The State Of The (Hardcore) World Address

Even as I’m writing this piece, I’m thinking to myself “have I really turned into a curmudgeonly old man?” But as a justification, and for those regular readers, you know it’s very much the Über Röck ethos to “say what you see (or hear)” and without wanting to cause too much offence, there are times when you have to make a comment, good or bad! This is one of those occasions.

I recently attended a hardcore punk charity gig put on in Kettering, the Kettering Town Hard Core Fest. Thirteen bands with the proceeds going to The Hardcore Help Foundation, all for six quid, can’t complain at that, and I’m not. I don’t want to be disparaging to the people who organised it, or any of the bands that played it (and there were some good bands). It’s more of an observation/comment about the people who attended, and specifically around the phenomenon of the “modern hardcore dance”.

Hardcore (I’m not going to begin quibbling here as to historically what it should/shouldn’t be called!) has its roots firmly set in punk. Everything was then speeded up and a rather large dose of aggression added to the mix. Stalwarts of the scene include such luminaries as Black Flag, Agnostic Front, Sick Of It All, Madball, Hatebreed, I could go on for ever. The music has always been fast, aggressive, heavy, with a real intensity, and in most parts, a true sense of integrity, they mean it, and as with any type of music, it has its own fairly unique way for fans to enjoy it. Hardcore mosh pits are renowned as being as intense as the music being played, sometimes going over that boiling point.

It seems that the modern hardcore fan has a slightly different view on things though…. A lot of the bands playing at this event were quite young, as were the crowd. The subsequent mosh pits being a little different. The “kids” aren’t interested in the same “good friendly violent fun”(copyright Exodus) that we were when we got in the pits during the original thrash era. You head banged and stomped about in the slower bits and went absolutely bat shit crazy on the fast bits, so a Slayer pit was always pretty full on from the start, but there were rules you all abided by! Someone went down, you picked them up, you accepted the fact that you’d get a smack round the head, elbow in the nose etc; otherwise you’d stand a fair and safe distance from the action. Anyone taking it too far, it got sorted out amongst those in the pit, there was (and should’ve been) a real respect, no room for aggro dicks.

Hardcore “kids” today then seem far more interested in flapping their arms around at great speed, like a demented fast bowler. If I tried something like that, I’d put something out! And they want to do kung fu moves, a spin kick here and a high kick there, it seems the personal safety of anyone in the pit is of little importance; let’s have “fun” by spin kicking your best friend in the head!!!!! They only do it in the slow breakdown bits as well; it was highly amusing watching 1000 Scars, who are more of a thrash band than hardcore, with the kids standing bemusedly waiting for a breakdown that was never going to come. The fast bits seem to be a respite for them. And unless you’re in an absolute packed crowd, you have to beware of what’s going on, they might suddenly launch themselves like an exocet missile at someone they know but aren’t bothered about any potential collateral damage, my beer soaked t-shirt was the evidence.

The knock-on effect of this is that instead of watching a band, you tend to caste your gaze towards the idiots on the floor, if for nothing else, your own personal safety. Beer is not cheap you know, and what the hell is it about wearing your rucksack whilst trying to impersonate Bruce Lee? I just don’t get it. After a while, all this sub-macho posturing wears a bit thin, the wicked side of me simply wants to spill a drink on the floor just to see what happens. The singer from To The Nines had the right idea, to get in amongst them, because the little hardcore hard nuts will be shit scared of bumping into you, a tactic that seemed to work. As I’m watching I start to feel like I’m watching a Zombie Zumba class crossed with a bastardised Northern Soul dance off. Me, I just want to wheel my big suitcase into the middle of the floor and bust out my best Wacko Jacko moves, shamon!

Overall, this night was an interesting and entertaining one, with some great bands – 1000 Scars, Kartel and To The Nines to name three, mixed in with a good laugh, especially watching the little boys and girls and their funky little dancing. I love hardcore and respect the scene for what it stands for, I could just do without the idiocy.

I’ll close this little grumpy piece with two quotes from friends; John, the singer from Raging Speedhorn –“too many ninja’s and ballerinas in there tonight!” and my good friend Mel, with her everything is black or white, gray just doesn’t exist – “a pirouette will never be cool in a mosh pit”, which says it all.