CONVERGE + Kylesa + Gaza @ Birmingham Academy 2, 13th July 2010
Converge are still only soundchecking but already frontman Jacob Bannon is prowling the stage like a cage lion about to be unleashed. The anticipation in the room is palpable. Everyone knows it’s about to get crazy.
Before all that though there’s been a solid line-up of bands to get things well and truly warmed up for the hardcore legends. Salt Lake City boys, Gaza, are obviously enjoying their first visit to these shores and throw down an intense and determined set which goes down extremely well with Converge’s audience — an audience who won’t suffer fools gladly either. Tracks from their He Is Never Coming Back album sound even more powerful and elaborate in a live setting and older, rawer songs bring the energy levels up nicely.
Kylesa make a welcome return to Birmingham after recent shows for Capsule and, although their slower, more intricate music could possibly have alienated this hardcore crowd, tonight it’s clear there’s plenty of people in the room who are already converts to the Kylesa cause. Performance-wise they may lack the in-your-face attack of other bands on the bill but musically they measure up well. Joint vocalist and guitarist, Laura Pleasants, naturally steals most of the attention while her bandmates hammer out a solid wall of sound beside her. Great stuff.
“Are you ready for a hardcore show?” Converge’s vocalist leaves no time for an answer before launching into a frantic and intense hour-long set which solidifies their reputation as one of the finest live bands on the planet. And whereas many hardcore bands will stick to the tried & tested formula, Converge’s music is anything but predictable or formulaic. It twists and turns and draws you in before biting your head off or giving you a quick kick to the chest (literally in the case of two photographers who get between Bannon and his audience!)
“Sorry about this barrier” says Bannon, but it doesn’t stop him from physically connecting with the people in the front rows in ways which suggests he’d rather be in the crowd than up on the stage. There’s no fake posturing here. This is the real deal and, after 20 years in the game, Converge deserve the respect they get from anyone with an appreciation of extreme music.
They may be known for their frantic, relentless sound but, in some ways, it’s when they slow things down and the lyrics become more important that Converge are at their finest. There’s a structure and meaning to their music that continues to set them apart from so many of their contemporaries.
Bannon repeatedly thanks everyone for coming out and supporting the gig “even if you’ve never heard of our band” and seems genuinely grateful to be doing what he’s doing. It’s safe to say everyone in the room is thankful he and his bandmates are still making music and delivering performances as immense as tonight’s.
Words & photos — Steve Gerrard