Appealing Hardcore
The Manchester Phoenix isn't the biggest venue in the world, in fact quite the opposite. It's one of the smallest venues in which I've seen live music without it being classed as a pub. The stage wasn't exactly a stage, more of a raised area no higher than foot off the ground, and with the drums, the space for the singer was reduced to no more than a handful of inches. But such venues have a charm about them and perhaps not only a good learning curve for a band, but also a good indication on how professional a band is by their way of dealing with such a venue.
Another late start left the queuing fans stood outside in the freezing temperatures. It's a noble effort to put on four bands in one night but is it absolutely necessary? All it creates is frustration not only for fans, but also the bands and crew who have the logistics of four acts to consider. For only £9 it's value for money but surely the phrase 'quality over quantity' should be the order of the day. Maybe a booking oversight put New York's Most Precious Blood on the same night when Soulfly was packing the Academy, not ten minutes walk up Oxford Road. A different 'metal' of fish Most Precious Blood maybe, but perhaps the average sized crowd might have been bigger if Soulfly weren't in town.
We were subjected to two British hardcore bands earlier in the evening and I can honestly say that Britain doesn't do hardcore very well. Perhaps it's because we're not angry enough and if we are we're not as good as the Americans at showing it. The gulf in class between the two opening acts and Most Precious Blood was vast, you can instantly tell this New York five-piece have years of experience under their belts, as they pummelled into Merciless's opener 'Shark Ethic.' It's an ideal gig starter that utilises tempo changes and great guitar hooks to their full effect. Vocalist Rob Fusco started badly however, not only were his vocals too loud in the mix but he seemed to be trying too hard but by the second number his voice was lower and he had warmed up sufficiently to deliver a good performance.
They used the lack of stage room to full effect, whereas the British bands stayed on the assigned platform, Rob sang on the same level as the crowd, being jumped on by the over enthusiastic fans, often causing a hardcore melee in the process. The guitars were a little quiet but the music still packed a punch even without over-head microphones on the drum kit. This was a grass roots show, devoid of image, absent of any musical fads, barren of bandwagons and empty of egos, the band sat in the crowd and when it was their time they picked up their instruments and played. Guitarist Rachel kept her hair in a pony tail, Justin just took his coat off and chocked away, and sometimes it's easy to forget that this sort of small club scene is just as important, and just as enjoyable as the stadium bands of this world. An impressive performance fuelled with intensity and passion, perhaps the stage at the Academy would provide a better platform for these hardcore flag flyers, one can hope they play there next time.