Drive Thru records is home to such emo luminaries as New Found Glory, Something Corporate and Finch. This tour brings together the next wave of emo pop punk bands on their roster. Unfortunately the Astoria is only half full and accordingly the upstairs is closed completely. This is a good move as it makes sure the floor is filled throughout and each band plays to a full pit.
Not that the punters need any encouragement. The reaction from first note of Hidden In Plain View's set to the closing note of Homewgrown's set is unrelenting bedlam. The mosh pits, and there were at least three all night, were flinging out bodies left, right and centre. Crowd surfing was constant by both band and audience members. The energy was truly amazing.
HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW hit the stage first. ‘Hello London, England’ bellows lead singer Joe Reo,clearly relishing his first ever stadium gig. As they leap into their first song each band member careers round the stage with no regard for personal safety, pulling ‘emo’ shapes as if their lives depended upon it. For the first 30 seconds this is fantastic. They create a mighty noise, as heavy as Metallica, and they are as tight as a gnat's chuff. Then the first melodic sing along arrives and kills it stone dead. At this point you realise this isn’t railing against the world, angry at the injustices that surround us, a primal noise as the only expression of the demons within. This is a pop punk song about how they’ve discovered girls.
At one point Joe Reo offers the crowd the chance of a free hug. Bless. During ‘Bellyful of Kerosene’ we witness the first ‘Radio Ga Ga’ style handclaps of the evening, which will be repeated throughout. This is the worst kind of middle class suburban rebellion. I have never been amongst a politer, nicer bunch of people in my gig going life. The bar is doing a rapid business in tap water and everyone’s showing off their scary tattoos. It is utterly image over substance.
THE EARLY NOVEMBER sound like Hidden in Plain View but they have gone for a more indie boy look (ie. they’re skinnier with bigger hair). If you are able to differentiate the two on any other level please let me know. These bands have taken the quiet / loud dynamic of the Pixies and more famously Nirvana, driven it down a cul de sac and sung pop songs over the top. When they hit the heavier end of their repertoire there is a glimmer of hope but these moments are dashed with another happy clappy sing a long. Like HIPV the energy and the obvious bond between the band and the fans is exemplary and genuine. The feeling of community generally is to be applauded. It is just such a shame it is so musically and culturally boring.
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Before Allister arrive we are treated to ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ over the PA. The crowd sing along.
ALLISTER are the new resident band at the frat house. They have also managed to come up with the highly original idea of wearing shirts and ties. Brilliant.
Their cartoon punk owes more than a nod to the likes of Green Day and Blink 182 and gutarist / vocalist Scott Murphy even does the Billy Joe Armstrong faces. The four piece from Chicago have all the poses but none of the tunes with the exception of ‘None of my Friends are Punks’, a breakneck punk shout along clocking in at well under the two minute mark. A brief and very welcome highlight.
Before Homegrown arrive we are treated to ‘Living on a Prayer’ over the PA. The crowd sing along.
Everything I said about Allister also applies to HOMEGROWN. Except they haven’t even got the imagination to wear a shirt and tie.
This is Hollywood punk. This is as punk as the blokes with the mohicans in Covent Garden. If you ever watch MTV2, it is full of bands like this and not one of these bands has an ounce of character. It is one faceless bunch of high school kids after another. If this scene is to get any bigger than it is now it is in desperate need of somebody with personality, someone to put their own slant on it, something we haven’t seen before, because this is just cliché after cliché.
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