Hallowed Grey
A skateboard and all encompassing music web log. If you would like your bands music, whether full length or demo to be hosted here, then please get in touch at either
HG MYSPACE
or
hallowedgreyzineATgooglemailDOTcom
Replace the "at" and the "dot" with the appropriate symbols.
Jun 5th, 2009 @ 1:01 pm
Matt Jordan from Expect Delays Zine does an article for us!
I’m not turning this into a show review, I have no experience in writing one and I’m not familiar enough with any of the bands to properly comment on them. Additionally, I missed the two bands I was the most stoked to see - All Hallows, who played their first show, and Set Fires Then Run (who don’t actually appear on this version of the flier, having replaced Lost Sight), a new entity formed from the remains of Manchester metal band Camorra. Ah well. I’ll catch them at a later point, no doubt when I’ve learnt the importance of time management when catching up with friends down the pub. The night was overshadowed by the actions of one band: Gameover.
After they’d run through a few songs, clearly disgusted at the thought of playing anything remotely interesting, the vocalist decided to start smashing chairs and throwing them about, before turning his attentions to the light fixtures. Now, I don’t know how familiar you are with the venue, but the Castle is supposedly the last place in Manchester which allows free shows, and this band roll up and thinks it’ll be punk as piss to break the furniture, jeopardizing future chances to put on shows there. Luckily, the angel of vengeance was never too far away and materialised itself in the form of a guy beating him down with a chair to the head. Exciting stuff.
Floor opens. Heated arguments. Venue saved?
And that’s the main thing. I’m not down with violence and drama, but if it stopped them from causing any more thoughtless destruction then it is the means to the end. I saw members of the band being taken to one side outside after the show, and I hear they apologised for what seriously was a dick move on their part. They’re splitting up now anyway, which makes me care very little. Pretty sure they’d have trouble getting a booking in the area again though. I’d like to think so, anyway.
Negi hardcore is pretty much for the lose.
When I see a kid lashing out with a stool at the walls of a venue that so many people rely upon, something has gone badly wrong. Hardcore punk was (ideologically, at least) born as a reaction to the more masturbatory tendencies of metal - the hair, the solos, and the image. So to see someone who does not give a solitary shit about anyone else and instead follows the path of his or her own projected vision of how a ‘rock-star’ should behave, it pisses me off. And hopefully it pissed a lot of other people off. Is this really where we are all heading? Disconnected angry kids with no thought for others? Self-involved and destructive? I have been to see bands in towns where no-one talks to each other: you turn up, find a wall to lean against, avoid eye contact, and then go home. I’ve been guilty of this before. Crowded rooms should never feel so empty.
This is not a scene with money or popularity on its side to keep it going. Instead you rely upon ideas and friends and proactivity. We have positivity and a motivation to build something out of it. Everyone can do something to support their scene, and obviously I’m not just talking about being in a band or booking bands. Go to shows, talk to people, buy some records, drop a donation in a bucket - anything to help bring people together and generally enjoy life a bit more. Besides the bands, what I love the most about hardcore is the sense of being a part of something larger and sharing experiences with new people. I don’t intend this to come across as indicative of an FSU-clique mentality on my part, far from it, I just mean to point out that there is no reason not to get positively involved. It only takes a few small actions to set everyone back.
Random outbursts of violence and scene drama should not be given a place here. Most people already know this, but: enjoy yourself, lighten up, support your locals - and that means not destroying what people have worked hard for, nor shitting where others eat.
http://www.myspace.com/expectdelayszine
http://www.myspace.com/expectdelayszine
http://www.myspace.com/expectdelayszine
http://www.myspace.com/expectdelayszine
http://www.myspace.com/expectdelayszine
Matthew Jordan -
