REVIEW: YOUR DEMISE AT PLYMOUTH WHITE RABBIT (26/02/11)
Losing a charismatic front man, just months after the release of your breakthrough album could be a fatal blow for many bands. Indeed former vocalist George Noble was a huge influence on the sound of Your Demise, but the band took the event as a chance to regroup, reinvent their sound and return to take their rightful place as one of the biggest players in the UK hardcore scene. Ex ‘Centurion’ man Ed Mcrae was called in to fill Noble’s ample shoes helping to shape the band’s new direction. The more melodic and accessible sound raised a few eyebrows among fans of their early darker material, but with chorus hooks you could hang your coat on, new album ‘The Kids We Used To Be’ has won them a huge new following. These new legions of fans would account for the rammed venue tonight in Plymouth, with the pit nicely limbered up by US support, Stick To Your Guns & Let Live, the atmosphere is that of a ticking bomb. With a video being filmed tonight for the next single there is little doubt the room is about to explode, indeed the stage dives start as the first note has barely left the speakers. The pit activates and Y.D do their utmost to match the crowd launching full force into album intro ‘MMX’. As you might expect the majority of the set comes from the ‘Kids We Used To Be’, but there’s a sprinkling of old classics like ‘Nothing Left But Regret’ and ‘Burnt Tongues’ to keep the old guard in the pit happy. The camera rolls all night and the Plymouth crowd are keen to show how things are done in the Westcountry. Stage divers are queued five deep at the side of the stage while those who can’t face the wait swing across the roof, pausing only for a quick mic grab. Ceiling tiles tumble into the pit, it’s timeless, good old fashion chaos, the energy is just amazing and doesn’t dip for an instant. To be fair the crowd are so rabid and amped Your Demise probably could’ve played a set of Michael Buble covers and the place would’ve still erupted, but fortunately for all involved they don’t. In fact they put in dynamic performance, Ed Mcrae stamps his authority all over the stage laying to the rest the ghost of vocalists past. Tonight they seem more driven and cohesive than ever, with tours booked around the globe, including a tour of the states with Terror, they are set to break new territory for UK hardcore. I hope these lads have their suitcases packed because they are going places!
Words and photos: Andy Ford
