the stops for us. Every second was soaked in energy, with saxophonist Tegan O’Connor being a particular standout, playing double duty on vocals, sax, and dancing for the entirety as well. The booking of Knives was nothing short of perfect for this line up, with the band bringing their A-game and having that same weird and zany energy that The Callous Daoboys pull off so well. A band that surprised us, their infectious vibe breathes an entirely new life into their tracks, so much so that those of us who weren’t sold on their studio material left their set loving them. As if their set wasn’t already fun enough, they rounded things out with a cover of Kate Bush’s “Baboushka”, something which put a smile on everybody’s faces. Knives have captured something really fun and interesting, and it’s hard to place exactly what it is, but just know that by not seeing them live, you’re doing them and yourself a disservice.
The Callous Daoboys
The main event, Atlanta’s finest, The Callous Daoboys. “Full Moon Guidance” explodes into action, setting the scene of things to come. Between Carson Pace’s vocals and the ongoing barrage from guitarists Maddie Caffrey and Daniel Hodson, there was nowhere to hide, and the venue quickly became a battlefield, with Pace inciting violence at any given moment. Quickly transitioning into the iconic “Two-Headed Trout”, with accompanying sample from La Caution’s “Thé à la Menthe”, or as many know it, the Counter Strike bhop song, the band made light work of getting the crowd back in action, dancing and singing along to every word.
“Lemon” gave a brief moment for onlookers to catch their breath, its soothing tone settling in and putting the focus on Pace and Amber Christman’s stellar violin work. A much more accessible and laid-back affair, it was timed perfectly following the carnage that had taken place just moments before. Of course, this wasn’t to last, and “What’s Delicious? Who Swarms?” quickly pulled us back to reality, its sharp, frenetic guitars chopping through the room without a care given to whom they cut. Pace’s vocal prowess comes into its own here, with him switching vocal deliveries seemingly every couple of seconds. A track which has aged like fine wine, when paired with the band’s years of touring, it has been honed and perfected. “Distracted By The Mona Lisa” comes back in to offer yet another moment to catch your breath, offering the polar opposite with its huge, sing-along choruses, and more pop-rock gone post-hardcore instrumental. This track in particular stood out as the band really coming into their own, and given its success as a single, seeing it live only cemented that this is the sound that they were destined to make. It’s dreamy and fun, whilst emotional and complex. There’s emotion seeping through in every moment, and this was on display for all to see.
The latter portion of their set saw a return to the more zany and wild tracks we’ve come to know and love. Still consisting predominantly of new material, fan favourite “Blackberry DeLorean” made an appearance, sandwiched between “Douchebag Safari” and “Schizophrenia Legacy”, making for a crazy back-to-back run. “Star Baby” saw a round of applause and chants of “you deserve it” as Pace commended the city for selling out the entirety of the UK leg of the tour, almost bringing tears to the band’s eyes. With “A Brief Article Regarding Time Loops” kicking in, many thought that the night was over and going out with a bang, but as if the night’s standard set wasn’t enough, the band threw in bonus track “Contrail Crucifix” as a thank you, with Pace stressing that it was a rare occurrence, and a thank you for being a great crowd.
Explosive, zany energy, ridiculous vocal runs, on-stage antics including falling off a speaker and playing rock, paper, scissors with somebody side-stage, The Callous Daoboys really do put on an incredible performance. Their clear musical talent aside, they’re performers through and through, and give you an experience rather than just playing the songs. They’re a band who, through many iterations, are finally getting their flowers, and we can’t wait to see them return once more to the UK with Enter Shikari later in the year.