Corrosion Of Conformity Live
Corrosion Of Conformity surprised (and excited) many people last year when it was announced that, with Pepper Keenan otherwise engaged with 'Down', the three original members of the band had begun writing new music and were planning to take this classic hardcore line-up on the road.
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Opening band at the sold out Camden Underworld show were Diesel King, literally a last minute addition to the bill (something you probably wouldn't have noticed if the band hadn't mentioned it) and missing main vocalist Mark. Diesel King only played a short set but, even a member short, managed to fill it with some seriously weighty Stoner grooves and bowel-loosening heaviness.
Despite a band name that conjures up images of speccy tw*ts clutching 20-sided dice and wearing capes, second support act, Ghost'n Goblins' set was a formidable hardcore/punky affair, occasionally venturing into Stoner territory. Closer in sound to early COC than Diesel King and, whilst I felt that they could do with a bit more of a groove in places, they certainly got the crowd whipped into a frenzy.
As soon as headliners Corrosion Of Conformity hit the stage, the place went nuts. This 3-piece line-up, responsible for seminal releases 'Eye For An Eye','Animosity' and 'Technocracy', hasn't been seen since the mid-eighties and, judging by the crowd's response, they've been sorely missed.
Tearing through a set comprised of early classics, such as 'Holier', 'Hungry Child' and encoring with 'Technocracy', the band interspersed the older tracks with some new material, and even a few Pepper Keenan-era snippets including a segment of 1991 breakthrough track 'Vote With A Bullet' featuring drummer Reed Mullin on vocals (the crowd suggestion of 'Albatross', however, was rejected, with bassist Mike Dean insisting that no-one 'wants to hear a song about a seabird'). This high-intensity show featured no let-up in proceedings and, when the band left the stage, they left behind a drained and satisfied audience.
There may be murmurings that it's not the same without their fourth member, but, rather than twiddling their thumbs waiting for Pepper Keenan's return from 'Down', Corrosion Of Conformity have done the sensible thing and reminded us that they were also a force to be reckoned with in their original form, as a trio. And they still are.
To view all photos taken during this set click here. There are 1 available.