They know how to show you a good time.
The venue have for some reason decided to put this gig in their smallest room so the place is stupidly packed, and hot, really hot, it’s just a good job it’s not the middle of summer. By the time Fucked Up are due to emerge, three other bands have come and gone and the heckling has started, some of the more drunk members of the crowd are getting a bit over excited, and with good reason because once the band does hit the room things go insane.
They strike the first chord and over half of the formerly static crowd disintegrates into one mass of movement, bodies fly, surfing and diving from every side and at the centre of it all Pink Eyes the imposing front man stands like the eye of a tornado but wearing armour, apparently given to him by a friend; it’s an interesting stage costume. As is his way, he quickly strips off the armour and completes the set in just his trousers which often refuse to stay on his hips so many members of the audience are treated to a dose of his bare arse more than once.
They play pretty much the whole of the new album, with a smattering of old tracks thrown in but the new tunes seem to elicit a bigger response because they have more of a groove. The punishing mosh pit doesn’t stop until the last note has been played and bloody noses and bruised eyes are seen exiting the venue.
It’s hard to think of a gig recently that has had such an electric atmosphere, every eye is glued on the compelling front man as he clambers over all the tables and chairs and even lays on the bar as he sings and he’s followed around each part of the venue by a hoard of obsessive fans. If this was the whole deal than you might wonder what all the fuss was about, however the band is also incredibly tight, each tune sounding better than the album version so they win on all counts; gig of the year hands down.