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Jan
28/10
What Happened to It Prevails?!
Last Updated on Thursday, 28 January 2010 10:56
Written by Brad Garcia
Thursday, January 28th, 2010

progressive/hardcore/rock

It Prevails Live in CA

After a dormant five months It Prevails has made a few announcements in regards to their future as a band. This progressive hardcore band from Portland officially claimed world wide popularity in underground music after releasing their second full length album Capture & Embrace, last winter. This also lead to the band signing with Rain City Records. However with regards to a few local shows around the California area and a short seven day tour with American Me in the UK the band seemed to be avoiding touring and keeping fans updated. Their myspace comment section was soon being filled with questions as to whether It Prevails was still a band or not.

Lead singer Ian Fike, recently posted a blog on the bands myspace page as to what was in store for their future as well as the reasons behind the lack of touring after the album release. It Prevails had located to Denver, Colorado resulting in the loss of three of the five but soon found two new members; Bobby Valeu on guitar and Ian Clarke playing drums. Although the band is still without a permanent bassist It Prevails is not holding back future plans.

It Prevails is currently in the studio, which either means new demos or a new EP as another full length just over a year apart seems a bit rushed. Then again this is the same band that has survived through member and label changes as well as relocation. Fike has also announced that they will be going on a full US tour due to constant demand by their fans. The clouds are starting to clear for it prevails and their return will surely not go unnoticed. “It Prevails, as a band and an idea was born in the summer of 2004 with a phone call between Alex and I when we decided that we wanted to write the most honest music we could.” says Fike as he explains how both guitarist Alex Kutsche and himself rebuild the band.

Keep your eyes peeled on It Prevails as much more is coming www.myspace.com/itprevails

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Jan
11/10
Soundspeed In The Moment
Last Updated on Tuesday, 19 January 2010 10:03
Written by Mona Mousa
Monday, January 11th, 2010

Existing beneath the surface, there is a very unique dynamic that makes up one of Toronto’s newest Indie bands. Like that word on the tip of your tongue, their sound cannot be easily placed.  Based on Influences by each member’s personal lives and experiences, no other words then “the moment” as put by vocalist Raymond Ablack, can possibly start to explain how this group of 6 form the basis of their music.

When told to live in the moment, what often comes to mind? For Soundspeed it has become an essential role in the creation of their work. Based on a foundation of pure energy laced with creative drive, If there’s one thing you’ll learn from Soundspeed, it would most definitely be the unique direction they take with the creation of their songs. The moment will inspire the sound most.  The 6 create a song while working on another song.  When asked what inspires their sound Raymond Ablack will simply say that the moment has the greatest effect. “There was a moment a vibe, a feeling that birthed a new song, and three hours late we had the best song we ever created.” Says Ray.

About to head into the studio to record their first EP, Soundspeed will soon create a name for themselves as recognized Toronto musicians. This upcoming studio session is especially unique as Soundspeed is looking to release their first 3 – 4 song EP to be released some time this month. Soundspeed are about to go into an intensive three day recording out of which they hope to produce their highly anticipated EP with a release happening on January 29th at 6 Degrees in Toronto.

This 6 piece indie set consisting of friends , band mates, & coworkers,  came together in late July. For the most part, the faces behind Soundspeed, met while working on the set of the Canadian hit TV series Degrassi The Next Generation.  Scott, Dalmar, Jamie, Raymond & Shane all came together with friend Sean through their love of music.  Shane, Soundspeeds drummer said it best “We want to be respected as musicians, we don’t want to look like actor turned musician, we’ve been musicians all along, we were musicians first but simply became actors before we became recognized musicians.

In the very near future look for a lot from this group of passionate driven young men as they plan on taking Toronto by storm.  2010 is definitely their year as they grow together as individuals and as a band.

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Dec
24/09
Every Time I Die at the Borderline, London 21st Dec 09
Last Updated on Thursday, 24 December 2009 07:37
Written by Alison Aird
Thursday, December 24th, 2009

Every Time I Die w/Maylene & the Sons of Disaster, London Borderline, 21st December 2009

Now some of you may have read my Taste of Chaos review of both ETID and MATSOD. If you did, then you will be well aware of how pumped on this show I was. However, I was one of the unfortunate souls who missed out on getting tickets. Despite this, I braved the journey to London through the snow, slush and sleet to interview MATSOD and was fortunate enough to find out Santa had been smiling on me and I did actually have tickets for this show. Being a true Brit, student, and under the guise of a proper journalist I spent the 2 hours prior to Maylene’s set stood in pub celebrating my early Christmas gift and getting right into the Christmas Spirit.

By the time I went into the Borderline, I was no longer feeling the cold, or any pain, which is just as well because Maylene and the Sons of Disaster put on the show I had hoped for at Taste of Chaos and I was battered by other enthusiasts dancing to their Southern sounds. They were loud, they were kooky, I felt like saying “yeehaw” on more than one occasion. This pub style environment is definitely the one to see MATSOD in and I would recommend everyone do it just for a good time.

After Maylene’s set I decided I was front rowing ETID, and I was going to commit to that decision if it killed me. Their set was blinding, literally, I don’t remember seeing much but my throat was hoarse and I remember being incredibly wrapped up in the entire situation. I punched the ground, I concussed myself off a monitor, someone used my back as a spring board to get onto the stage; madness erupted in the Borderline during this set. The photos of bloody handprints on the walls, and the tales of the soul whose blood it was being taken to A&E after the show are just a hazy reflection of what happened in Borderline that night. It will go down with my as the best show that I don’t remember of my 21 years.

Today, on Christmas Eve, with a lump on my head, some ridiculous bruising all over my legs, and a bit of a gammy hand, I wish all of MATSOD and ETID a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and please don’t stay away for too long.

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Dec
10/09
Taste Of Chaos Live Review: 3rd December 09, Hammersmith Apollo
Last Updated on Thursday, 10 December 2009 07:10
Written by Alison Aird
Thursday, December 10th, 2009

Taste of Chaos with Killswitch Engage, In Flames, Every Time I Die & Maylene and the Sons of Disaster: 3rd Dec 2009, Hammersmith Apollo

I am personally not a huge fan of metal. Nor am I fan of large venues, particularly the Hammersmith Apollo. I am, however, very much into the Southern hick sounds of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, and Every Time I Die have been my favourite live and recorded band for the past 5 years. This review is going to cover these two bands as I feel they are the most relevant to the scene this site covers. I’m sure some of you will agree with me when I say Killswitch Engage are ironically great whilst being hugely samey. Meanwhile In Flames fans at the Apollo on this particular night put me into an utterly shameful “I only like hardcore” frame of mind. Call me prejudice, but long hair on dudes and studded bracelets aren’t my deal.

It’s obvious however that it’s not only me that senses this divide between the two halves of this tour. As MATSOD take to the sake it is evident that appreciation in the metal scene consists of arms folded and a monotonous nodding head. MATSOD’s fans up front try to counter act this with hoots, hollers and dancing hard. It’s not hard to get into the vibe of MATSOD’s set as well as new vocalist Schuylar Croom (of He Is Legend) pulls some moves I’d expect I’d expect to come straight from the swaying swinging sixties and seventies. Croom definitely looks the part for this band, but MATSOD’s only problem is the lack of original line up. Some of the filling members clash with Croom and guitarist Jake Duncan’s bohemian image to a point that it just doesn’t look like the all the members are playing the same gritty Southern sound. As a MATSOD fan though I enjoyed the set, but would prefer to see them in a smaller venue with a more appreciative audience.

Next up is Every Time I Die. Following the release of New Junk Aesthetic earlier this year I’ve been desperate to see some of this truely epic record performed live. And oh boy they do not disappoint. Perhaps it’s the new material, perhaps it’s the addition of new drummer Ryan Leger, maybe it’s both, but ETID seem to have a whole new lust for life in this performance. The audience they draw is a testament to their increasing popularity at the recognition of their 10 year history. Despite pulling a significantly larger audience than MATSOD, the metal heads are largely unresponsive, but all the ETID fans in the venue attempt to make up for that and the announcement of a headline show at the Borderline on December 21st sends a flurry of excitement through the venue as people start frantically texting friends that might be anywhere remotely near a computer.

As they wrap up their set with some old favourites such as “Floater” and “The New Black”, as well as the new tracks as well, I feel as though the night’s ended for me after ETID. Despite catching a few songs here and there of In Flames and Killswitch Engage (the latter of which I have seen on TOC several times before), they don’t seem to match up musically with ETID and MATSOD, though the improvement in the audience’s reception and energy is evident and impressive.

Perhaps it goes to show that booking agents are acknowledging that music fans have varying tastes and that tours consisting of similar sounding bands can end up just being a drag, but this combination of two metal and two hardcore/rock bands just doesn’t seem to fit too well. Perhaps that’s just me getting more stuck in my ways the older I get, but I feel that Taste of Chaos has lost some of the originality that created such excitement around the tour in its early years. This tour just feels like a metal show, but with fantastic support.

That said, I am psyched out of my mind for Every Time I Die’s headline date at the Borderline (now announced with support from Maylene and the Sons of Disaster). Hopefully this club show will allow Maylene to put on the live show I had hoped to see, and cement ETID’s reputation as an amazing live band into the public psyche.

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Dec
08/09
Live Review: We Are The Ocean, Brighton, 30th November
Last Updated on Tuesday, 8 December 2009 10:20
Written by Alison Aird
Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

We Are The Ocean with support from All Forgotten, The Amity Affliction and Flood of Red; Brighton Concorde 2, 30th November 2009

Its a damp, windy, possibly sub zero Monday night and the angry cowboy of Concorde 2 is shouting at everyone again. This isn’t the ideal start to my night at We Are The Ocean’s headline show, and as the audience begins to filter in this mood seems to be common place in the crowd.

All Forgotten take to the stage first tonight to the weather worn audience. Their set manages to get a few of the kids up front excited, and the audience show signs of appreciation by moving forward when asked to, but otherwise the effort is wasted. The band put on a good show, but lack that something that makes them memorable. Perhaps it’s the audience’s disinterest, but these guys just don’t grab me.

Next up is Australia’s The Amity Affliction. If you’ve read my review of their album “Severed Ties” then you’ll know I love their sound and expect them to be the next big thing. Their set tonight doesn’t disappoint and they convince some of the largely underage audience to move their feet. Their performance is tight and it’s obviously this band are frequenters of the live circuit back home, but the jet lag and English weather is obviously getting them down. As a fan of theirs, I wish their set had been longer and hopefully they can return next year on a tour further up the bill so they can turn an audience in their favour and get into their stride.

Scotland’s Flood Of Red take to the stage and turn out to be an electronic dance band with a slightly samey, but interesting sound. Occasionally their songs will strike me as something great, but they never seem to come to a conclusion. At some points I get vibes of Taking Back Sunday but other than the keyboard player drinking bottles of wine and the great vocal abilities of their singer, I’m once again not really taken by this band. I would like to see them again though, perhaps to a home town crowd or on a headline show, where I reckon they could grab my attention more successfully.

We Are The Ocean have caused quite a buzz in this last year and this excitement filters into the Concorde 2 as they start up. They manage to mix their old songs with the new from their eagerly anticipated debut album “Cutting Our Teeth” (out in January next year) and keep old and new fans alike pleased. With some songs being performed by screamer Dan Brown from inside the pit, and vocalist Liam Cromby showing off some exquisite abilities even I manage to sing along to some of tracks I’ve never heard before and find myself eagerly anticipating what’s coming next, despite not being that familiar with them. The entire band’s participation and interaction with the audience keeps everyone alive and kicking for the entirety of their set and it’s evident they’ve perfected riling up an audience in their previous tours. These guys will hopefully return to a bigger crowd, in better weather once their album is released and they begin to gain the credit they deserve.

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Nov
26/09
The Fall Of Troy w/Twin Atlantic and Chickenhawk Live Review
Last Updated on Thursday, 26 November 2009 09:10
Written by Alison Aird
Thursday, November 26th, 2009

The Fall Of Troy with Twin Atlantic and Chickenhawk; Relentless Garage, London 21st November 2009

Opening tonight’s show is Leeds boys Chickenhawk. Crazy name I thought, crazy name but an alright sound despite being slightly repetitive. This is a band well suited to opening for The Fall Of Troy, sounding similar enough in style but with their own definite individuality shining through. Some of the breakdowns in their songs were particularly impressive, and they had an admirable stage presence for such a new band. Chickenhawk definitely got heads nodding along, and guitarist Robert Stephens decided to take a little walk around the venue, whilst still playing, which was a nice bit of something different. Their last track [insert name here] was by far the best, showing some great promise for the future.

Up next was Scotland’s Twin Atlantic. In the worst bit of band booking I have experienced in a long time, as Twin Atlantic brought the mood down from the fast paced beats of Chickenhawk into a very Glasvegas indie feeling melody based place. Their fans had come out tonight to show their support, and they certainly gained more fans tonight as well, but I personally couldn’t help but feel they were out of place. If I had wanted to hear this type of indie, I wouldn’t have chosen The Fall Of Troy’s show to do it at. My interest in Twin Atlantic was only stirred slightly when vocalist Sam McTrusty answered back at a heckler with the quick witted snap of a true Scot.

When The Fall Of Troy took to the stage the atmosphere in the refurbished Garage took a more energetic turn. Hoots and hollars emerged from the crowd during sound check and it was obvious from then that this would be one hell of a show. As the set began what hit me immediately was the sheer awesome technical ability of each musician. For a three piece, this band are loud and impressive, and their fans are die hards. Vocalist Tom Erak’s piercing voice could have taken a rest for the entire set and the fans would have sung every song word perfect for the entire evening. My own personal highlight of the night was Erak’s solo version of the track “Caught Up”. This not only showed the man’s technical ability on a guitar off to perfection (I think my jaw actually dropped at one point), but highlighted a performer so in tune with his audience that despite the occasional interlude, the song was almost a duet of artist and appreciator. Kicking back into some of their older albums the show was electric with an energy level through the roof and a good time for all those die hards and newbies (such as myself) present.

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Nov
24/09
Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember & August Burns Red Live Review
Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 November 2009 11:54
Written by Alison Aird
Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember & August Burns Red: Portsmouth Pyramids Centre, 19th November 2009

I’m a late comer to Bring Me The Horizon. Late as in, appallingly late, not fashionably. I only started listening to them in July of this year after boycotting them for no real reason save the negative publicity they received from many, and the fact I thought Oli Sykes was a daft tart for having so many tattoos so young.

Having actually listened to Suicide Season, I took everything I ever said against them back (particularly the tattoo comment, I am definitely a bit of a hypocrite on that front). The album blew my mind into the windscreen of my car when I first heard it. Subsequently some of the epic riffs on several of their older and new tracks bring an actual tear to my eye if I listen to them when particularly fragile on a Saturday morning. However, as converted I was I remained tentative about seeing them live. Would there be an average age of 16? Would they all be female? Would there be enough liquid eyeliner & hairdye to paint the moon black?

Fortunately enough in Portsmouth, there wasn’t. Or at least I steered clear of the front of the queue and the venue for the entire evening to avoid such sights. If anything, there were a lot of mid twenties there. A lot of guys. What I would have hoped and expected from a BMTH show, rather than a savage crush of teenage girls going spare over some great hair on some skinny dude from Sheffield.

The show openers August Burns Red set the tone for the rest of the night very early on. If you weren’t going to move, get a bit rowdy and maybe smack your best friend in the face for giggles, this wasn’t the place to be. August Burns Red have always impressed me, but their live show was something to behold. Before every awe inspiring breakdown they would hit this particular note that would actually send the venue and your skull vibrating. I love that, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t – including my course mate, who used this show as  a case study for her research project on crowd behaviour, needless to say she now loves hardcore shows. They played such a solid set that you could guarantee a good time if you saw them opening, headlining, playing festivals, whatever. Go and see August Burns Red if you want a good time, they will definitely provide it.

Next up was A Day To Remember. A german buddy of mine, having seen this tour a few weeks earlier, said that vocalist Jeremy McKinnon was a bit ropey. Well he managed to pull it out the bag at this show, and the audience was actually lapping it up. I have never in my life seen so many dudes bro-ing out to a band. They loved it, the pit was huge and the singalongs were so precise McKinnon could probably have not sang for the whole set. As a testament to their set, some of the audience actually left. Obviously A Day To Remember’s headline tour of the UK in March is going to be quite something to behold.

Finally headliners Bring Me The Horizon took to the stage, opening with Chelsea Smile. I was pretty much gone from them onwards, spending the entire show as one of four girls in the most intense pit I have been part of in 4 years. The band’s set was fantastic, mixing old tracks with new and even featuring some of the new cut up album snippets in as well. Their performance was tight and vocalist Sykes was so communicative with the crowd throughout that it made the show feel dramatically smaller than it actually was. As a live band, BMTH have to actually be one of my favourites and I am slightly devastated that this was my last opportunity to see them before a 7 month hiatus to write and record a new record.

That aside, I would strongly recommend that next time BMTH tour your town, you go and you see it. If you’re a fan of the music, but not the majority of the fanbase, then their live shows is the environment that separates the fans into the younger girls screaming up front, and the music fans further back. At no point do you come into conflict and you can both enjoy a great live show from one of the most successful UK bands around right now.

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Nov
18/09
CD Review: The Amity Affliction “Severed Ties”
Last Updated on Wednesday, 18 November 2009 09:05
Written by Alison Aird
Wednesday, November 18th, 2009

Album: Severed Ties

Artist: The Amity Affliction

Release: 30th November 2009

Label: Boomtown Records

When I was asked to review The Amity Affliction the first thing I did was visit their myspace to check out their sound. The giant pissed off bat in their header had me smiling and now their album “Severed Ties” has me hooked.

As a hardcore girl through and through I can appreciate how difficult it is to make something original in what has quickly become an over-saturated scene. The Amity Affliction are obviously taking a few pages out of Alexisonfire’s book, but by increasing the hardcore factor ever so slightly, we’ve managed to make a slightly different breed of the same species which is definitely standing on its own feet.

It’s almost as though someone told The Amity Affliction my own personal selection of pet peeves and loves and Severed Ties has challenged and sated these. For example, I’m one of those “no more keyboards in hardcore” advocates, but now The Amity Affliction, with their subtle use of synth in tracks such as “Snitches Get Stitches” and “Fruity Lexia” has reminded me how synth can be used to the advantage of the genre. On the other side, one of my other loves is hardcore covers of 80s tunes, and as if they hadn’t won me over already, The Amity Affliction pull out a decent cover of one of my all time favourite 80s tracks, Pat Benetar’s “Love Is A Battlefield”.

To break up their great tunes with sing-a-long choruses and heavy riffs, they’ve even got a nice slow down with “So You Melted”, nice little interim between heavier tracks.

My favourite track I knew I loved from the first time I heard it is the album closer “Stairway to Hell”. It’s a great song because of the combination on delicate guitar riff breaking down with the synth and then into the standard heavier stuff. This track is my current “lets stick it on repeat for 3 hour” track.

I’m going to put it out there, this band is something to look out for in the future. I’ve not been as psyched on something out of Australia since I first heard Parkway Drive.

Fortunately enough I am also reviewing The Amity Affliction in their support slot of We Are The Ocean, and considering their success back home on the live circuit, look out for what I expect will be a equally gushing live review.

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Nov
17/09
CD Review: “In the Unlikely Event” from The Fall of Troy
Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 November 2009 10:39
Written by Alison Aird
Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Album: In The Unlikely Event

Artist: The Fall Of Troy

Release: 26th October 2009

Label: Equal Vision

Producer: Terry Date (Deftones, Slipknot, Smashing Pumpkins)

The Fall of Troy is one of those bands I’ve heard talked about so much, but that mental note to listen to their stuff never makes it back home to the laptop. Having the chance to review their new album has finally given me the opportunity to see what the hype is about, with their new album “In The Unlikely Event”.

Opening track “Panic Attack!” is immediately catchy and memorable and my personal favourite from the album. As a fan of bands such as The Blood Brothers, the heavier experimental style of The Fall Of Troy is right up my street. By joining Tom Erak’s great vocals (screaming, melodic, piercing, there’s nothing he can’t do) with raw sound of guitars, switching between metal, punk and then prog rock, the band have made a sound that’s heavy enough to keep me interested throughout and makes me think I’ve found a whole new genre, or at least a band to support.

Each track on the album takes you through several different genres and sounds, but each has got that individual feel rather than just sounding like one long mishmash of riffs which experimental can be so prone to. One track that’s a great example of drastic changes in mood and style is “Nobody’s Perfect”. Starting with something a bit light, a bit more vocal based, I’m reminded of Coheed and Cambria. About half way through the track takes a complete turn, bringing old school horror organs into the mix only to then change again in a final break down. This is intriguing to listen to; experimental prog at its best.

Another song worth noting is hands down the best track name “Empty the Clip, The King is Slain, Long Live the Queen!”. This is another of my preferred tracks on the album thanks to its great sing along chorus which also has a great bohemian feel behind it. Mix this with intensive guitar parts behind it and this is definitely a track to remember.

How albums end is always a big deal. Opening track are obviously there to get you into it, but closing tracks need to make you want to put it on repeat and hear it all again. Well “Nature vs. Nurture” makes the cut. It’s pretty mellowed out, but then changes tack into a short sharp sound that gets your foot tapping. Erak then talks at the end, leading to a nice “woaaaah” melodic break down to wrap it up.

One thing about experimental music of any kind is how easily it can go so wrong. By being too experimental you can risk producing music that’s too disjointed to be listened comfortably. The Fall Of Troy have managed to be experimental and totally listenable, everything flows and even dramatic changes in the songs just feel right. Luckily for me I’ll get to see some of this album performed live soon so keep your eyes peeled for a review next week.

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Nov
05/09
Interview with Architects vocalist Sam Carter
Last Updated on Thursday, 5 November 2009 05:51
Written by Alison Aird
Thursday, November 5th, 2009

I was fortunate enough to get the chance to interview Sam Carter of Architects before the opening date of their headline slot on the Imperial Never Say Die tour. This is the first in a series of interviews I will be doing mixing regular interview questions with my own dissertation topic of ritualistic aggression at hardcore shows. It’s a little bit standard and it’s a little bit of something unusual, so enjoy!

AA: How was America this time around with Every Time I Die and Bring me the Horizon?

SC: America was a lot more fun this time around obviously because BMTH are like our best friends. With ETID, I have so much respect for that band. I’ve liked them since I was 14 so being on tour with them, seeing them every night, making friends with them and being with BMTH dudes as well, it was so much better. It went down really well, we sold a ton of merch and had a really good time.

AA: Do you reckon you’ll bring that tour over here? I really wish you would.

SC: A lot of people have said that, but I don’t think it’s possible. I would love to bring Every Time I Die on tour.

AA: Are you bringing out old songs cause you’re back home now?

SC: We’re bringing out a couple of ones we haven’t played in a while. But mainly, we’ll probably play a couple of songs we haven’t played off Hollow Crown yet, just to see how they go down. We’re going to bust out the obvious fan favs, but keep it interesting for us.

AA: After the Imperial Never Say Die tour what are your plans? More Europe dates?

SC: After this tour we have some time off, which is fucking great!

AA: I think you need it.

SC: Yeah, we’ve been touring so hard and we’re starting to write our new album. We’ve got to crack down with that and practise every day.

AA: So that’s a bit of time off, a bit of writing time and then a new album in 2010?

SC: Yep, that’s the plan.

AA: Would you guys want to do Warped tour in the future?

SC: I would cause a lot of our friends’ bands have done it and they say it’s extremely difficult and hard to do. In the US because we’re unknown we don’t do bus tours, we do it in vans, and apparently out there in America on Warped Tour you don’t know your stage time till you get to the venue so you have to be there at 6am every day, drive every night. I don’t know, if it came around we’d probably do it, but it’d be fucking hard work.

AA: It seems like one of those tours that when you’re doing it, it’s like “oh god this sucks” but afterwards they say “oh, it’s amazing”.

SC: Yeah, it’s a lot of hard work.

AA: Are you going to start blending any other kinds of music you like into the next album. I was listening to Your Demise and they’ve got their dubstep tracks…

SC: I don’t think we’d do anything like that. I mean we’re definitely going to put more electronic stuff in the songs on the new record and we’ll elaborate on that. Obviously we’ll change the sound a bit on the next record and add stuff in. We all listen to such good music it’d be a shame not to bring other stuff in. We’ll see what happens. The new stuff’s pretty different so we’ll see how it goes.

AA: Are you guys on a bus now or is that a coach?

SC: We’re on a bus now, with beds and everything. It’s very tiring trying to find hotels and stuff every night.

AA: Okay so now we’re going to go onto my dissertation stuff, and now’s your chance to say “I want to be anonymous!”

SC: It’s all good!

AA: How would you describe a pit at one of your shows?

SC: Uuuuh, pretty violent I guess. I don’t think we have those pits that really mosh too hard, you know, it’s kind of youngerish crowds. I guess they can get pretty messy, I mean kids running around punching each other. That’s what all of us did when we were thirteen years old. I wouldn’t get in there.

AA: Would you say that that’s a definitive thing of the hardcore scene?

SC: Yeah, I mean when you’re on stage and that it means the kids are really pumped on the songs.

AA: Would you say the quality of the show is proportionate to the size and intensity of the pit?

SC: Yeah, I mean I wouldn’t necessary say for us that a big pit means it’s better. We’re a band that prefers singalongs to pits, if you have say 800 people there just standing, singing along, jumping up and down, we prefer that compared to 800 kids just moshing and not singing along. We’re all like, well I was definitely brought up from a hardcore background, you know I just went to shows and jumped on people, didn’t really mosh, just stage dived, that’s what’s fun to me.

AA: At what point would you say a pit becomes out of control?

SC: When it gets to violent. When kids are bleeding and stuff. A couple of years ago in my old band I was playing and venues were getting ripped apart and shit like that. It sucks when stuff gets really violent, like destroying venues, that’s when it gets too far.

AA: Would you say your band is more younger or older people?

SC: I don’t know. I would say we appeal to younger and older kids. People have followed us from the start, obviously we’re pretty young, I mean I’m 21 and they followed us from when we were younger to now. I think every day we’re getting more fans building on that. I would say youngish.

AA: Would you say it’s more males or females?

SC: I would honestly say I think it’s more male based. I don’t ever see, I mean I’ve definitely never seen a row of girls at the front, like taking photos and fucking screaming. I don’t see a band like us appealing like that. We’re just a hardcore band and we just fucking play stuff and see dudes coming. I mean I rarely see girls there. In some way’s it’s good. It’s good to see girls at shows, but when they’re really into the music, not just stand there taking photos. I wouldn’t want to play to 4000 and 2000 of them were girls with camera phones.

AA: What would you say are the unspoken rules of being in a pit?

SC: Everyone’s just got to look after each other. When I was younger it was the rule that if someone falls over, pick them up. If you see someone get fucking knocked out, get them out of there. It’s just like, pits can be violent, but they can be a good release for kids, you know? Being young and feeling like, all this pent up aggression and letting it out with a bunch of your friends, just running around like when I was younger.

AA: Yeah it’s better they do that…

SC: Yeah, let it all out there than out on the street and get into a fight. That’s always true for me, I used to let out a shit load of aggression in a pit. But still at the same time, all look out for each other.

AA: Have you got any epic show stories?

SC: What like pit wise?

AA: Yeah, like I saw Gallows and they had an 8 person high pyramid in the pit.

SC: I think the craziest thing is we did a show in Halifax (Canada) the other day and it was crazy, kids just jumping on each other. Other than that, walls of death at Download, we did a fucking huge one, it was amazing. We do, y’know, do that. When you see a sea of people just split in two, we do that quite a lot, it’s just pretty cool to be able to see the whole way through a venue.

AA: Cool. Okay, finally, I’ve remembered now. Have you set any other rules for Ali this tour other than don’t bring crazy fuckers on the bus?

SC: He’s sleeping next to me on the bus so I get to see him every day, and other than that I guess it’s just to be my drinking partner.

AA: I read this interview with you guys, and it was saying that the way you rinse him, it’s almost disturbing to watch!

SC: Yeah, Tom and Dan definitely go on at him quite a bit and I just kind of join in now and then. Sometimes I feel sorry for him but…

AA: I bet he loves it.

SC: He does love it really. I think he likes it when we do it, but when fans come up and try to touch his face and stuff and call him like, Dino Doggie and stuff like that, I mean it’s a bit too…

AA: Yeah, a bit too…

SC: I mean it’s funny as fuck to me, everyone else finds it great, but he doesn’t enjoy it. He doesn’t enjoy the familiarity or whatever. We have like two t-shirts about him, so the kids love him and they can go buy Ali t-shirts.

AA: You’re definitely making him like the Pete Wentz.

SC: Oh definitely! We want to make him as well known as possible.

AA: Have you got any weird presents yet? You put something on twitter right? Have you got anything yet?

SC: In Canada I got like, a fresh pair of Vans like every day. I’m just going to do that now, see how many Vans I can get.

AA: Well, my mate in Cologne is getting you loads of German stuff that says “Ja” on it.

SC: Oh sick!

AA: She’s well worried she’s not going to get in the venue, but I’m sure she’ll make it.

SC: That’d be sick!

AA: Cool well that’s about it.

SC: Thanks very much

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