Live review from Underground Afterburn:
1. Kangaroo Jack
2. Southside kings
3. We got your back
4. HARDTIMES
5. SLIP
6. Down since day one
7. NEVER
8. Before finding myself dead
9. Speak my mind
10.Laguna Hardcore
I started my musical journey as a guitar player from San Francisco back in the mid 1970-1980’s. This was during the heyday of LA’s famed Sunset Strip, with all the soon to be famous hard rock clubs (Whiskey-A-GoGo, Starwood, Gazarrari’s, Cathouse), where all the soon to be famous hard rock bands were honing their craft (Motley, Guns, Van Halen, etc.)
So I’m up in San Francisco, occasionally going down to LA to try and stay up on all the new stuff happening, so that we would not fall behind, and become yesterday’s news before we even had our 15 minutes of fame. As part of this search for the new, newest, newer, we were looking to Europe for who were the latest greats new bands to copy.
But for me, it was never, ever heavy enough. You would hear Ozzy, Van Halen, AC/DC, Whitesnake, but for me, it was always lacking. Never loud enough, never hard enough, never heavy enough. And the lyrics and music content was all about partying, chicks, drugs, alcohol, etc. The content did not ever contain the values and morals of loving your brother, and caring and compassion, and kindness.
So last Saturday night, as I begin to watch the PILEDRIVER set at Orange Peel, I had this amazing cosmic flashback to the beginning of my musical playing career, and it all made sense. Back then, in the 1970’s-90’s, this wonderful heavy music fused with love your brother type lyrical themes just were not ready to happen yet. But it is now, and it is PILEDRIVER!
The music and lyrics of PILEDRIVER are the personification of hardcore in its purist roots, essence and form. Musically a bit similar to Rage Against The Machine, but that is an unfair comparison, because they are unique to themselves.
It is hard, heavy, syncopated, straightforward, complex, aggressive, rhythmic, loud, passionate and from the heart. What Piledriver sing about is deep and meaningful. And the messages I heard from this band moved me so much. Don’t fold to peer pressure, don’t fold to all the temptations of the world, live your life right, stop your mistakes BEFORE they happen, live to die for your family, never hurt or harm the ones you love, be an outstandingly good man, treat your mate life ever moment with them may be your last, live humility.
All the things important in this life.
And the difference with Piledriver is that it’s all positive energy. It is not about death and gangs and guns and hate!
To summarise, PILEDRIVER is one of, if not the best hardcore style bands I have seen live. And their musical message is so humble and kind and compassionate! I love you guys, and you will always be my brothers and stay in my heart!
– Gregory Tancer
Live review from Piledriver and Blunt Concept “Break the Boundaries” Tour in Hong Kong:
Setlist:
1. Pile Driver
2. St Rosa City
3. The Game
4. We got your back
5. Hardtimes
6. Slip
7. Down since Day one
8. Southside Kings
9. Uprising
10. Between the lines
11. Never
12. What we stand for
13. Laguna Hardcore
And finally the night is closed out by Pile Driver who categorizes themselves as “Laguna Style”… No 100% sure what that really means, but Pile Driver for sure are quite different from Shepherds the Weak and Blunt Concept… They are more a combination of punk and metal than just a pure metal band… It’s hard to finger what they really sound like as there are bits of Agnostic Front, Limp Bizkit and possible a tad of Rage Against the machine… So I guess Laguna style is taking ingredients from different bands, sticking them in a mosh pit and then out pops Pile Driver, Laguna Style!!!
Their set is tight and their stage performance is definitely animated to a punk extreme… They are mental but I like that, tracks like “Never” are real hardcore punk and given the right venue and crowd it would be easy to imagine stage diving and serious moshing and more…
— Rob Ascough
