Fireapple Red, Kingston Peel
FireApple Red @ The White Horse, High Wycombe. Friday 5th February
This was my first trip to The White Horse this year, a venue recently famed by appearing on Sky, on a programme about Britain’s toughest pubs; not for being tough though, but for having strippers: now’s there’s a new idea. (Un)Fortunately we arrived too late to see Wycombe’s finest perform to a bunch of middle-aged men who should know better, but we still managed to cop a load of dirty, raw and sweaty action…but of a somewhat more rocking nature. On tonight’s bill there were two bands I’d never seen before, and two bands I’d see happily every week; generally the ingredients of a good show, and that indeed was what it was.
AMBER FALLS opened up the event. This band is an amalgamation of various South Bucks. bands but most notably ubertech-speed merchants LAST OUT. I expected great things for this band as LAST OUT were a band I very much admired, but gone were the crazy guitar riffs and gone was the just as insane drumming. AMBER FALLS, as the name may suggest, play post-hardcore-esque, emotive punk fused with some metally beat-down riffage; you know the score. But to be honest, AF are quite a lot different from the usual bog standard musings you can come to expect from a band with these influences. There was something startlingly different about this band but I still can’t place my finger on it. This was definitely a much anticipated and interesting performance. Although glimpses of something special shot through, it just wasn’t as good as I expected. (5)
Another South Bucks. super-group of sorts were up next. AWOKEN have been around for a while now but this was my first experience of them. I wasn’t expecting them to be very good at all, but I found myself eating my hat with a side order of humble pie as they were actually pretty darn good. AWOKEN play potent proper ‘tuff-guy’ hardcore, if you get to see this band be prepared for great big stonking riffs which will hit you twice as hard as Tyson, that’s if you haven’t already been German suplexed by a percussive alternative to Hulk Hogan. As for the vocals, when the frontman stood up to the mic I was expecting a fake whiney teenage wail. However, what I heard though was something so brutally terrifying I thought the guy was possessed; it just didn’t look possible that a voice which sounded like Satan with a nasty haemorrhoid problem could come from the baseball capped youth. So whilst I was searching through Yellow Pages for the local exorcist, AWOKEN knocked out a strong set which no doubt won them a lot of fans. (6)
Berkshire’s very own hardcore legends TWOFOLD were next to strut their stuff. A very much love or hate band, TWOFOLD have been banging out aggressive hardcore punk songs for a good few years now and after tonight’s performance I’m starting to love them. On the first few listens to them it could be easy to write them off quicker than an old Nissan but on a closer inspection you will find they are a very talented band. They use some mesmerisingly clever time changes, a few obscure twiddly riffs, gut wrenching vocals and an incredibly fitting use of effects-pedals to create their unique and undeniably powerful sound. To add to this they go off on stage and it’s hard work trying to watch them whilst attempting to nod your head to the dynamic time changes; brilliant stuff. TWOFOLD are impressing me more and more every time I see them, roll on next time. (7)
FIREAPPLE RED should be massive by now, I can’t understand why they’re not; imagine a mix of the speed and anger of BIGWIG, the riffs of METALLICA and the political intelligence of PROPAGANDHI and you’re only half way there. Not to mention they’re a blistering live act who blow me away every time I see them, and tonight was no exception. It is remarkable to watch a band play music so fast and technically difficult so well, and yet so tight but still put on an entertaining show; frontman, Tarek, deserves a mention as he’s like a clown on acid prowling the stage like a general psycho; fascinating or perhaps scaring the crowd throughout the set. Although the crowd had been particularly inactive all night, FAR got a fair few people dancing along and shouting lyrics back at them almost as aggressively as they scream them out in the first place. As well as tracks from their debut album, they showcased a brand new track which, to give credit where it’s due, is stunning. I think everyone will be hearing a lot more of FAR this year. (8.5)
A jaunt to a good show on a dull weeknight is always a welcomed pleasure. It’s even better when you get to see some quality bands in a homely intimate venue for a reasonable price. But although the White Horse’s P.A is less forgiving than a bad kebab, tonight I certainly didn’t mind.
Mike Frankal
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