People enjoy live music because it affects the way they feel. We connect with the music largely because we’re part of the occasion and an element of the experience. Going to see The Bronx takes the idea of connecting with the music to a whole new level. Their unmistakable hardcore sound grabs us by the throat, screams in our faces and forces us to retaliate. Tonight we can hear the music, we see it, and we are physically part of it.
The LA punks bring their California sun to Brighton’s February shores but as night falls, the darkness fuels a furious energy. They come on stage and immediately kick off a ruthless assault of volume and raw aggression. Throat-ripping vocals, fast paced snare-driven drums and crunching guitars fuse together to make an exquisitely gritty pure-punk sound. It’s all authentic and so are the fans.
Vocalist Matt Caughthran is hugely interactive. He leaps into us from the stage, performs vocals from the mosh pit and takes up a little indoor surfing. It’s not long before the energy of the pit explodes and the rest of us follow suit. The music is direct and delivered in a strict manner but the atmosphere is far from angry; everybody is having a good time. The atmosphere makes us feel like teenagers.
The Bronx set begins with a portion of early material: ‘Shitty Future’ and ‘Rape Zombie’ as well as ‘They Will Kill Us All (Without Mercy)’ from their 2003 debut album. They then play a selection of songs from throughout their career, including ‘Six Days A Week’ and ‘Knifeman’ as well as new songs ‘Ribcage’ and ‘Too Many Devils’. During ‘False Alarm’ the tribal drums strengthen the track and give it muscle. Between songs Caughthran addresses the crowd politely and manipulates the action like a good front man should.
It is refreshing see a lively, aggressive, punk gig at the Concorde on a Friday night. The Bronx have captured the essence of punk music and customised it into a heavier, more contemporary form. They have made the music and the experience their own. It’s a band we can expect more from as, over the years, they continue to grow from strength to strength.
Concorde2, Friday 8th February 2013
Words by John Mclean
Photos by DP
