Can you believe it, someone stole my Bad Religion sticker? They dug their nails in, pealed it back and physically removed it from the back of my car. Now I put up with a lot of in-your-face religious bumper stickers that I don't agree with. Whatever, each to their own, it doesn't bother me. But Bad Religion's just one of my favourite bands, and they're a great band, way smarter than the small-minded public censor that just proved them right. That aside, Americans Underoath were in town, and let me tell you, they're one hell of a live act.
REMAINING DATES:
Sep 25, Black Dahlia, Boksburg
Sep 26, Bells Sundowners, Jo'burg
Sep 27, Rustic Theatre, Jo'burg
The Wave House at Gateway's been through some major changes lately. It's had a facelift, and a lot of skate park territory has been sucked up and flattened to make way for a new concrete assembly area, come open-air arena. It's a dangerous thought, rock shows on concrete. But it worked for the Uprising festival, so chances were it was gonna work again.
I got there too late for New Altum but did catch Unlisted and New Found Disorder. Both bands were extremely competent, but I battled to get into either of them. And when Durban steam pistons Go Go Bronco came on, you could feel the difference.
Go Go Bronco seem highly affected by the brother-bear hardcore sentiments of recently-toured-South-Africa, DIY American hardcore heads Shipwreck AD, and echoed messages of scene building and solidarity. Their set was rocking as usual, but it definitely sounds like they're singing more these days. I just wish they'd record an album already.
It never ceases to amaze me how little thought goes into the music in-between bands at a festival. It's like they forget about it 'till the last minute, steal the lamest guy at the party's iPod and hook it up to the sound system. I heard some Gomez, and Gomez are cool, but at an Underoath show? Some might say that the delicacies of Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline were somewhat lost in translation on the black t-shirt, emocore-looking crowd. Don't even get me started on some of the other crap pouring out of the speakers in-between bands. What's up with that?
I've always been a bit of a HiKaToRi skeptic. I don't know why – maybe it's just the way they write their name. But straight away, they stood out in an old-fashioned entertainment kind of way. Dressed in matching-yet-different band T-shirts, their show was a complete mixture of tunes, from old-Offspring-like punk rock to rapcore and nu-metal, all sung in Afrikaans. And their presence and on-stage charisma was fun-inspiring and care-free, even a broken arm couldn't keep frontman and percussionist, Nico Botha, from having a good time.
All the way from Potchefstroom, Straatligkinders were up next. “Can I get some more sweatband in my monitor please? Just a little bit,” asked vocalist Bouwer Bosch. Straatligkinders have got to be one of the hardest working bands in South Africa. Those guys just tour and release albums non-stop, and as a result, they're building up a major fan-base around the country. “Bouwer!” girls were screaming, singing all the lyrics and verging on star-struck. Even I went a little schoolboy when they played their “hardcore techno sokkie,” “Avontuur van 'n Hartbreek.” They all jump around like mental patients on a day out, and they're a tight live band that play an energetic and fun mix of emo, hardcore and punk rock. It would be so easy for them all to dress in black and slick their hair to the side, but their punk rock influences shine through, and they're a very likable band. I just think some backup vocals would add a new level of dynamism to their live show. Like I've said before, even Matthew Bellamy needs backups.
Next, Durban's Crossingpoint were typically brutal and serious, and like Uprisings, looked well at home jamming on a giant stage with a powerful lighting rig. I don't think they're quite as convincing on the mellow bits, but their angry face is frothing-at-the-mouth rabid and obliterating. Guitarist and only original member, Brandon van Eeden, looked like he was having the show of his life.
With their roots lying deeply towards the nu-metal genre, The Narrow seemed like a weird opening act choice for a melodic hardcore/screamo band. It was kinda like a sucker punch really, I had no idea they were playing, and to the right people, The Narrow are an incredibly big deal. They didn't come to close to blowing me away like they did at last year's Woodstock, and the sound kept cutting out, but The Narrow delivered their usual, muscular, ultra-professional mix of nu-metal and modern rock experimentations. But for some reason, it just came across as underwhelming.
All the local bands were done by around 8pm, but Underoath were sticking to their guns and only going on at nine. After a long day in the sun, and now with the place on lockdown (once you were out you couldn't come back in) and some of the world's worst music playing over the sound system, it was one of those special four hour-long-feeling hours. The kind usually reserved for 3pm on a Friday afternoon.
Every time a sound-guy strummed a guitar the crowd erupted. And when drummer Aaron Gillespie got on stage, forget about it. The roughly 600 strong crowd swallowed its own tongue with anticipation, and then it was on.
The sound was phenomenal for Underoath, probably the best live sound I've ever heard – the snare didn't even sound like a real snare it sounded so good, and the kick drum was like a punch in the chest. Underoath do this for a living, they've travelled the world and I knew they were gonna be good, but their set was one of those frozen moments discussed with childish enthusiasm after the show and remembered for a long time to come.
Frontman Spencer Chamberlain's got a weird onstage persona for a Christian hardcore band. He looks and slinks around the stage more like Marilyn Manson than your usual, more testosterone-driven screaming frontman. He's a sensitive screamer, a long and gangly stickman that's 70% voice, 10% body and 20% hair.
Drummer Aaron Gillespie is one of the best live drummers I've ever seen. At one point I saw him lie back on his drum stool, his long ginger mane touching the floor behind him. Then he sprung up and smashed his cymbals with a look on his face that could have melted plastic. His rolls were like stolen moments that weren't meant to exist, and his double bass and hi-hat work was literally unreal – and he's singing the whole time! “Sings like an angel, hits those drums like the Devil,” one of my friends commented.
Also, thanks to evangelical-looking keyboard player Christopher Dudley, Underoath play with pre-recorded samples and other digital loops. Often, I couldn't tell what he was playing, but it must have been electric, 'cos the guy looked like he was getting shocked the whole show. Even when he jumped into the crowd to dish out high fives, his body shook like Chris Farley on a freak out. The most impressive his work sounded was on “It's Dangerous Business Walking Out Your Front Door”, when the sample “Drowning in my sleep” kicked in. It just sounded so impressive, powerful and tight.
I know Underoath have lost a lot of fans on their path to a more melodic, more pop-friendly metrosexual-looking style of music. But they've probably picked up more. And as far as live acts go, they were up there with MUSE for onstage power and presence. And even though they're big stars, they did come across as down to earth and genuine. I was seriously impressed, they kick.
During Underoath's encore there was a beautifully-poetic moment when Go Go Bronco guitarist James crowd-surfed his way over the barrier. “Don't worry dude, I'll just jump back over,” it looked like he was saying to the burly-looking security guard, but the guy looked like he just wanted to grab James' neck and drag him out of the pit. Before he could, James broke free and jumped over the barrier into the crowd, middle-fingering the school of hard knocks security guard his whole way back into the heaving depths of the moshpit. Underoath tickets, R300, food and drink, R200, the look on security's face when he realised he wasn't gonna be able to revenge having the bird flipped in his face, priceless.
Underoath's set was short and sweet, and wrapped up by around 11pm. There'd been a rumour circulating that The City Bowl Mizers were gonna play at the all day Winston Pub festival, Voices in the Crowd. I'd just seen vocalist Martin crowd-walking and singing along to Underoath, and the rest of the band had been boozing all day. But sure enough, at around 12pm they were on stage at The Winston, banging out a fun, punk rock version of a Mizers set, galvanised and encouraged by the sheer magnificence of Underoath's performance.
Christian Music News Source
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment