The Past Is A Foreign Country; They Do Things Heavier There.

I don’t remember ever giving Google permission to show me images from a 1/2/5 years ago but presumably I must have at some point. A couple of years ago someone said to me that YES vs REMIND ME LATER design patterns erode the concept of consent. As the UX doesn’t allow a user to say NO, only postpone the inevitable. Anyways. Last week Google Photos reminded me that on the 11th of August 2010 I went to one of the best gigs of my life.

Bloody Phoenix were touring their album Death To Everyone. One of the best albums of the early 2010s. Oli P from Lich was still putting on shows in Margate and got ’em to make a stop.

What made this show special was not only its location – A practice room that seemed small even for four people. (I was still rehearsing there with Mean Red at the time.). But also literally everyone in the room knew each other and had done for a decade. You can see from the videos and the photos the familiarity and comfort everyone had in each others company.

2010 for many (I think) was the year that socially documenting the world took off in earnest. (Instagram launched in the October). As a result, I’m fortunate that I can share almost the entire gig with you.

Whipping Boy Emitt

First up was Chris Dow (We Are Carnivores/Wedding/Kind Eyes etc) who played a solo show as Whipping Boy Emitt. I remember his set being quite melancholic. A pallet cleanser before the madness that followed. You can now find him talking about video games on the Our Three Cents podcast.

Human Junk

Next up was 2 piece thrash aficionados Human Junk. Super-fast and rad as all hell. I think the 8 minute video above was their whole set? I miss those boys. Sam the dummer/singer now lives in the woods somewhere as a steward/biodiversity conservationist.

Man Hands

Fastcore Canterbury scene lads Man Hands went on next. It was early doors for them so Gareth Ex-November Coming Fire now Tortuga was still the singer. (Before John Bear from sky:lark joined). They really tore shit up and things started to get raucous.

Bloody Phoenix

Bloody Phoenix destroyed the room with their unique brand of anti-fascist grindcore. It was one of the best live sets I’ve ever witnessed. You can see me in the videos above taking photos with my arm in the air for most of the show. The whole night was fucking unbelievable.

The energy in the room, packed to the gunnels with friends all going mental to fast and blast in the high heat of summer. What more could you want?

This photo of Dave slapping John Bear in the face with everyone smiling along in the background sums up my memory of the whole gig..

You can read a contemporary account/review of the gig in Issue 3 of Wasted! Magazine.
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