Last (but obviously not least) to take up the chaos baton is Haggard Cat. The duo fill the stage with oodles of swaggering charisma and energy – as well as a hefty stack of vintage-presenting amps – that explodes (the energy, not the amps; panic not) into the crowd from the second the synths begin tinkling in ‘I HATE IT HERE’. Vocalist/guitarist Matt Reynolds roars with all the unfettered emotion of an overly caffeinated lion having an existential meltdown, and Tom Marsh blasts his drum kit with equal fervour, at times threatening to launch himself from his stool into the surrounding equipment. The unkempt, anticipatory buildup midway through song number two, ‘SOAR’, means some of the crowd feel the same need to launch themselves into something and break open a mosh pit.
“I promise not to do that to you again. I just get so excited,” jokes Matt after morphing the moshing into a wall of death. It’s the most people they’ve had at a London headliner, and they’re touring their third album, The Pain That Orbits Life – an album chockablock with dizzying, throat-shredding bangers – so no wonder he’s got so excited. Whilst it’s almost a complete celebration of new tracks, live staples such as scuzzed-up, blues rock belter ‘American Graffiti’ see Matt take his turn to jump off the stage and dance with the sweat-dripping lunatics.
They get a little emotional when reminiscing about their time as Baby Godzilla, touring with Limp Bizkit, and how they wouldn’t be in the position they are today without The Black Heart and thank everyone for being here. “Since it’s so special, I will actually tune my guitar,” says Matt, before accidentally asking Paula, the sound wizard, for a little more “vodka” rather than “vocals”. A Haggard Cat show is like joining a beautifully chaotic family for the night, overflowing with bonkersness and siblings with the best music taste ever. Haggard Cat take the reputation that two-man bands do it best and carve it into the sprawling alt-rock, noise punk, and post-hardcore spectrum that they exist in, with a promise to never stop. They love it. The crowds love it. And the only option is more Haggard Cat, please.
