Fireapple Red at Silkfest
Main support for Captain Everything came from Fireapple Red. A band who have been playing the British Punk scene for many years, it was clear that from their experience alone that tonight's performance from the quintet will be anything but bland. As fans crammed themselves into the back of the pub, Fireapple Red prepare for their set. Front man Tarek wraps the microphone cable around his arm; little did I know how aggressive their live sets are.
The band started their 45-minute set with some great songs that lit the crowd alight, people throwing themselves into each other causing lots to fall and others to suffer in cuts and bruises. The pit was certainly one of most aggressive Silks has ever seen with some people even crowd surfing.
Originating from Brussels with a sound similar to the famous Strike Anywhere, the quintet base their songs around political ideologies of 'a better world - a future free of racism, sexism, homophobia, oppression, war, and massive corporations raping and pillaging everyone and everything in pursuit of profit; and that is surely something the crowd share. When Tarek would shove the microphone into the crowd you would find somebody screaming the bands lyrics back in response. There certainly was no friction between the band and audience, at many times people who be cheering on the guitar solos or lifting up the singer like some sort of martyr of the underground scene. At other times, other members of the band such as the two guitarists would be jumping around and the singer even climbed on top of speakers in order to look down upon the crowd. The entire band produced backing vocals in the songs showing true dedication to their music as they pour their heart and soul into every single beat and chord. Red Dave played some amazing drumming whilst the two guitarists added some great technical guitar parts. Fireapple Red's set finished with half the audience on stage with them. By the time the band had finished, the stage was left ripped up in shreds with microphone stands on the floor and splinters of glass left from fallen pints leaving Captain Everything to pick up the pieces. A brutal set from a brutal band but that wasn't the end of Fireapple Red, they didn't just leave the stage in chaos but made a dramatic departure when it turned out they lost their van keys and had many people looking up and down Silks. By the far the greatest band of the night.