Reviewed on Friday December 5 (photo by Ashley Mar)

On Friday Violent Soho demonstrated that you don’t have to redefine rock’n’roll to be great, you just have to know what the hell you’re doing. The sentiment was obvious from the start. Trophy Eyes, a five-piece melodic hardcore group from Newcastle, thundered through the opening set with the passionate energy that is characteristic of the genre. Breakneck instrumentation coupled with a frontman who embraced the whole stage made for a solid display of post-punk.

The next band, Ceres, shifted gears with catchy riffs that could have slipped into generic pop-rock had it not been for the authenticity with which Tom Lanyon, their frontman, delivered his emotionally charged lyrics. In between songs he told the crowd, “Touring with Violent Soho is the coolest thing I’ve ever done in my life.” His honesty translated into tracks that resonated, creating an inclusive set filled with the warmth one feels in the solidarity of pop-punk stylings.

Throughout the night the atmosphere at the Metro had been congenial and welcoming. When Violent Soho walked on, the excitement was at fever pitch. James Tidswell, their guitarist, raised his beer with the affable smile of Garth Algar. He began the intro to ‘Dope Calypso’. And then the crowd lost its collective mind. The moshpit, from the barrier to the stairs of the Metro hall, became an awesome pulsating mass as fans bounced through the entire five-minute song. As the band rolled straight into ‘Lowbrow’ it didn’t look like there’d be any end to the crowd’s enthusiasm.

The fans literally threw themselves into each and every song, with individuals flying through the air as they crowd-surfed the wave of bodies underneath. They knew the lyrics to every song, chanting alongside frontman Luke Boerdam’s furious cry of nihilistic frustration with dead-end jobs. With long, straggly hair swinging, Violent Soho head-banged their way through the night. Ending on an extended jam of ‘OK Cathedral’, which culminated in a heavy breakdown, they left the stage amidst a flurry of colour and lights. The feedback of guitars echoed through the theatre. A testament to the power of their songwriting, Violent Soho had dominated the night with their anthemic choruses and an intuitive understanding of what makes great grunge music.

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