Live review from Heavy #14:
1. North to North
2. Sucks To Be U
3. Pills (Slow)
4. Follow The Steps
5. I Don’t Care
6. Red Rings
After Weeper was forced to pull out of Heavy #14, they nominated chums Bang City to fill the event’s third billing. While the band they replaced are known for their brutal live performances, Bang City and their more emo/alternative sound had to try to entertain an audience of metallers. “We’ll try to be as heavy as possible,” said lead singer Greg Farrell to any punters fearing their eardrums might not get quite the desired beating.
With a post-hardcore sound harking back to the raw roots of Brand New and Modest Mouse, and songwriting drawing upon the heartfelt, kitchen sink meanderings of The Front Bottoms and Modern Baseball, Bang City’s songs played out like a teenager’s diary – filled with longing and observational humour. Meanwhile, Farrell’s idiosyncratic performing style fell somewhere between a histrionic housewife and a toddler tantrum. Wide-eyed and barking into the mic, he led into the show with North To North, a fast melee of punk guitar, crashing drums and rumbling bass from new member Jared.
“We like to joke this one’s off the Clueless soundtrack,” Farrell said, introducing Sucks To Be U. After wearing himself out jumping to the song’s ’90s throwback guitar, he introduced Pills as “a slow song”, performed like an evangelic sermon over angsty Get Up Kids music. Frustrated, uneasy guitar defined Follow The Steps, while its lyrics played out like half of an argument heard through the walls. Loud closer Red Rings was the loud, upbeat finish that won the room’s everlasting seal of approval in a diverse night of rock.
– El Jay
