Gallows are undoubtedly one of the biggest Hardcore/Punk bands to come out of the UK in the past few years, and deservedly so. They have become notorious for their live show over their career and it is always a treat to see such a well established band play. So I'm sure it is easy understand why I was a little shocked when I arrived to find a tiny queue outside the doors, five minutes before they were due to open on a Friday night.

The first band on were Bastions, and although there was good stuff going on in their sludgey hardcore tracks, their performance wasn't totally convincing. Not helped by a pretty terrible mix, the frontman seemed a little uncomfortable, and annoyingly the bassist played a large percentage of the set with his back to the audience. However, the songs were generally good (their 'Island Living' 7" is actually fantastic) and their set wasn’t a dead loss. Next up were Feed The Rhino who played an incredibly tight set. The whole band played their hearts out and showed that they weren’t just your average Hardcore band. The only shame was that, despite the frontman’s best efforts, the crowd would simply not get going.

Then it was Gallows, and everything changed. Suddenly, the room had packed out and the entrance music began. They opened with ‘The Riverbank’ and then ‘London is the Reason’, and carried on at full pelt for about an hour and twenty minutes. This set included ‘Stay Cold’, a track which they had never played live until now, and was an absolute treat to hear. What struck me seeing Gallows for the fourth time was how their attitude has changed. Don’t get me wrong, they still have the fuck you attitude that people fell in love with, but they seem somehow more appreciative of their position. Not only this, but Frank seemed like he was really enjoying being on stage, as well as acknowledging and thanking their truely dedicated fans.

On a personal note, Gallows are pretty much the reason I fell in love with Hardcore. Their live sets are as explosive as they have ever been, and if you get a chance to see them, then do. You won’t be disappointed. 

POS - Never Better

I love good Hip Hop. I'd almost go as far as saying it's one of my favourite genres. Trouble is, there really isn't that many good artists about these days (at least not that I know of). It seems that rappers are stuck in a rut, only writing about how ludicrously rich they are and making tracks that sound musically identical to everyone else's. So when I stumbled across POS, I couldn't believe my luck.

 

POS' album 'Never Better' isn't just good, it's stunning. POS made his first steps into music fronting Hardcore bands, but soon found his way into Hip Hop. This album conforms to none of the stereotypes that the genre seems so tied to these days with subject matters ranging from politics and government to the various struggles faced in life. POS delivers the vocal in such a way that only serves to further inspire. Musically, the album is diverse, with some tracks being dominated by distortion, rolling drums and feedback, whilst others feature trumpets, gospel style vocals and organs. The track 'Optimist' even features a beat produced with plastic cups, which definately embraces the idea that if it sounds good, then why not? Other tracks such as 'Get Smokes' and 'The Basics (Alright)' also use some very creative sampling techniques which give the tracks an experimental feel to them. Overall the album has a raw and edgey sound which harks back to some of the old Hip Hop ways, whilst incorporating a very Punk Rock attitude.

What is apparent when listening to this album is that POS is not scared of any idea, no matter how different it is to what everyone else is doing right now. He raps about what he feels and has experienced, and you can tell it's from the heart, which is a genuinely moving thing to listen to. And throughout the album not one mention of how rich he is, who he's shot or what drugs he's selling!

Listen to: 'Purexed' (I have to say, this song is one of my top 5 favourite songs of all time)

Sounds like: Inventive Hip Hop with Punk Rock attitude