LIVE REVIEW: Knocked Loose @ Leeds Beckett Students Union, Leeds
A double header of a veteran and one of the hottest young firebrands in hardcore is a tantalising concept alone but given the turmoil of past two pandemic years, the arrival of KNOCKED LOOSE and TERROR on UK shores is all the more mouth-watering. After a long and bumpy road, live music is roaring back to life once more and the very simple fact that foreign bands have been successful in crossing the Atlantic alone is cause for celebration, as reflected by a sold out show as the tour rolls into Leeds.
The queue is snaking round the block as local lads LAST WISHES take to the stage and the hometown wrecking crew waste no time in injecting a serious bout of metallic insurgency to proceedings. Whilst their brand of beatdown is nothing new and strictly follows the rule-book, the band ooze energy and that metallic fury to get the crowd pumped. LAST WISHES exude energy and gave a tremendous first outing for many who have been craving the aural bombardment that hardcore provides.
Rating: 7/10
On the surface, hometown crew STATIC DRESS might look like the odd one out on a aurally crushing bill but the Leeds-based band have one factor in the favour; unrelenting energy. Oozing charisma and adrenaline from the get-go, the quartet bounce and keep the action in top gear throughout their time on stage. From opener Disposable Care right through to set-closer Clean., the band are on top form as frontman Oli Appleyard keeps the crowd in the palm of his hands through effective interaction and a fantastic medley of cleans and trademark post-hardcore blasts. Whilst the band might be the odd one out on paper, their performance demands respect and holds them in good stead for when they open for genre-heavyweights FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND in March.
Rating: 7/10
Holding the same pedigree to veterans like AGNOSTIC FRONT and MADBALL, TERROR are one of the finest bands hardcore has produced and hitting the stage at Leeds’ Beckett Student Union, the LA-based wrecking crew waste absolutely no time in injecting an abundance of energy to proceedings. Ever so cool, the riff work of Michael Stewart and Jordan Posner keep the energy flowing as Stick Tight and Mental Demolition ignites sheer chaos in the pit. As the band find their groove, led by the formidable Scott Vogel, when they are at their best TERROR are simply unstoppable. Despite a mid-set lull due to an injury sustained within the crowd, the band keep on roaring and don’t let the break kill their momentum as finale Keepers Of The Faith ignites the crowd once more. As the dust settles, it’s clear our Transatlantic cousins can rest assured on a job well done.
Rating: 8/10
After experiencing one of the veteran hardcore bands showing how it is done, for KNOCKED LOOSE, the pressure is on but the Oldham County-based bruisers wasted no time in annihilating Beckett Student Union. In a mammoth set, largely comprised of 2019’s crushing A Different Shade Of Blue, the band exude energy and the aural violence only hardcore can provide.
Where Light Divides The Holler is a thunderous opener and ignites the chaos as Bryan Garris and co. lead the charge with a plethora of stank-face inducing riffs and musical carnage. From there, KNOCKED LOOSE really find their form as the one-two punch of Trapped In The Grasp Of A Memory and Road 23 threatens to blow the lid off of the venue as pure bedlam ensues in the swelling crowd as limbs fly and bodies spill over the barrier.
In a tightly knit set with little respite, KNOCKED LOOSE are on the A-game and the results show; it’s pure carnage. With material from A Tear In The Fabric Of Life sounding more menacing live than in the studio, and with energy at the utmost of abundance, KNOCKED LOOSE are another quite simply another breed; a cut above the best. They are a band that are the living embodiment of the spirit of hardcore. Jaws are dropped and minds blown, there quite simply is not a band who comes close.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the action in Leeds from Serena Hill Photography here:
