This show was Shake Some Acton #165 and yet another great bill put together by the Shake Some Acton team. We had missed The Human Error, by the time we arrived Down Charmed had just started playing, they are a new band who'd come all the way from Camden, the first song we heard from Down Charmed was USP that showed they lived up or is it down to the band's name, they are a very down-tuned rumbling punk band, with energetic front-woman Abigayle going for it and making clear what this lots USP is.
They carried on sounding rather low-slung 90's but with something not quite there, like they needed to have a lurch element or something, still they were less messy than my notes are, which is why I can't even guess at the 3 other songs we heard, in places they reminded me a bit of Smoking Gives You Big Tits or Jale.
Next on were Dismiss who were on the first night of the bands current UK tour having come over from Athens Greece, the four-piece opened with Sick that was an immediate blast of glam punk energy with Jo bouncing over the stage while belting out the words. Any Chance Any Way seemed to push the band forwards at a fast pace, with some cool guitar from Spiros and Monica's steady bassline. The only Bad Luck Dismiss had at this gig was it wasn't sold out, Monica really seemed locked in a deep glam groove with PeePeace's solid drums driving them on. Let It Roll seemed carved into a Pandoras/ Muffs style femme garage punk style.
Jo was really energetic making clear all the things Under The Sun that get to her, while doing a few kicks and really shouting. Jo told us before I Wanna Stay In The City that it was from the band's new album Funeral Fund like most of the set, it is a good anthem, just the thought of how you might be treated out in the country, dressed like Dismiss were dressed, it's understandable this had a good Runaways edge to it. They then claimed they were On The Edge, hopefully of crossing over to a much larger audience that this adrenaline fuelled set deserved. Jo then told us all about A Place In The Sun probably a bit like Athens as long as they can find there way out of the Plakas.
Need was a perfect spiky punk list song, of all the desires they have, with Jo and Monica really raving it up as Spiros concentrated on nailing another great glammy guitar solo. I need to hear the lyrics to 1989 properly to work out what event they are commemorating from that year, it was a pivotal year for me, but I'd guess they were not even born yet.
Can't Buy Me Love was about as romantic as they got, although it seemed more like it was a fleeting liaison rather than anything long term. Down In Flames wasn't a Dead Boys cover, but the sadly very topical song about deadly forest fires and the mess they leave behind, all with a great chant along chorus and super energetic guitar. Till I Die is the credo of punks and rockers for life, this is what Dismiss want to always be, here's hoping they can achieve the dream. They then took us on a trip to California, that had some ballsy attitude and tipped a nod at all the Californian bands who influence them.
Jo then claimed she was Losing My Mind, possibly at the guys trying to up skirt her while taking pics, but whatever it was the interplay between her and Monica really worked. Hell To Pay makes clear which idiots they think should be consumed by the flames before they closed with On The Run, that closed a great fun glam punk set by a band that just need a few decent festival slots to make a name for themselves.
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After the break it was time for the opening show on Anti-Virus Sempre Em Frente tour, the UK leg of which concludes at this year's Rebellion festival, where I first saw this Brazilian Anti-fascist hardcore band last year. They opened with Ferro E Concreto a full-on hardcore blast with the Anti-Fascista rallying cry that Otavio really hammered home. Hoje Nao E Um Bom Dia was super intense squalls of noise from Eleandro's guitar. Nosso Estadio sounded really angry, sorry I don't understand Portuguese. Conflito was properly up for a fight aggro hardcore with Roberto's explosive drumming nailing it down.
Injusto clearly depicts another dreadful wrongful conviction and the fight to get justice. Ate Os Ossos was brimming with intensity and a fearsome bassline form Gustavo, O Principe Caio saw Otavio really bending double has this angry screed was barked at us. Otavio then made clear they have a new album out and that Sempre Em Frenten was available to buy afterwards, along with the bands own hot sauce, before blasting through it at 200 mph. Tarde Demais had some truly splenetic guitar salvos from Eleandro who seemed to be grinning for most of the set no matter how intense the playing.
Anos 80 kept the feverish pace and hardcore brutality up. Massacre Pedo Poder is a history lesson for those of us not familiar with this tragedy and the police complicity in it, the bile and anger never gives up. O Tempo Voa seemed lighter while Otavio kept barking the lyrics at us as a fearsome pace. Traffico Humanas clearly wishes we had free movement of people and no need for the awful realities of human trafficking. Cidade Em Chamas seemed to really get Gustavo to up his intensity levels on his bass this was dark.
Boca Maldita kept up the pace and intensity before Morrendo seemed to have more of a mosh pit dance floor edge to its speedy destruction.
Realidade Dos Sonhos felt brighter even while Otavio seemed to be bursting to dive off the stage, just glaring at us instead. Olhos Vendados was bouncy raw and aggressive before they closed with Recessao on last angry twisted screed they seemed truly surprised by the reaction at the end of the set, but were soon persuaded to play one more song, whose name I don't know, but it was just as intense as the rest of the set. I hope to see them again at Rebellion for some more top-notch Brazilian hardcore.
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