LIVE REVIEW: Hawxx @ Fuel, Cardiff

The first night on a band’s first-ever headline tour is always one to bear witness to. The beginning of a band’s next chapter, on the road, and being top billing on the show they get to create and put together for all the venues on the schedule to see. For London’s HAWXX, this was not only the first date on their first headlining tour, but also the first time they play Wales in general. So to kick things off within the capital’s beloved rock club, Fuel, was cause for an incredible night of music. Along with support from ODESSA, ROCKABYE REAPER, and SYDNEY FATE, would this night be the spark to begin a fantastic tour, or would the night flicker and fade away?

Beginning the night, after some venue technical difficulties, metal group Odessa took to the stage to finally kick off the evening. As a band that has existed for less than a year, their stage presence and talent should be commended. Going first is never easy for any band, especially for one that’s relatively new to the scene and were a last-minute addition, but the group managed to pull off a solid set from beginning to end. However, because they are a new band, there’s a lot of work that the band need to do to polish their sound.

For example, the clean vocals are good, but they need a lot of support to sustain those cleaner sections within the song. Switching between unclean and clean vocals is no easy feat, especially as it can strain the voice, so if they continue in that area, the band can do wonders. Musically, there’s a lot of potential, as they are a very talented group. From the guitar solos to the riffs and drum rhythms, when the band goes full metal, they sound great, so it would be a good idea for them to focus on that sound and flourish it further. Finishing with a cover of LIMP BIZKIT’s version of Faith was an interesting choice, but at least ended their set on a fun note. Overall, a band that has so much potential, and as long as they work to improve their craft, ODESSA’s future certainly looks bright.

Rating: 6/10

Next up, ROCKABYE REAPER arrived and delivered a different sound for the night with their hard rock anthems full of high spirits and excellent motifs within each song. Despite what seemed like a nervous entrance, the group eased into their set with ease and delivered their sound at a great level. In addition, the members have an overflowing charisma, having fun moments of interaction and banter moments with the crowd that never felt forced. From a fantastically heavy version of Don’t Fear The Reaper to their incredible original songs like No Time For Talking, the band delivered nothing short of excellence in every note played and melody sung.

ROCKABYE REAPER are talented, likeable, and very charming in both sound and style. Their hard riffs and eclectic rhythms, along with their lush vocals, back up their showmanship and present evidence that the band will go far if they continue at the pace they’re currently performing at, maybe a little more to get over the nerves at the beginning and keep up their charisma from beginning to end. ROCKABYE REAPER is a band people need to keep an eye on, and hopefully, there will be even more great sets like this one in the future.

Rating: 8/10

Continuing the night were the main support band and local main stays, alternative metalcore band SYDNEY FATE; they entered to a packed crowd excited to see what they had in store. Laptop in hand, they presented their music to an enthusiastic crowd that ate everything the band gave. It’s undeniable that the band members are very charismatic and full of personality that captures the attention of all those in attendance, but their performance did give the impression that their focus was more on the crowd and playing around with them, over the music they were playing.

Their music was decent, it was what you’d come to expect from SYDNEY FATE. However, it felt derivative of other popular metal acts within the scene and doesn’t say anything about the band’s take, and who they are away from their live show personas. In addition, there seemed to be an overreliance on the backing tracks, especially for the vocals. There’s nothing wrong with a musical artist using backing tracks to enhance their performance and elevate the song in a live atmosphere, but for SYDNEY FATE, there were points where they would just let the backing track run as they jumped with the audience. SYDNEY FATE are a decent band, and there’s room for them to improve their sound and find a stronger identity. Still, with their focus on playing to the crowd instead of playing their music, they are capable of so much more, yet seem too busy being showmen instead of musicians.

Rating: 6/10

Finally, after an introduction consisting of a comedically bad recorder performance of the 20th Century Fox theme, the headliners, HAWXX, took to the stage and into the fiery opening track, Embrace The Ugly. From the get-go, the band showed how tenacious and energetic they were with every note they played and lyric they sang, showcased in every song on the setlist. In addition, their personality shone throughout the performance, from their fun and goofy nature with the banter they said between the songs, to their passion behind the themes they discuss in every song. Throughout each song, from If Not Now, Then When? to Death Makes Sisters Of Us All, each member captivates the crowd with their constant engagement between the audience, and within the band, bouncing off their dynamic nature and musicianship all four members exhibit throughout the entirety of the set. 

A notable part of HAWXX’s set was the band taking a moment to recognise their privilege that they were able to perform the music they love whilst the war in Gaza is still occurring, wearing a ‘Free Palestine’ wristband and calling for a ceasefire. Along with tying a pride flag to the microphone stand, the band made it very clear how they strongly feel about every topic they sing and play about in each of their songs, and that their passion for each issue comes from an earnest place. This is evident in songs like If Not Now, Then When? where the lyrics state ‘how many times have we been warned? And yet we still drift towards the storm. Emergency. It’s death, inertia, baby’. This is also included in the final song of the night, Bite (Holiness In Fuck), where the band shout ‘there’s holiness in queerness, there’s holiness in pride, there’s holiness in witches, there’s holiness in bitches, there’s holiness in loving her body, there’s holiness in your gut’, letting the important words ring in the audience’s ears as the night, and their fantastic set came to an end.

Overall, the evening was a mixed bag, where there was certainly a tribal mentality amongst the fanbases, which is fine to have your loyalties, but support the other bands by at least staying in the room. That being said, the stand out bands really stood out and delivered all they could, creating some excellent high moments within the night that all could enjoy. Whilst there were lows and uncertainties in some sets, they are moments that can be improved upon to enable them to take their performances to the next level. In addition, with technical difficulties from the venue, the bands had to fiddle around by cutting their sets short, so they had to think on the fly to fit their music within the allotted timeslot. Considering this, all bands performed around this admirably and created a good night. For HAWXX in particular, they delivered an exceptional set that left the night on a high note and truly gave a headlining performance. If anything, it was assured that night that HAWXX would deliver nothing short of exemplary, with or without technical difficulties.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Cardiff from Stu Rowles here: 

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