Wow, what a punch in the face, in a good way. So powerful. I hadn’t experienced anything like this since Knocked Loose at Outbreak Festival in London. Both caught me completely by surprise.
Even if I love some Ministry albums, most of Nine Inch Nails’ discography, and Fleshwater has been my favourite band for the last few years, that still doesn’t fully explain why I am so responsive to hardcore, both on record – I loved Ronker’s album, which I listened to before the concert – and live. Especially live.
In the 90s, we had the shoegaze wall of sound – Ride, My Bloody Valentine – but now it looks like a new generation of bands and kids likes it raw, loud and screaming. And what a show!
What strikes me is the sound level, the sound quality and the musicianship of these bands. While a new indie-rock band can sometimes struggle to properly play three great songs in a row, Ronker or Knocked Loose can deliver a full set at crazy speed with what looks like absolutely no effort.
Think classical opera: are pure hardcore / metal / doom bands actually the best at combining something cataclysmic with technical perfection?
It doesn’t hurt that Ronker’s singer spends the show jumping up and down on stage and onto the speakers.
The crowd wasn’t lacking passion either. In the video I posted on Instagram @concertandvinyl, there is literally a man upside down above the crowd, circling around the tent pole!
This concert is a serious contender for one of my three best concerts of the year.
I spoke backstage with the singer after the show and, stay tuned: Ronker should be coming to The Record Club for a playlist interview soon.
Band’s Instagram: @ronkergram
