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Aiden front-man wiL Francis pauses half-way through their set, he looks to the heavens, steam forming a ghost-like existence around his silhouette, while sweat drips from his make-up caked brow. He suddenly spits into the worshipping hoards in front of him, who bizarrely seem to revel in this sadistic humiliation. Then the abuse turns to the more deserving seated section, perched high in the rafters: “Why the fuck are you faggots sitting down?” wiL laments. “Get on your fucking feet; this is Taste of fucking Chaos!” The perennial punk extravaganza is in full furious swing, as the ‘take-no-shit-from-no-one’ attitude is as stingingly sharp as the array of piercings on show tonight. wiL isn’t finished with his insults either “How many of you fuckers didn’t come here for Aiden?” he elegantly inquires. The disapproving arms-folded-brigade at the back murmurs their disgust. “Well, I hope you guys all die of Aids” spouts wiL. Friendly, Taste of Chaos ain’t! But an absolute shit-storm of a show, it certainly is!
Gallows lead singer Frank Carter is rapidly becoming a hardcore/punk icon and has no time for niceties, when there’s a mosh-pit to instigate! As the raucous riff of ‘Belly of a Shark’ sparks one hell of a response from the fiercely dedicated clan. There is so much raw anger that Carter literally spits and bleeds out, his heavily tattooed torso indicating his other burning passion. Gallows are one of those band you HAVE to see live, whether you like their brutal sound or not, to watch them PERFORM will transfix even the biggest cynic. ‘Abandon Ship’ is simply fucking amazing, the riff is incessant and the live response indicates what a modern punk anthem it has become. Spitting at the front row of the already severely sodden scenesters seems to be the theme of the night, as Carter shares his salvia with his delirious disciples, leaving you wondering if some would even eat his shit if he so ordered.
Though die-hard fans don’t get much more committed than that which worship at the alter of Aiden. The Seattle goth-punks have touched more kids than the most deviant of priests. With wiL Francis’s public revelations of a drug-littered past that drove him to the edge of living, they are not a band to have just a passing interest in. There‘s the predicted mix response of unconditional devotion down the front to the ‘This isn’t fucking punk’ haters at the back. Francis isn’t blessed with the greatest of voices and this is an obvious flaw when playing live. However their relentless effort makes up for it as they deliver ‘Die Romantic’ with vigour. New album ‘Conviction’ signifies a substantial shift in sound and image for the quintet, but it is a change that was needed. It breaths a whole new life and vibrancy into the band, and it is clearly visible how much the guys revel in playing the new material. ‘Teenage Queen’ sounds awesome, the opening riff sticks to you like a sweat-soaked pair of skinny jeans. ‘One Love’ is arguably their most accessible song penned to date and it goes does a storm. They end with the song that wooed many a tortured teen to them in the beginning. ‘I Set My Friends On Fire’ marks an impressive display of guts and showmanship from a front-man to rival Gerard Way.
When this Gigwise hack first gazed at the proposed Taste of Chaos line-up, one band leapt out, one band sold it to me in an instant. This band, of course, is Rise Against. The Chicago hardcore/punksters are one of the best live performers on the circuit. There’s no staged image, petty slagging matches or gimmicky outfits. They don’t particularly put much effort into getting the crowd to interact either. But the bottom line is they don’t need any of that shit. Tim Mcllrath soaring vocals over awesome riff after awesome riff guaranteed one hell of a show. ‘Ready To Fall’ was ecstatically received and played to perfection. ‘Give It All’ is still an obvious live favourite while ‘The Good Left Undone’ felt so vital. The words were religiously chanted back, as a sea of arms pointed towards their reluctant messiah. While the rest of the tonight’s bands slightly struggle with their sound due to the rapid turn around between acts, Rise Against were absolutely perfect. The polished performance set the bar at sky-high for headliners The Used to match or excel.
But Bert McCracken is not a man to turn down a challenge, as The Used’s enigmatic entertainer bounds on stage in his signature crazed way. “What the fuck is up, Newcastle?” he spouts, eyes wide open and beaming like the most sinister of Bond villains. “We are the fucking Used!” he declares before the opening riff of ‘The Bird And The Worm’ ignites the room. The 2005 Taste of Chaos veterans have seen it all before, and are all more the wiser for it. Their ‘Lies For The Liars’ LP has been released since then, and the creative gem of an album brings so much more ammunition to The Used’s live set. Old favourite ‘Take It Away’ followed, and it was clear they were in the mood to prove they were worthy headliners.
The Used are synonymous with onstage antics, thus it’s not long until McCracken summons his adoring female fans to join him, they swarm the stage as ‘Paralyzed’ blasts out. “Ok now get the fuck of my stage” sneers McCracken as soon as the last lyric has been sung. While the girl’s time seems to be up, The Used hammer on with old anthem ‘Taste of Ink’ and a cover of Queen’s ‘Another One Bites The Dust’. The crowd are utterly transfixed at the train-wreck of the possessed McCracken pacing the stage. Openly admitting to dabbling in numerous narcotics, the effects on Bert are a hell of a lot more entertaining than the drained ghost-like states of the Dohertys’ and Winehouses’. McCracken just can’t stand still, and puts everything into ‘Pretty Handsome Awkward’ and the awesome finale of ‘Hospital’. The Used ensure the night ends on a massive high, as the hoards depart back into the biting arctic conditions, knowing they witnessed something special tonight. While the bands pack up, ready to transport this travelling circus onto the next venue - determined to make even more memories tomorrow.
