Featured image and gallery: Rianna Ram
Fans have converged to witness the raw intensity of Knocked Loose, who have returned to the UK to play their biggest headline show to date alongside hardcore genre up-and-comers, Deafheaven and Headbussa.
The explosive energy of Paris-hailing Headbussa is first, kicking off with ‘No Alibi’ met with instantaneous chaos. Their sound is everything you’d expect of a hardcore show; aggressive beats and heavy breakdowns creating a whirlwind of movement. Crowd pits erupt and eventually form a larger circle pit, almost wall-to-wall.
Isaac Hale, Knocked Loose’s guitarist, is invited up and given a vocalist role during ‘Mass Effect’, fuelling the already overwhelming amount of spin-kicks and two-stepping taking place. It’s rare to find a support band that captivates a crowd this size, but Headbussa tackle it with ease.
Next on the bill are Deafheaven, unleashing electrifying riffs and high-speed head-banging from the very first note. The crowd are slightly more subdued compared to the chaos of the previous set, though it’s apparent that some are simply catching their breath.
Their songs seamlessly meld into one another, melodic metal riffs creating a dark, atmospheric aura unlike anything typically associated with hardcore. Frontman George Clarke’s vocals are a metalhead’s dream.
Finally, it’s time for Knocked Loose. Just before they come out, unfamiliar UK rap blasts through the speakers but fans appear to enjoy it, limbering up with physical arm exercises for the expected pits.
The band begins with the pulsating ‘Deep in The Willow’, prompting the first few rows to scream the lyrics back to vocalist Bryan Garris. This is swiftly followed by ‘Where Light Divides the Holler’, a sea of crowd-surfers greeting the security guards who clearly have their work cut out. The amount of people making their way over the barrier, and the sheer size of the pits already forming, is surreal. The crowd never rests, two-steppers running wild throughout the frenzy of aggression. Nobody seems to mind – it’s no shock to anyone who leaves a hardcore gig with a few bumps and bruises.
Gariss’ vocals are intense throughout the set, from older songs (‘All My Friends’ and ‘Deadringer’) through to brand new single ‘Blinding Faith’, which sends the entire room crazy despite it coming out just this month. ‘God Knows’ sees Deafheaven’s frontman briefly re-join the stage to provide accompanying vocals.
As ‘Counting Worms’ begins, the audience barks its infamous “arf arf” before screaming the rest of the track’s lyrics, while ‘Everything is Quiet Now’ is the evening’s climax, providing the last opportunity to mosh and run wild.
Hardcore shows are some of the best you’ll ever experience, so to anyone unfamiliar with Knocked Loose, or hesitant to dive into the hardcore scene, I implore you: give them a listen, immerse yourself in their live performance, and prepare to be transformed.
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