Your Demise w/ letlive. and Grader.
The last time St Albans hardcore mob Your Demise rolled in to Aberdeen, they done so without a drummer, resulting in a rather underwhelming set which was shorter than those in support before them. Aiming to banish that disappointment that surely still lingers in the minds of those who adore the band here, they bring along post-hardcore’s most talked about band, letlive., just to add a little bit more chaos to the evening.
Before the touring groups get the chance to strut their stuff, local hardcore heroes Grader. get a pop at kicking up a fuss, much to the delight of their die-hard faithful who are amongst the most unapologetically loyal Aberdeen has seen. The quintet are as tight as they come, and they need to be, because visually, they struggle to conjure much excitement. It just lacks any element of surprise, and when you’ve witnessed the live show before, it starts to get dull to watch. A tight set from a band who have worked hard over the years, but it must be said that the live formula needs tweaked a little bit. Regardless, expect big things to come from these guys in 2012. (6)
There’s something massively inspiring about L.A.’s letlive.. Whether it’s for the love of what they do for a living, or just an unwavering determination to spread their music to the masses, they just never seem to stay in the same city for more than 24 hours. Whilst some bands from the States don’t feel the need to venture further north than Glasgow, this is the second time in just over a month the group have visited Aberdeen, and if that’s not testament to their enthusiasm to tour then I don’t know what is. Tonight they seem slightly more subdued than they have been in the past, but they are still more abrasive, unpredictable and plain nuts than the rest of the bands on the line up tonight, and you just feel that there’s a natural flow about letlive.’s performance these days. Simply sublime. (8)
The excitement emanating through the room by the time Your Demise take to the stage is undeniable, and with the opening of ‘MMX’ ripping in to ‘Miles Away’, the faithful fans at the front of the stage are whipped in to a frenzy that lasts for the duration of the bands set. Despite their being a lack of depth to the crowd in the front rows, the fans lap up the constant requests from the ever-present Ed McRae to stage dive at every given opportunity, which, being a rather intriguing sight, makes it a bit difficult at times to keep your eye on the band bouncing around on stage. Your Demise are a formidable force when they take to the stage, and have continued to grow with every tour they take part in, which makes this performance one that keeps smiles on faces long after the closing note resonates around the room. Naturally, the set list leans heavily on the bands latest abum The Kids We Used To Be, but classics such as ‘Burnt Tongues’ and ‘Nothing Left But Regret’ incite carnage on the floor. A cameo appearance from letlive.’s Jason Aalon Butler keeps things fresh towards the closing section of the bands set, but typically, the best is saved for last as the band thrash out ‘The Kids We Used To Be’ to a battered and bruised collective of fans who, not for the first time, walk away from Cafe Drummond with the opinion that Your Demise are just about the damn finest British hardcore band to find success in quite a long time. (9)
