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Fire Apple Red @ The Underworld, London
Date: 6th February 2005
Support: Devil Sold His Soul
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This first Subverse gig of the year at the Camden Underworld is an all ages show and this is certainly evident as soon as I turn out of the tube station. Kids (pretty young ones at that!) are lined up all the way round the World’s End. After getting to the front of the infuriatingly slow-moving queue, I arrive inside to the sounds of At The Drive In. Always a good sign.
They Died Too Young are not greeted too warmly by the crowd, due to the fact that they interrupt System of a Down, which is obviously a favourite amongst the young audience. Despite this, they win everyone over with their solid style of rock music. They are quite commercial sounding, mostly due to the style of vocals, but that’s not always a bad thing. It’s just that the singer doesn’t quite look comfortable in his role. The vocals are strong yet just lacking a little something. It is the really rocking out bits where they come into their own, with tight drumming impeccably married to interesting riffs. These parts of their set break up the otherwise slightly predictable rhythm of the band’s songs.
Everything for Some are next, with a singer perhaps a little too at ease on the stage. Their over the top sense of showmanship is not quite fitting for the tiny stage at the underworld yet you can’t deny their enthusiasm. High pitched screams rule here and though they have a certain intensity, sometimes I find myself craving rather more depth to the vocals. Both guitarist and bassist are wearing their instruments rather high up in a style befitting to the most hardcore of bands and giving the impression that they really mean business. Unfortunately, though much of their material is engaging, it gets a bit repetitive and they really need more interesting breakdowns to make the music work. The set does get a bit wilder towards its end and this really suits them. These songs do have a distinct sense of groove to them and the performance was passionate. However, the singer kept going offstage to get water whilst the guitarist plays some filler material. This was quite distracting and the music at these points dull. However, Everything For Some definitely did offer something, even if it wasn’t Everything.
Devil Sold His Soul are a six piece ensemble and first impressions are that this just makes for messiness in their music. There is little focus to any of their songs – melodies are not melodic enough and screams not wrenching enough. Another distracting factor, and addition to the mess, is the annoying overuse of double bass drum rolls. The crowd, however, are enthusiastic, but then they seem to like anything loud with a bit of screaming. Devil Sold His Soul are far too up themselves for the mediocrity their music displays. They may have some interesting timings but that’s about it and they can’t really pull it off.
Unfortunately, The Underworld seems to have emptied out somewhat by the time Fire Apple Red grace the stage. These kids and their short attention spans! Anyhow, this band are clearly the main event of this afternoon’s show and deliver some powerful punky tunes with ease and panache. Truly in a different league to the others. Their driving punk drum rhythms and enthused vocals, coupled with solid melodic material make for an energetic performance. At times, this particular feel of energy kind of reminds me of early AFI songs. The singer’s crazed eyes have an almost theatrical look about them but they also have a sense of sincerity. Those who have stayed to watch Fire Apple Red’s set are certainly rewarded. Everyone recognises these guys’ talent and towards the end, the stage is stormed. Having seen Fire Apple Red play a couple of times before, I am not disappointed. They opened the Concrete Jungle stage at Reading festival in style last year and seem to be touring their asses off. The year after Funeral For A Friend had done the very same thing, they were headlining the Radio 1 Stage, so the sky’s the limit for this feel-good act!
For more information you can visit: http://www.fireapplered.com
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