Will Marshall
Richard Melkonian opens the show; an eerie, eclectic mix of electronic ambience, guitars that shift between cleanly picked melodies and distorted feedback or licks and deep, laconic singing. Whether a deliberate choice or not, vocally it sounds ever so slightly out of key and an intermittent fire alarm – with no cause for alarm – during the set’s opening doesn’t help the immersion. The experimentation mid-song adds unpredictability and a more industrial, gothic feel. ‘Ballerina Girl’ takes a far more 80s tack with bold, big drums and trance-like synths underscoring the vocals. While it’s clearly not to everyone’s taste, the bold experimentalism, especially on a lineup that’s far heavier, is to be applauded.
Next are local upstarts HAWXX, whose gritty, scuzzy alt-rock goes down a storm from the outset. A briefly bass-heavy mix is quickly rectified to let the winding guitar melodies and harmonised vocals shine. ‘Trust Your Rage’, already potent, is undeniable tonight as the band dedicate it to Sabina Nessa, Sarah Everard and “every woman who has gone unnamed” in a violent, misogynist system. Its towering groove and rage is amplified tenfold tonight. They’re not lacking in star power either; the crowd are enraptured from the front row to the back. Their trifold vocal attack paired with riffs that shift from tectonic groove to a slither is a winning formula, one that shows exactly why they’re one of the hottest names for those in the know and why they so rightfully earned a performance slot at 2020’s Heavy Music Awards. Tonight they act, sound and look every inch the rockstars they deserve to be and the scene sorely needs.
Tonight’s headliners This Be The Verse are celebrating the launch of their latest album Deny All and they’ve got an unenviable task of following HAWXX. They take it to eagerly though, even with their somewhat lighter leaning alt-rock. There’s a moment midway into their first song that feels like the bass has cut accidentally but it resumes for the verse shortly after; it’s jarring and robs the song of impact it perhaps should’ve had. There’s a southern-tinged groove to their second song, with almost rapped verse; it almost sounds like a different band. They do lead a singalong to wish a happy birthday to band members that’s endearing and a fun distraction before launching into their third song that’s a punk-inflected number, again a departure from the two earlier songs. It’s all rather disjointed, especially with a detour into electronica mid set, which is a shame given the passion they evidently have for music. There’s a certain something missing from the set, not just the stylistic inconsistencies that stop it from drawing people in fully and making the band feel like they simply don’t have an identity of their own. This might be the verse, but there’s no chorus to tie the many incongruous elements together.
It’s been a mixed bill with mixed results this evening; Richard Melkonian and This Be The Verse put on good sets but the stars of the show tonight were undeniably HAWXX. With their heavy, groove-laden rock they put on a raucous performance that simply isn’t matched in intensity or enjoyment.