Live Review: Knocked Loose, Deafheaven and Headbussa | SWX, Bristol | 07/03/2024
Last we took to the south west for an evening of music in it's most provocative form.
Headbussa
They may hail from the city of love, but there’s nothing of the sort within Headbussa’s set. Presenting hardcore in a form most aggressive, urbanite and explicit – complete with a snare that sounds like a dodgeball pinging from the bridge of someone’s nose – the Paris beatdown mob are ultimately a tour de force in violence this eve, with their set inciting two stepping, slam pitting and even a smattering of crowd killing from the offset. There’s no grace, nor politeness to be had here; just full-frontal concrete-clad animosity that highlights the inherent savagery found within France’s burgeoning hardcore scene.
However, that’s not to say that Headbussa’s output is void of intelligence. Whilst tracks from last year’s Vengeful Mind EP may highlight the cold blooded nature one needs to adopt in our crumbling capitalist hellscape, the groove that’s subtly embedded within their sound allows their material to bludgeon Bristol with full effect. But still, that’s not to say the crowd’s reaction is one of intellect though. As the band rush through their set and a cheeky cover of Shattered Realm’s ‘No Mercy’, everyone here is either clenching their teeth through compressed stank face or, judging from some of the connections in the pit, physically swallowing them. It’s bedlam, and given the reaction of some of the more greener, battlejacket donning youngsters new to hardcore here, a sight that terrifies some yet sets the precedent for this evening. Well, for most of it.
Photo Credit: James Gibbons
Deafheaven
As the blackgaze trendsetters lurch into action with ‘Brought To The Water’ prior to the 10 minute opus that is ‘Sunbather’, the pit remains pretty much empty. In fact, the ignorant ultraviolence just prior has dissipated. This is not an issue; a real issue would be it continuing during Deafheaven’s opening cuts. Whilst many, understandably, expressed doubt over this band appearing on this bill, sandwiched between two acts renowned for inciting violence in their wake, the reason of their inclusion on this tour becomes apparent as the band place the SWX under their blackened wing; Deafheaven’s savagery exists in a more unique form that compliments their touring mates and vice versa.
Whilst stereotypically an act associated with chinstroking and the like, amongst their contemporaries tonight the violence within Deafheaven’s deep and textured sound sound becomes apparent in a way that’s slightly more delicate. It’s their pairing with more overt bands that allows the density, ferociousness and damn near suffocating swatches of blackened atmosphere within their sound take centre stage, with their position on this bill providing juxtaposition and contrast. In fact, as the band progress through ‘Gifts For The Earth’, this appears to be sentiment that the crowd gathered here began to understand and appreciate, especially with vocalist George Clarke being ever the imposing presence.
Ultimately though, it’s the crack to the skull that manifests as ‘Black Brick’ that shatters the tension in the room and incites hysteria, its rampaging and filthy black metal haste opening a circle pit that absorbs those just wishing to use this set as a moment of respite. Simply, as ever, Deafheaven are untouchable within a live environment, and even within a tour such as this – removed from their typical realm – their brilliance is ever-appreciated. Whilst some here may have been openly questioning this just prior to it, as the band ring out with ‘Dream House’, Deafheaven once again prove to be a majestic band who have now long outgrown the claustrophobic parameters of the scene they helped shape.
Photo Credit: James Gibbons
Knocked Loose
Speaking of claustrophobia, there doesn’t appear to be a cubic centimetre of this room not inhabited by a body awaiting Knocked Loose this evening. The band may be no strangers to this venue following previous appearances supporting Every Time I Die and featuring on that massive eight act hardcore and metalcore show back in 2019, but tonight is the first time they’ve sold out this room on their own name. And as they lurch into proceedings with ‘Deep In The Willow’ such feverish tension and anticipation erupts with pure volatility. Whilst the sheer number of people literally crammed into this space makes traditional moshing in the vein of hardcore more or less impossible, Knocked Loose’s set is host to what transpires to be borderline unhinged hysteria.
As the population of Bristol clamber, crawl, and pretty much wail on each other to ‘Where Light Divides The Holler’, ‘God Knows’ and the call to flail arms that is ‘Deadringer’, if one not aware of this band were to walk into this room they would probably assume Knocked Loose has just ushered some cold war sleeper code that has awoken a deep-coded mental trigger in every punter in the room. But such is a testament to their approach to hardcore. Whilst this genre has long been a sound that exercises the suppressed violent tendencies in all of us, the way in which the Oldham bruisers reactivates this primitive and ancient urge is now approaching a level beyond comparison. Yes, whilst violence is long something to be condemned, tonight one cannot help but to submit to that urge to go absolute full-hog feral when hearing ‘Oblivion’s Peak’ and ‘Denied By Fate’ performed with this much intensity tonight.
However, what makes Knocked Loose just so good and provocative tonight is just how intense, oppressive and damn near terrifying they sound. As demonstrated with material from A Tear In The Fabric Of Life and their latest single ‘Blinding Faith’, the panic-inducing and anxiety invoking elements of their new material are simply inescapable and sound truly daunting live, even in a room as large as this. Whilst one may have been concerned on such nuance becoming lost or mistranslating in a venue as large as this, such crucial intricacies of their current sound are aired with the detail and attention they require. The end result is a sound that’s thrilling, and legitimately invokes a visceral reaction in those hearing it. In all though, tonight just pays credence to Knocked Loose’s seemingly unstoppable ascent.
Venues like this are typically not associated with hardcore – for good reason too – but tonight the band perform in a manner that feels natural without sacrificing the ethos of the genre that’s often at odds with rooms such as these. It almost feels like Knocked Loose are destined to play colossal rooms like this; not only does this incredible set silence all naysayers questioning the bands ability and right to play larger rooms of this stature, but it ultimately comes to pass that it feels like the band have already bypassed rooms of this size and are already ready to the next echelon of larger venues. Here, tonight, Knocked Loose show they have not only mastered the ability of performing genuinely visceral music that invokes a primal response, but the ability to articulate it before the masses perfectly. As they round off the night with ‘Counting Worms’ and the manic fury of ‘Everything Is Quiet Now’, it legitimately feels like Knocked Loose are well and truly on their way to becoming the first true hardcore band to headline and ultimately sell out arenas on our country on their name alone.
Photo Credit: James Gibbons