Fucked Up at the Monto Water Rats

Fucked Up at the Monto Water Rats

28 July, 2008
by: Domzig

Have you ever been really, really excited about something and then when the time comes it doesn’t live up to expectation? I have. It used to happen to me every Christmas.

It happened again last night, at what promised to be one of the best gigs of the year. I mean when a night has a line-up that features Lovvers, The Shitty Limits and Fucked Up, how could it fail, right?

Much touted London thrash kids Fuckshovel are the first band on, and despite there only being 10 people present in the room they really lay into it. For their part I can see what all the hype is about. Whilst looking like a quartet of ageing heshers, they make music that is sort of how I imagine Sepultura to be if they were into The Exploited in a big way.

It may be the heat, but the atmosphere continues to be a bit naff. Shitty Limits are next and launch into a typically energetic set that should have the whole place going utterly nuts, but falls a bit flat. Lovvers suffer the same fate, although their brain melting art-hardcore does manage to get a lady from Ireland and an ex-wrestler from Cov to dance. It’s a bit of a shame really, as both bands make music that utterly destroys and really deserve better.

Fucked Up have to be the most a-typical hardcore band out there: they have a guy who looks like a crazed hockey fan on vocals, a guitarist and bassist who just stand there and look bored, and an ability to crack jokes through a set rather than just spout tough guy Vogelism’s like ‘ Level 7 stage dive activate’ and ‘I need total airborne destruction’.

It’s quite refreshing to see a band that seems to regard the entire of punk history with utter disregard, and tonight they completely save the day with a set of songs that barrel along without any pointless noodling or intentional breaks and build ups. By about the third song everybody in the whole room is dancing and singing along.

They finish with a cover of Black Flag's 'Nervous Breakdown' that causes a small riot, and leaves people rushing outside at the show's climax to gasp for air. I swear there is not one drop of moisture left in my body by the time I find myself back on the humid London streets.

OK, so it was a little disappointing, but completely worth it to see a band so completely on top of their game.


Click here to see all London punk.
Click here to see all London live music.
Click here for things to do in Kings Cross.

Domzig