On my triumphant return to University following a highly eventful Easter break, I thought it would make sense to stop off at Bristol’s edition of Hit The Deck, a one day festival packing a line-up well worth twice the price I paid for entry. Spread across the O2 Academy (1 & 2), The Thekla, The Fleece and The Exchange, the task of making viewing selections was hardly an easy one to muster. Nevertheless, the following acts were “lucky” enough to receive the Rock Regeneration treatment…
Kicking things off with Idiom may have been seen as a poor decision if you’re a fan of gradual improvement over the course of a show, as the Exeter outfit truly smashed their lunch time slot at The Fleece. The four piece have entered 2013 off the back of touring with Skindred, and after seeing them at the Weymouth date of the tour, it was evident that they have learnt a great deal from their time on the road. Songs such as “Beast of Bodmin” and “Brain Dead” spark huge potential for this band to make waves, with Matt Sharland’s vocal prowess never faltering throughout. Seriously, go see them.
Next up at the Thekla were the band I was arguably most looking forward to seeing; The Front Bottoms, a quirkily named outfit from New Jersey. Best described as acoustic indie rock with punk rock ethics (by myself, I’m not sure what they’d say), their comedic charm and brutal honesty in their song writing underpinned a performance that will stay long in the memory. The raw, yet accomplished sound of the youthful four piece soundtracks the time when we’re all labelled as “meant to be growing up”, when instead we should be savouring our youth by drinking beer with our friends. Make sure you checkout their new album “Talon of the Hawk” on 21st May.
The Front Bottoms
Following a blinding start to the day with Idiom and The Front Bottoms, it was a shame to see UK’s brightest pop punk prospects, Gnarwolves falling short of the standards set when I saw them touring with The Story So Far last year. Despite the bands cult following showing their love at the front, the band seemed overly laid back and lengthy intervals between songs don’t justify a fairly sloppy display both instrumentally and vocally. The sound in the O2 Academy’s second room hardly helped their cause, but I expect more from them when they tour with The Story So Far once again next month.
Downstairs in the main room at the O2, Sonic Boom Six proved that the recent hype following the release of their new self titled album is justified through their live shows. The electric showmanship of Laila K and Barney Boom proved to be a crucial element to their display, as singles such as ‘Keep on Believing’, ‘Virus’ and ‘For The Kids of the Multiculture’ boasted the qualities of the new album’s polished anthems, which mutate genres and boast bigger hooks than a fishing shop for giants.
Sonic Boom Six
Over at the Thekla, one of the most exciting prospects for 2013 are playing in the form of Natives, who exhibit material from their upcoming debut album; their first planned release following the breakup under their old name as “Not Advised”. Recent singles “This Island” and “Stand For Something” captivate the warm summer atmosphere we all crave, so I expect to see this band flourishing on sunny festival afternoons this Summer. Polished and vocally flawless, this band were recently been touted to have been rivalling the headliners of their last tour with We The Kings, so who says they won’t be topping bills next year?
The Natives
After wondering through the O2 and taking a moment to chuckle at Attack Attack (US)’s woeful display (they’ve just announced they’re splitting up), I made my way upstairs to catch pop punk prospects, Decade. They deliver exactly what you’d expect; a display fuelled by flawless harmonies, surging melodies and potent vocal work, but with something missing. No matter what happens, originality is an element which can make or break a band’s efforts to progress, and sadly Decade aren’t exactly pioneers. It’s impressive, it’s vibrant, but it’s nothing new.
Returning downstairs, it’s time for one of the sharpest acts on the rock scene at the moment, but it hasn’t always been straight edge rock for We Are The Ocean, as the outfit undertook a fairly dramatic change to their style following a line-up change last year. I have to say, despite loving their early work, the change is certainly a good one. Liam Cromby’s vocal work stuns the bands passionate fan base, as they sing their hearts out to endless big choruses and feed off their powerful instrumentals. This year will certainly set We Are The Ocean aside from many others fighting to top their genre.
We Are The Ocean
I’d probably say that The Fleece and Thekla rival each other as the best venue for this festival, but when Feed The Rhino come to town, The Fleece may have been concerned for the welfare of their building. Frontman, Lee Tobin has built a reputation on the circuit for orchestrating chaos and his endless brutality in his vocal work matches his emphatic stage presence. For me, the reason this band stands out from the rest is down to their hardcore ethics coinciding with enormous riffs and apocalyptic melodies. The optimistic sense of doom and destruction means that this band always manage to control a crowd, but when Lee decided to strut across the bar top, getting involved was unavoidable. Who knew utter chaos could be so much fun?!
My penultimate act of the day boasts arguably the coolest front man in UK, as Frank Carter’s first project since leaving Gallows comes in the form of the impeccable Pure Love. It’s an experience that the intimately sized Thekla will never forget, as guitarist Jim Carroll’s eclectic playing style sees him crowd surfing whilst executing a solo with absolute lucidity within the first half of the first song. Frank Carter continues his tradition of outrageous showmanship when he enters the crowd for a face to face sing along, which eventually leads to the singer strolling right to the back of the room to order a drink at the bar whilst still performing. I sadly had to (very, very reluctantly) leave to ensure my entry for Don Broco at the O2, but the impression this band made on me has left me desperate to catch them again as soon as possible.
Pure Love
So eleven hours after entering Bristol and it’s all coming to a close…but what a way to close as the breakout story of 2012, Don Broco quite rightfully headline Hit The Deck. I can’t really praise this band enough, as a few years ago they would have been lucky to sell out the odd show on their endless rounds of the toilet circuit. But following the release of their debut album “Priorities”, this is their time to shine. Opening with “Priorities”, the title track of their album, the immediate explosion of instrumental brilliance seamlessly flows into the band’s famous dance move, ‘the walk’ and front man Rob Damiani can’t help but smile as his opening lyrics are bellowed back at him in full force. It’s performances like this that provide undeniable proof that this band was made to headline the big stages. It’s also one of those situations where you feel like if you close your eyes it could well be their album being played through the speakers, as their extremely tight display both vocally and instrumentally captivated an incredible day in Bristol. Top marks to the organisers, top marks to the bands and top marks to the fans that showed up; it’s been a day I’ll always remember.
Words by George Fullerton
Photos by Ed Smith
