Music
Review: Blood Youth fly the flag for fresh UK hardcore in Camden
Tonight new music rules Camden’s Barfly, as Blood Youth head up a bill packed with the UK’s finest in fresh pop-punk and hardcore offerings.
For those that relish in the feeling of watching a new band hit their stride, tonight’s headliners provide that and more – mainly in the way of Vengaboys entrance music and inflatable stage props.
First, Rugby’s Wars take a no holds barred approach to their first ever London show. The Rugby-based quintet are relentless in power and skill as they hammer their dynamic hardcore in the skulls of early punters. ‘We are the broken machines!’ they may wail, but it all sounds in good working order to us.
It’s over to Boston Manor to switch into pop-punk gear. By the sounds of the new material they debut tonight, the Blackpool five-piece have been busy plotting big things for their next release. Blending all the best qualities of British emo and pop-punk, it’ll be exciting to see where they go from here. Until then, Driftwood is still a total jam.
https://youtu.be/_KgjNTl24pk
St. Albans’ Trash Boat hold up their side of the pop-punk arrangement in equal measure. With slightly more skate-punk influences than the rest of tonight’s line-up, 2015’s Brainwork has kids elevated above the shaky Barfly floorboards. Another Hopeless Records success story waiting to happen? We think so.
The inflatable shark that follows Blood Youth into the crowd could fool you into thinking they’re just as smitten with the three-chord genre. You’d be wrong, of course, because from the drop of tracks like Cold Sweat and Dead Space, the Rude Records sextet are the most abrasive band of the evening.
Failure is a real standout moment as frontman Kaya Tarsus hints at personal inspirations behind the track. In fact, the entirety of 2015’s Inside My Head sounds massive inside the modest Camden venue.
By the time the inflatable shark has been ripped to shreds (that, and we spotted one punter trying to stuff the deflated animal in their backpack mid mosh…) Blood Youth have staked claim on the night.
