TURNSTILE | LIVE REVIEW
The Globe, Cardiff, Fri 4 Sept
The Globe is not a venue with a great history of hosting hardcore shows, but it’s a popular choice tonight, rammed full of eager kids and older heads, universally excited to catch one of the most hyped bands in US hardcore.
A late start means that openers Fade play a truncated set of well received, 90s-style post-hardcore. The UK four-piece wear their influences on their sleeves, blending a very clear love of Quicksand with moments reminiscent of Exeter’s sadly missed Kids Near Water, with all of the midpaced chug of the former mixed with the appealingly discordant vocals of the latter. Strong stuff.
Broken Teeth hop on stage shortly after Fade and the Globe erupts. The northerners seem to have brought a fair few folk with them who set about doing their best to ensure that they leave an impression on the locals. Certainly the lone bouncer inside the venue seems somewhat bemused, shaking his head while taking a moment to video some of the amateur martial arts moves being thrown on the dancefloor. Broken Teeth are obviously popular here, but their sub-All Out War, mosh-by-numbers style is so derivative and uninspired it’s difficult to understand quite why.
The energy levels are maintained by the far more impressive Angel Du$t. Their raw, melodic take on hardcore is as reminiscent of Pennywise as it is Bad Brains, and it goes down a storm tonight. They’re fast, tight and fucking exciting. Angel Du$t share members with Turnstile, so the turnover is quick – just as well in the sweltering heat of the Globe.
Bodies are flying before the band hit the stage and the intensity flies up as they start smashing through tunes from this year’s excellent Nonstop Feeling album. A totally authentic representation of modern hardcore, Turnstile are the real deal: intense, powerful and full of raw, positive energy. They rip it up with a fast, brief set, closing on Death Grip from 2011’s Pressure To Succeed, leaving a beaming, bruised and sweat soaked crowd wanting more. A great show and proof that there’s a real appetite for hardcore in Cardiff.
words HUGH RUSSELL