Just have it!
The tent over at the third stage is full for the arrival of Dillinger Escape Plan, the lights go down, the long intro music kicks in and as they finally take the stage they are met with a huge roar from the crowd. They literally explode into the first song and it’s hard to know where to look as the stage becomes a blur of bodies! Lead vocalist Greg Puciato wins the prize for most acrobatic display of the day (if not the weekend, although I hear Airbourne lay claim to that one!) as he climbs up the lighting rigging at the side of the stage, links his legs and leans backwards towards the crowd.
DEP play a confusing blend of hardcore styles; confusing because everyone has tried to label them to the point of farce. Basically they play hardcore, it’s loud, fast and completely in your face! Once again the sound on the third stage isn’t great unless you’re stood right in the middle of the tent and this does make them the songs come over as a bit of a mess at times. The variety that the band throw into their songs however keeps it interesting and the more progressive moments are clearer. Those moments aside though there’s little let up in their brutal performance and the crowd go mad for it, particularly during crowd pleasers like ‘43% Burnt’.
Despite the problems picking out the tunes today the performance is just brilliant! The guitarists bounce around on stage like rabid dogs in attack mode and they just whip up the intensity all the way through the set. This culminates in Puciato launching his mic stand into the crowd (an unwise move in the age of claim & blame!). DEP have certainly made an impression and whatever your view of hardcore there’s no denying that they’ve turned in one of the performances of the weekend.