GRAND COLLAPSE | LIVE REVIEW
The Moon, Cardiff, Thurs 12 Oct
Unclear if this was achieved by accident or design, but tonight is an exceedingly rare experience: a hardcore show where nearly everyone in attendance is aged 30 or more. And I’m afraid to say, millennials, that I rather like it. The flagship footwear is chunky skate trainers rather than black patent leather Docs and there are clearly a lot of people hanging out for the first time in ages, something increasingly common with age.
Bristol’s No Pulse are the first of five bands tonight, but possibly the one I anticipated most on the strength of their debut demo. They live up to its promise with 15 minutes of pounding, no-bullshit hardcore which reminds me of Minor Threat in a few parts and Out Cold in quite a few others. Made Of Teeth [below], up next, are playing their second gig but have already released a mini-album – they feature two current members of Spider Kitten, including onetime Taint bassist Chris West, and serve as an outlet for more upbeat, metal-edged hardcore. Sonics are thick and sludgy, vocals are shared between all three members, and I jot down the names Floor, Burning Love and Corrosion Of Conformity in my mental notebook (honestly, you should see it, it’s mental).
South Wales does not yet have electrified rail but it does have two different punk bands whose songs are about being old. Punk’s Not Dad (if they still exist) are one and All Time Old Time are the other, their thing being slapdash fast hardcore barking that sounds like some demo-only band from the late-80s New York scene. That and wrestling references out the wazoo. Rash Decision follow them, having driven up from Cornwall today, and bang out some diverting crossover thrash that leans on hardcore more than metal. Their drummer has dreadlocks that literally come down to his ankles when he’s standing up – I’ve never seen the like.
Tonight’s the first time in a couple of years I’ve seen headliners Grand Collapse [top] play, and they’re considerably more powerful and impressive these days. With a second album, Along The Dew, released earlier this year, they’ve shrugged off most of that compressed ‘90s Fat Wreck Chords’ sound and now resemble latter-day Propagandhi via the bombastic crust punk of, say, Tragedy. Calvin Sewell is an imposing presence on the mic, his three musician bandmates are consistently on point and radiate energy, and there’s an amusing verbal shot fired at a certain UK Border Agency employee who inspired the Grand Collapse song Turncoat. More bills like this would be very welcome in Cardiff.
words NOEL GARDNER photos PHIL BROOKES