LIVE REVIEW: Show Me The Body @ The Asylum, Birmingham

SHOW ME THE BODY arrived in the UK last month with their World War Tour, almost an exact year since their prior visit they felt it was time to come back and set a standard once again. Finding themselves in Birmingham to gear up for their final show in London the following night, the New York trio put together an explosive set on their penultimate night of tour. There’s no need to worry about how their material translates to a live setting, it’s even better. More jarring and palpable than you’ve ever heard it in your ear phones.

Opening the night on home soil is FLESH CREEP, a hardcore band who’re quite familiar with The Asylum, as first impressions are strong as they look more than comfortable on stage. Opening with a fast and ballistic showing of Total Control before they spread themselves further into a brief but chunky breakdown. With a new body of work on the way it’s the perfect opportunity to test it out for a crowd, making the majority of the whirlwind set new material. Blasting their way through the ten song set in under twenty minutes makes it hard to feel like there is much composure amongst the group, 

Still, the new material is full of throat shredding screams and palpable bass work, the unfortunate part is the lack of composure to be seen on the stage. Lame jokes about cocaine and proclaiming that asking people to buy merch is “corny” FLESH CREEP water down the good energy they originally delivered in opening for SHOW ME THE BODY.

Rating: 6/10

Following are ISLAND OF LOVE who tout a feel good indie-rock energy whilst they make gorgeous amalgamations of sound with shoegaze. Sandwiched between two hardcore bands makes the usual sheer force atmosphere more bearable for newcomers, sometimes you need a palatable break in between two fierce acts. The trio open with a lengthy jam that lands between relaxing and groovy, despite the fact that about half of the attendees remain in the smoking area right outside, nothing is taken away from how much fun is being had on stage amongst their lengthy barnets being swung around. 

Seeing power pop alive and kicking is a breath of fresh air, ISLAND OF LOVE infuses it with life; a scratchy, fuzzy orchestra resonates through the air as they whip tracks from their self titled debut album towards the crowd. Still they can’t shake the idea of what’s to come from anybody patiently biding their time in the smoking area. For them only one thing is on their minds — SHOW ME THE BODY.

Rating: 7/10

It’s hard to believe the flocks of people, fresh faced teens, skipping from the smoking area to get to either the barrier or pit when they hear the quaking Out Of Place. Still under the guise of darkness SHOW ME THE BODY step out on to stage, as things seamlessly transition to Boils Up, Julian Cashwan Pratt rips off his hoodie to kick the set off, as if instinct, for the first time tonight, bodies begin to collide within The Asylum. We Came To Play is the early punch to keep momentum and tension high, the twang of Pratt’s iconic banjo is forceful to make the audience embrace its harshness. He proceeds to two-step with it in tow — a sight that you wouldn’t forget. 

Briefly slowing down for Loose Talk the “Love and respect, come and fuck with the set” line becomes somewhat of a chant which turns everyone in the venue into a united front to be reckoned with. Two of the trio’s most beloved tracks form a medley in the set, Camp Orchestra and Metallic Taste. The pairing, despite being slower in places, turns the crowd into putty in the New Yorkers’ hands, a room full of dolls being controlled by their puppet masters with ease. It takes hell of a lot of dedication from fans to so willingly hand yourself over to a band like that, becoming the instinct to bring a combination of elation and rage. 

SHOW ME THE BODY clearly aren’t one to shy away from bringing their whole package across the seas, if their Outbreak Fest sets are anything to go on it’s that you cannot miss this band when they come back to the UK.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery from the night’s action in Birmingham from Sarah Maiden Photography here: 

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