Desolated / The Underworld / London
To mark the release of their new album “Finding Peace”, Sheffield based hardcore band Desolated arranged two launch party shows. Last night was in their hometown of Sheffield, and tonight was London’s turn at the Underworld in Camden. Hardcore is a raw and visceral genre. I’ve shot a couple of shows before such as Jesus Piece and every show has been intense. I was nervously excited to see what this would be like.
To help them mark the occasion, Desolated had assembled a top notch supporting cast. First up on stage were US band Lowlife who are Murray (vocals), Matt (guitar), Juanton (guitar), Tom (bass) and Laurence (drums).
And what an opening set. Lowlife hit the ground running with a brutal heavy set. Thunderous, powerful riffs backed by a fast chest thumping bass and rhythm section. Murrays vocals were harsh and delivered with raw passion and emotion. Perhaps the highlight of their (unfortunately) short set was a powerful version of Life is Hard.
Hardcore is a genre like no other. The main floor is cleared, as people take up position either on the balcony overlooking it, or stood round the outside edge, maybe one or two deep. The main floor is for crowd engagement. It starts steady enough, fans moving into the cleared space and dancing, but as the songs intensify, so too does the pit action.
We’re all used to metal mosh pits, but this ? …… This is another level all together, as arms and legs swirl, and fly past you with intent and vigour. Folks are pushed and shoved, bashed by flailing limbs and spinning kicks and acrobatics. It’s brutal. The important part to note is there are rules and everyone knows them. Stay off the floor unless you’re happy and willing to get involved. Photographers are advised to stand in the corners, and fans will actively try and avoid them, but it can’t be guaranteed !
You’d have thought the crowd were here for this, this was the headline act…. The intensity was that high, but this is just the first course… the taster…. Things are going to get much spicier real soon !
The central group of hardcore fans head off to the bar, or outside to cool down as the stage is quickly prepared for Bayway.
You know when he bands coming on, as the core fans march down the steps into the main arena space, ready for action. It’s time for Bayway from Elizabeth in New Jersey to shake our foundations. Fronted by the imposingly tall, bald and muscled Jayway, dressed in black an white Bayway basketball geat, you just knew things were going to ramp up a notch.
And they didn’t disappoint, delivering a set which brought back vivid memories of 90’s era unapologetic East Coat Hardcore. With Chris on guitar, Dan on bass, Dave on drums as well as the enigmatic Jayway, Bayway ripped us apart with their visceral performance. At every opportunity Jayway was shouting at the crowd to get involved and demanding chants, it just fuelled the already amped atmosphere, like squirting lighter fuel in a bonfire.
At the back of the room, against the wall, is an old fella, with a frame with a seat on it. He’s encouraged to the front and Jayway jumps down to wrap his arm round him. Asked what his name is, Jayway then leads the crowd in a back and forth chant battle between shouts of “Jimbo” and the reply “Motherfucker”. It’s a poignant moment, a sharp contrast from the brutality, emphasizing the ‘family’ nature of the hardcore audience and sense of family in the hardcore community.
Highlights included the self-titled Bayway, and Stretchin tha Truth which saw the most intense pit action. At one point Jayway jumped down and rushed round the rooms, laying the beatdown on all before him. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest with a mix of energy, excitement and fearful anticipation of the next arm / leg to head in my direction.
Just wow, tonight can’t get any more intense can it ? Well maybe it can. Chatting to the American videographer stood on the balcony above me, he politely advises me that next up are Shattered Realm, and things are about to get ‘wild’ !
From Astbury Park in New Jersey, Shattered Realm are real old school hardcore and legends on the scene.
The New Jersey/Pennsylvania-based metallic hardcore outfit is fronted by Joe "Hardcore" McKay. There’s fresh blood in the Shattered Realm world, with the addition of Jayway (from Bayway) and a couple of other band members, and its breathed new life and a new direction onto the Shattered Realm body of work.
What ensues is carnage ! As soon as Joe starts up on the mic, the crowd goes wild, limbs flailing, packing the pit. The heat and energy is off the scale, and the brutality just reaches a whole new level. This World Is Mineand All Will Suffer bring the power riffs and earthquake-like drums to the party, and by the end of their short, but intense set, no one is left in any doubt as to what just happened. The whole room seems to breathe heavy in unison as we try and regain our breathe.
The floor has cleared, the stage is set and its time fr tonights headliners Desolated to hit the stage. The guitarist is shouting to the crowd to get back in the room, encouraging us to the front with promises that there’s nothing to fear, and that it is a ‘family friendly’ show. The fans march down the stairs and take their positions around the edge of the arena ready for the chaos to ensue.
Desolated are consists of guitarist Richy Unsworth and bassist Dan Ford, alongside Charlie Thorpe (Malevolence) on drums, Les Law (Bun Dem Out / Fifty Calibre) on guitar, and Tony Evans (Idle Hands) as lead vocalist.
Their long-standing connection with MLVLTD dates back to when both bands would play frequently together, with Malevolence and Desolated forming the collective “Malevolated”. Now, with Charlie co-running the label and handling drums, the band maintains full creative control while staying true to their DIY roots.
It’s been the believe that it’s been the best part of a decade since the UK bruisers last dropped a full-length album. Recent years have seen a resurgence in heavy hardcore and the time was right to drop new album “Finding Peace”. It’s an visceral re-animating of the early-’80s NYC and Boston scenes. This is, as they say, fearsome stuff.
Right fro the start, Charlie’s drums hit home with particular power and clarity, but the whole band pack a mighty punch. New frontman Tony Evans puts in a memorable performance, his vocal flow effortlessly throughout.
The crowd somehow, maintain the unreal high energy levels of Shattered Realm and deliver a beatdown like no other, backed by a band, clearly fresh, rejuvenated, and tougher than ever. This is a hardcore crew right at the top of their game. The new material from “Finding Peace” is brilliant live, nothing revolutionary, it’s old school New Jersey hardcore sound not re-inventing anything, but polished up and reminding us of what top quality hardcore looks like.
Desolated delivered a show o remember. Not just their own performance, but bringing together some of the best US hardcore around.
I often leave a show, hot, sweaty, with no voice, but I’ve never left one aching as much as I did tonight….. But down on the edge of the pit, that was my choice, and it was an incredible experience to witness and try to understand the world of Hardcore. And as I sit here now, purple bruises flourishing, I regret nothing….. and would go see Desolated again tomorrow – in a heartbeat !
