LIVE REVIEW: Anti-Flag @ SWX, Bristol
Describing Halloween as Goth Christmas borders on the extreme somewhat, but it’s no exaggeration that rock fans do it better than any other social group. Tonight, as ANTI-FLAG grace SWX in Bristol is awash with all manner of costumes from bloodied nuns to luminous skeletons and, as expected, there’s a real party atmosphere in the air as punters kick off their spook-tacular evening with a gig that promises to be a hell of a lot of fun.
“Happy Halloween, Bristol! Tonight, we are ANTI-FLAG!” jokes WORRIERS frontwoman Lauren Denitzio. Their efforts are surprisingly accurate: dressed as the respective members and Lauren adding ‘No Gods, No Masters’ to her guitar, their brand of punk rock is not as heavy in tone than their headlining counterparts, it packs a punch all the same. Songs like WTF is Sleep? and They/Them/Theirs carry strong messages regarding mental health and depression, while What We’re Up Against comes with the first of a number of political rallying cries to be delivered across the evening. It’s a solid enough set, but what lets WORRIERS down is a terribly sparse venue and, despite warm appreciation from those in attendance, the response doesn’t match the delivery. This, perhaps understandably, begins to have an impact on the band’s energy levels towards the end of their set, but for the most part they’ve proved their worth and they’ll come back with NERVUS in the winter to give it another crack.
Rating: 7/10
For all of a certain generation, seeing an internet meme come to life brings more joy than probably anticipated; Liam Cornier proves that tonight in spades. Dressed as the dancing pumpkin first dreamt up by comedian Matt Geiler, with an actual carved pumpkin balanced precariously on his head, he leads CANCER BATS through fifty fast and furious minutes that do everything possible to raze SWX to the ground. Every song from latest record The Spark That Moves, from the mania of Winterpeg through to the massive sing-a-long of Space and Time, fits perfectly alongside the band’s more recognised tunes in the shape of Pneumonia Hawk and a jaw-dropping rendition of Hail Destroyer that goes off like a flashbomb and incites a furious pit that doesn’t relent for the rest of their set. Then there’s Sabotage, which rubber-stamps its status as the best metal cover in history as Chris Barker from ANTI-FLAG joins Liam on guest vocals, judges all four members’ Halloween costumes halfway through and helps ensure there’s barely a voice left from singing. “This pumpkin makes me feel free!” Liam shouts, and the freedom to go completely mental is adhered to by a now very responsive audience. If you’re wondering, the pumpkin did not survive the whole set.
Rating: 9/10
Having to follow that sort of bedlam would usually be enough to undermine other bands, but ANTI-FLAG are not just another band. Squeezing fifteen songs into their allotted stage time, they play as if CANCER BATS had never been on the bill at all. It’s an emotional time for the Pittsburgh quartet as well, the recent terror attack in their home city adding a little extra fire to their bellies and it shows. Opening song Die for the Government is as potent as when initially released over twenty years ago and it quickly becomes apparent that, in 2018, ANTI-FLAG are the hard-hitting, political punk rock outfit that GREEN DAY wishes they were. A charging run through of Racists, followed with a raucous rendition of Fuck Police Brutaility and a high-octane 1 Trillion Dollar$ are delivered with utmost conviction and the force of a right hand from Andre the Giant, which is exactly what punk rock should be – no hidden meanings, no layers to explore, just concentrated bursts of anger against the world played at breakneck speeds. Lauren from WORRIERS rejoins the stage for a surprisingly good cover of Salvation (originally by THE CRANBERRIES) and the finale of Brandenburg Gate sees both Chris Barker and Pat Thetic end up in the audience with their respective instruments. It’s a fitting end to the show; ANTI-FLAG have always been a band for everyone, and to finish among their fans goes some way to showing that.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action from Normandy Photography here:
