#360Raw12 is back for its twelfth show and first of 2020. This time organisers have pulled together a bill made up of some earlier favourites. Topping the four band bill is Fudge. who, as they have proved, are quite capable of selling out this venue in their own right.
By the time the opening band The Harriets have bounded onto the stage, the room is full to capacity. The Harriets take full advantage of that putting on the kind of set that this evening needs to kick off with. Songs like “Harry” and opener “Television” are cheerful slices of alt-pop and leave everyone with a smile on their faces.
Things don’t quite go according to plan for Leeds duo Teeff. Inside a few seconds guitarist Alex has broken a string just as the pair hit their stride. That little incident aside, for the rest of the set, the pair pummel through their noisy tunes and certainly add a heavier element to the proceedings. For some bands an early derailment like the one Teeff suffered would have taken the shine off the rest of the set. However, in the case of Teeff, the duo laugh it off giving the impression that this kind of chaos is just the norm.
Judging by the number of kids shifting forward to the stage, local sextet Sir Curse have a lot of fans in the room. A theatrical elements adds another layer to their nu-metal/alt-metal/alt-rock hybrid and, in vocalist Lyndsay, the band have themselves an interesting, theatrical focal point. Ending their set with new single, “Graphite”, the band added a quirky twist to the night and were the perfect appetizer for the headliners.
As for the headliners, what you can say about the Leeds band that hasn’t already been written? Perfectly described by one outlet as “like a hand grenade going off in a bin”, the volatile nature of their live show has turned them into one of the most exciting up and coming bands doing the rounds. As frontman Cam makes his entrance from the bar and through a heaving moshpit, you know this is going to be another one of those legendary nights.
In fact, rowdy doesn’t even come close to describing their set. The sold-out crowd bounce around the room as the Leeds band smash through the likes of their cover of The Chats “Smoko”. Elsewhere Fudge. favourites like “Walrus” and “Testify” are as potent as ever. Honestly, if it wasn’t for the stage, you get the feeling that this could be utter carnage. Cam spends more time in the crowd than on the stage while new bassist Tom is grinning from ear to ear. As it is, the band are on fire and even a broken pedal doesn’t knock them off their path.
The chaos and unpredictability of their live show is captivating to watch and leaves more than a lasting memory. The night ends with Fudge. sticking two fingers up to the commercial music scene when they depart with “Not A Threat Just A Warning”. They leave behind them a room strewn with battered, sweat-soaked bodies having fired a warning shot to the rest of the country who really do need to sit up and take notice.
Photo copyright Graham Finney
