Who’d have ever thought that hardcore would still be thriving after 45 years? If any musical genre was a contender to burn itself out on its own frenetic energy then it surely would have been hardcore. Powered forwards by blast beats and amphetamine-fuelled guitars, it has not only survived but has gone from strength to strength with regional scenes found on every continent. Case in point being tonight’s openers Jawless, a London-based quartet who put the hard into hardcore. Such is the veracity with which the band hit the stage that it feels as if someone has detonated a bomb in the venue and opening shot sends shards of sonics flying in every direction. The vocalist, bathed in neon blues and pinks and looking like Harley Quinn, is a force of nature and makes the first of several sojourns into the crowd and ensures that this is a very confrontational, in-your-face affair. Yet, it is all in the right spirit; it’s a righteous indignation that propels this crew onwards, they’re kind enough to wear their hearts on their sleeve and tracks such as ‘No Means No’ and ‘Until Every Care Is Empty’ leave little doubt as to where they stand. However, there’s a sense of fun to temper Jawless’ seriousness and a cover of the Beastie Boys’ ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’ creates all sorts of insanity and ensures that their set ends on exactly the right note.

I’m old enough to remember when Madball were considered “new school” and that’s exactly what they were, bringing a freshness to a scene that was becoming stale and stagnant. Since then it has been full steam ahead with the band releasing a succession of strong albums that have been impervious to fads and trends. Now deemed “old school”, Madball have attained the status of unofficial godfathers of hardcore, but they’re certainly not resting on their laurels and if proof were ever required to the fire that they still carry, it can be found in opening shot ‘HeavenHell’. Jawless have set the bar impossibly high with their energetic set, but Madball ably rise to the challenge and sweep across the stage like a raging tornado. Vocalist Freddy Cricien remains the sole original member since the band’s formation and he prowls around like a caged animal. This incarnation of the band lock in tightly and handle all the complex time changes that pepper their songs with great aplomb. The band perform their songs in groups of threes with each unit being the ultimate distillation of hardcore rage and when ‘Set It Off’, ‘Smell The Bacon’ and ‘Lockdown’ are performed in quick succession they instigate all sorts of chaos as fists fly and pits swirl. In between songs we get Freddy’s legendary stage raps, whilst the band tease us with some reggae before ‘It’s My Life’ (don’t give up the day job lads!). Twenty-one tracks inside an hour should give you a good indication of the Madball experience. But truth be told, they’ve packed more into this set than most bands put into an entire career and suggests Madball will remain at the top of the tree for many years to come.

Madball Set List:

1. HeavenHell
2. Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop
3. Hold It Down
4. Set It Off
5. Smell The Bacon
6. Lockdown
7. It’s My Life
8. Hardcore Lives
9. NYC
10. Get Out
11. Freight Train
12. Infiltrate The System
13. Across Your Face
14. Face To face
15. Born Strong
16. Pride (Times Are Changing)
17. Rev Up
18. Look My Way
19. Down By Law
20. For My Enemies
21. Doc Marten Stomp

Jawless Set List:

1. “New One”
2. Blood In Your Mouth
3. Under Control
4. Reborn
5. Skate
6. No Means No
7. Polish Bastard
8. Everyone Against Me From London
9. Hunters
10. God Is Dead
11. Until Every Cage Is Empty
12. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)