THE ST. PIERRE SNAKE INVASION
The Croft, Bristol | April 27th
In the wake of the news that The Croft – one of Bristol’s best loved alternative music venues and scene of a million drunken anecdotes and life-changing evenings of musical chaos – is set to close, the city has learned to cherish these few remaining opportunities to savour its unique charm.
One of the Bristol’s most intriguing prospects with a fierce live reputation, tonight The St. Pierre Snake Invasion take over the venue in the name of their second EP, a hugely impressive effort entitled Everyone’s Entitled To My Opinion. Having assembled an extensive and varied line-up of local talent to the effect of almost a mini-festival, tonight feels like an impeccably-timed celebration of what Bristol has to offer, as well as a reminder of what made this venue such a vital part of the city’s musical landscape.
We arrive in time for The Break Out, whose ludicrously energetic and confrontational hardcore punk assult has people craning their necks outside the door of The Croft’s packed second room. When we manage to somehow creep our way through a gap, we’re able to pick out glimpses of limbs and instruments and frantic gestures amidst the disarray. With their focused moments recalling Refused at their most upfront, these guys are fully committed and joyfully brutal.
Billed as Special Guests, the perennially dapper Idles stride on to the sound of Two Tone, its dynamic interplay as moody and powerful as ever while interlocking top end guitars summon more intensity that the sum of their parts. They feed off the energy of a densely-populated Croft main room, the rigidity of the rhythms finding their counterpoint in bursts of controlled noise and clenched vocals. When they pare it down on the stunning 26/27, they have the room rapt. Closing with a frantic Meydei, considerably faster than on record, it’s a suitably powerful showing from one of the most assured bands in the city.
It’s back to Room Two, where Yes Rebels’ stylish, classy soul ‘n’ roll indie offers a change of pace and a timeless, nourishing richness of tone. Over the course of 30 minutes they merge classic major loud/quiet/loud progressions with almost surfy shuffles, all made possibly by seriously accomplished musicianship.
To the main event. From the off, St. Pierre Snake Invasion vocalist Damien Sayell takes his position in the crowd, an invigorating presence, all crotch and hair, while his band of beards and bile thunder away onstage. His clean, searing scream cuts effortlessly through SPSA’s mulchy, halftime grooves and erratic double-speed breaks. Say No To Stop Motion, the EP’s closing and possibly finest moment, sees Sayell balanced atop the hands of the audience before flinging himself backwards into its titanic drop. The mid-paced slugger Encore! Encore! is a juicy bastard that’s hip-shaking and eye-socket-smashing in equal measures. It could go on for an hour and you’d still be impulsively dragging you head down to your chest. The warped, metallic rhythms of first EP Flesh meld seamlessly into the sordid Rocket From The Crypt party jams of the new material.
Having taken flight from the room’s highest speaker stack, Sayell reclaims his place in the front row. As he stands unyielding in the midst of the bedlam, microphone held tight to his torso and staring at an empty spot in the distance, it’s just fucking magic. The band’s set culminates in Last Words Of A Bent Cop, complete with stage invasion and the bratty, youthful mantra of “I wish I was as good as Razorlight”. Sayell proudly, genuinely declares this to be the best night of his life. We wouldn’t go quite that far, but as DIY punk rock shows in the most sublimely grubby venue in town go, it just doesn’t get much better than this.
– – – – – – – – – –
Words and Photo: Geraint Davies
CONNECT TO CRACK
