The Morning After - Subverse at the Underworld, Camden
Well what can I say? When The Morning After first took to the stage I had to double take. For a moment there I thought I had been transported back to the 1980s. Hairstyles, t-shirts, headbands, these lads have done their research and approached it well.
Their sound was electric, wrapped up in the type of beats you may expect on a Karate Kid style soundtrack. For many years now the music industry has been flooded with “fashion” bands where the look and sound must adhere to specific styles. What these lads have been able to do is mix today’s sounds with British metal that was soaring 20 years ago; which was before the band members were even born. This is something different and extremely enjoyable to watch.
Their performance was electric and one of the most enthralling I have been witness to. The electric riffs were rock solid and more than I had imagined possible. Just take ‘Crush Kill Destroy’ for example with its hooks and talented rhythms. I have never seen or heard something so…grasping. The vocals from Sam Ryder were just another element to super size the performance to rocketing levels. His voice is one that will send shivers down the back of your spine as the hairs on the back of you neck stand to attention.
What also make these lads stand out, besides the sound and look, are the songs they are singing about. No crap about romance and losing the one you love. No drawing experiences form here or there. What adds the emphasis to the tracks is the fictional ideas and narrative built upon to create a storybook in your mind. Best part of the night had to be the ‘Gladiators Theme’ at the end. This was an explosive way to conclude a tremendous set.
If you really want to experience the sensation ‘The Morning After’ transmits you have to see them live. With heads bopping in the beats to the music and sequenced movements they put on one hell of a show. They play songs you will imagine at stadiums with thousands of people in the crowds singing along. A hell of a performance from a band that going to bring back the 80’s to a new decade.