DEAD SWANS Live @ The Joiners, Southampton, 11/01/2010

For a dreary Monday evening the Joiners is surprisingly full, and the anticipation for the line-up tonight is noticeable. After arriving a little late (oops), the first band that I saw hit the stage were Southampton’s own Kerouac who ripped through a short and fast set of their thrash inspired hardcore. Watch out for their debut release in February, released by Ebb and Flow records, these guys are definitely going places.
Before Boston’s The Carrier even kick off their set the front of the venue begin warming up to throw some shapes in the pit. While I have a certain distaste for “hardcore dancing” it’s great to see a crowd who are actually moving, all too often the atmosphere at smaller shows can be ruined due to people standing back and observing cross armed. The energy The Carrier display is infectious, and their melodic tinged hardcore even influences a couple of reckless individuals to stage dive. Despite their sound seeming rather formulaic, a couple of songs displaying nothing that separates them from the last, they clearly have a love and passion for their music which is just as important as pushing any musical boundaries.
Dead Swans headline the show and give the impression that they’d put in 110% whether playing to 10 people or 10,000. Lead singer Nicholas bounding about the stage, thrusting the mic in the faces of those shouting along. Playing a mix of songs from their debut EP and recently released album. The UK needs more bands like Dead Swans that play passionately and sound vital both on record and in a live setting. On the evidence of their performance tonight there’s no reason they can’t reach the same heights as such bands as Gallows.