Live reviews
Review
Knocked Loose at O2 Forum Kentish Town, 10/03/24
The metalcore wave crashes in Kentish Town for "the best show" Knocked Loose have ever played
Knocked Loose sound like they want to destroy the structural integrity of whatever building they’re in. They’ve got quite some way with their brand of sonic warfare, even conquering mainstream spaces like Coachella – where they went viral for creating pandemonium in the midst of a notoriously influencer-heavy festival – and Bonnaroo, despite perhaps being the last band who might end up there. If tonight’s show is anything to go by, they’re going to soon need a bigger roof to blow off, and that’s saying something when they’ve got a good couple of thousand people standing practically shoulder to shoulder in front of them.
Unsurprisingly, the Kentucky bruisers’ showing tonight is beautifully audacious. Not only are they going stupidly hard by opening with the sonic boom that is recent single ‘Deep In The Willow’, they’re relishing it, with frontman Bryan Garris yelling “What’s my name?” before the audience scream back its famed “KNOCKED LOOSE MOTHERF*CKER!” hook.
Standing still would seem dangerous throughout their sharp hour-long set – “Everybody look at the person standing next to you and start pushing them right now!” he yells – and as they rattle through the bone-shaking judder of ‘God Knows’ and a monolithic ‘Belleville’ while a cyclone of a pit opens up and the humid air is filled with flailing limbs.
Yes, it’s heavy, but there’s more complexity to it than that. They’ve found a way to make the subtle, atmospheric layers of intricacy in their sound still resonate, particularly with the more multifaceted attack of new single ‘Blinding Faith’. The way they manage to get a whole crowd risking their vocal cords to roar back their hooks give their performance an even greater sense of power, particularly in lacerating older cut ‘All My Friends’ and ‘Oblivion’s Peak’, which Bryan dedicates to the LGBTQ+ community.
Throw in a phenomenal surprise guest showing from Static Dress’s Olli Appleyard on ‘Billy No Mates’ and an absolutely rapturous airing of ‘Counting Worms’ and what they’ve got is what Bryan describes as “the best f*cking show we’ve ever played”. It’s a huge statement, but not an inappropriate one. Given that the book is just opening on their new era, it can’t be long before they outdo themselves.
