When a show sells out in eleven seconds, you know it?s going to be somewhat special. Despite the ticket troubles that arose ahead of tonight (?troubles? being a small handful of grubby bastards sticking them on eBay for up to ten times face value and Banquet Records quite rightly taking appropriate action), the show went ahead on schedule and everyone who legitimately bought a ticket got to see the spectacle they paid for.
Punk Rock 1 ? Scumbags ? 0.
Warm-up responsibilities fell on the shoulders of New Yorkers SUCH GOLD [3/5] who, despite their best efforts, found themselves battling a largely disinterested, half-empty room. Nevertheless, they put on a generous display of energy and punk fury and despite the uneven flow of their set; Such Gold can sleep well in the knowledge they won over a couple of sceptics at least.
While FOUR YEAR STRONG [5/5] are spending most of their nights on their current UK jaunt playing to rooms twenty to thirty times the size of this one, we?re willing to bet that tonight is the most fun they?ve had on the whole tour. As the church bells toll into the opening beats of ?The Take Over?, an impossible surge of ecstasy overcomes the lucky few in witness, and those not paying enough attention (i.e. us) get forced backwards. As the Worcester, Massachusetts quintet put the ?Rise Or Die Trying? extravaganza in full swing, one wonders why it?s taken them four years to do so. RODT is a record that was DESIGNED to be played in a room this small; the stench of sweat rising as high as those brave enough to hurl themselves towards to stage. ?Wrecked ?Em? Damn Near Killed ?Em? and ?Bada Bing! Wit? A Pipe!? predictably cause the biggest swells down front, but from start to finish neither band not crowd let their energy levels drop. By the time the encore of ?It Must Really Suck To Be Four Year Strong Right Now? and ?Wasting Time? has rung out, it?s crystal clear that tonight was a small slice of musical history in the making.
ANDY RITCHIE
All photographs by Maryam Hassan.
More photos: SUCH GOLD | FOUR YEAR STRONG | CROWD SHOTS |