LIVE REVIEW: Sick Of It All @ Electric Brixton, London

November 24th was a veritable who’s who of hardcore, with New York City legends SICK OF IT ALL bringing along a one-two punch of incredible Canadian compatriots, with CANCER BATS and COMEBACK KID both bringing their A-game, while rounding out the bill were home-grown Southampton punks GROVE STREET FAMILIES.

The boys from Southampton, GROVE STREET FAMILIES, opened the show with trademark enthusiasm despite the sparsity of the crowd – to be expected considering that they were scheduled to take the stage only 20 minutes after doors opened – but nonetheless GROVE STREET FAMILIES put on a strong performance that won over new fans and impressed old fans alike with the chaos that they wreaked on stage for the best part of half an hour.

Rating: 6/10

Despite some confusion mixing them up with their Canadian compatriots, COMEBACK KID were on next, playing a hit filled set which dove into their wide discography, including “the very first song we ever wrote” according to frontman Andrew Neufeld, before they launched into All In A Year from 2003’s Turn It Around. While more recent tracks from their last release Outsider go down a treat alongside big hits Wake The Dead and G.M. Vincent And I, it is disappointing that the vast majority of their set goes unappreciated by the crowd, especially considering how tight they sounded on the night. Considering that COMEBACK KID were the main support in Europe it is interesting to note that their popularity is considered to be less in the UK, and their lower position on the bill was affirmed by the juxtaposition of their crowd reaction when compared to their Canadian brethren.

Rating: 8/10

CANCER BATS were outstanding, mixing up old classics from Hail Destroyer and Bears, Mayors, Scraps & Bones alongside newer fare from last year’s The Spark That Moves. Despite the absence of regular guitarist Scott Middleton (who remained home in Canada for the birth of his first child), the band sounded as strong as ever – helped in no small way by replacement guitarist Wade McNeil of ALEXISONFIRE and GALLOWS, who was playing his final show as a fill-in member at this Electric Brixton show. Their 12 song set began with newer track Gatekeeper before the pit opened up with Sorceress, and keeping up the energy with hits like Lucifer’s Rocking Chair, Road Sick and Bricks & Mortar.

The biggest reception of their set as usual came from the now legendary cover of THE BEASTIE BOYS’ Sabotage, which caused complete pandemonium, before concluding with the titular track of their 2008 breakout album Hail Destroyer. Despite recording this as their 17th show in London within the last two years, there was no sense that the Bats were feeling tour fatigue, and the crowd certainly weren’t growing bored of witnessing their unique brand of hardcore – as all the crowd surfers during the final two songs can attest to.

Rating: 9/10

Despite all the chaos and exhaustion that had been strewn across the floor so far, the main event was yet to come, and with an entrance that benefits their stature as legends of hardcore, SICK OF IT ALL took to the stage in preparation for an epic 21 song set. All injures and tiredness was forgotten, as Injustice System and Clobberin’ Time rang out, before the crowd reaction amped up for Inner Vision. Spin kicks and circle pits were the order of the day in Brixton, and with limbs flying everywhere this was a true New York hardcore show transported all the way to South London.

Despite the huge number of songs they got through, it was only an hour headline set, which meant almost non-stop music, with very little time for chatter – although vocalist Lou Keller was able to stop for several moments to express his gratitude to London based fans who had been supporting the band throughout their almost 35 year career.

There was also a respectable variation in the set list, with most recent release Wake The Sleeping Dragon! being represented just as well as their 1989 debut Blood, Sweat, And No Tears, and the band sounded equally as strong with all their earlier material as they did with their newer songs. While Rat Pack had the strongest reception of the night, it was penultimate track Scratch The Surface which sent the crowd completely crazy – due to Keller leaping into the crowd and demanding that they perform a circle pit and create a ‘hurricane’ around him. By the time that set closer Us Vs Them finished there was sweat dripping from the ceiling as the exhausted but ecstatic crowd made their ways out into the cold November air.

While every single band on this bill excelled, there is a reason that SICK OF IT ALL have had a career spanning the best part of four decades, and that was completely justified by the slick performance they put on in Brixton. May they long continue to bless these shores with their brand of NYHC.

Rating: 9/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in London from Fran Dignon Visuals here: