Diamonds @ HMV Institute, 4th February 2011
A recent regular on the Birmingham and Midlands gig circuit, this was Diamonds’ first appearance at the new HMV Institute. Playing the downstairs back room on a Friday night at 11pm, there was always likely to be a lively atmosphere, and we were not disappointed.
Diamonds’ Facebook profile describes their sound as “disco punk spazzcore”. Unsure exactly what this meant I asked drummer Bruce Goodenough for an alternative explanation only to be told they played “harsh eclectic with equal amounts of party and harshness”. With these words running through my head I settled into the audience to enjoy the show.
After guitar player Joe McCabe had introduced the band in Spanish they opened their set with ‘Incinerate the Incinerators’, a song which instantly justified the explanations of their sound as it moved from angular dance to grindcore back to angular dance and then into stoner rock.
Barely stopping to catch their deserved applause the band moved straight into their next song ‘Reflections in the Diamonds eye’ my personal favourite of the night, a combination of stoner math with blast beat and some instrumental parts. This song saw lead singer Nathan Coyle playing the jingle stick before jumping off stage to join the audience which is where he stayed for the next couple of songs writhing on the floor to deliver his angst ridden screamo style vocals.
A heavy mixture of bands such as Hotsnakes, Public Image ltd, The Locust and Blood Brothers, Diamonds rattled through the rest of their set in brilliant fashion. Ending with ‘A Maths Paper Tomorrow’, an epic soundscape of a song, the audience was left breathless and very happy.
Diamonds was initially set up off the cuff as a side project; Bruce Goodenough is already the drummer for MotherTrucker, Shoguns Decapitator and guitarist for the Hubble Constant, Joe Mcabe is the guitarist for Shoguns Decapitator, Nathan Coyle is the ex lead singer of the Hubble Constant and Adam Harper is the bass player for Fawkes. However given tonight’s performance maybe these mainstays of the Birmingham scene should concentrate on this project, a few more performances like this one and they won’t have any other choice.
They’re back in Birmingham on Feb 23rd with Gay for Johnny Depp at the Flapper & Firkin.
Debut album ‘Girls Best Friends’ is currently in the mixing phase and set to be release later in 2011.
Review & Photos – Alex Dean
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