Live Review from Christmas Chaos:
1. Mineral (Pallisades)
2. Justice
3. Train
4. This is what I want
5. Black Sheep
6. Undefeated
7. Steadfast
8. 1st Rule
FightxClub at The Underground: A Hardcore Finale to Remember
Closing out the night with explosive energy, FightxClub brought their brand of hardcore punk to The Underground. The excitement began even before they played a note, as the guitarist set up his Hello Kitty-themed guitar, drawing laughs and cheers from the crowd. Despite being introduced as a metalcore band, their hardcore punk sound quickly took over the room, amplified by the loyal fans who were ready to throw down.
Starting strong, FightxClub opened with a cover of Pallisades’ Mineral. The crowd immediately recognized the iconic intro, and within minutes, two-steppers were grooving despite the venue’s cramped space. Unfortunately, the Hello Kitty guitar faced some technical issues, but the band powered through unfazed.
The second track, Justice, roared to life with a fierce intro and showcased the commanding presence of the vocalist. His energy was infectious as he hyped up the crowd, who enthusiastically joined in for gang vocal “woah”s that filled the room.
Next came Train, a fan favourite with a solid beatdown groove that had the two-steppers going full throttle. Despite the venue’s limitations, the crowd didn’t hold back, creating a chaotic yet spirited mosh pit that embodied the hardcore scene.
This Is What I Want followed with its punky verses and thrashy breakdown, ramping up the intensity even further. By the time the band launched into Black Sheep, a blisteringly fast track, the pit expanded as more fans joined in the fray.
Undefeated turned the energy up to eleven. The vocalist’s repeated chants of “Undefeated!” became a rallying cry, uniting the crowd in a deafening chant. The mosh pit reached its peak, with even older audience members surprising everyone by jumping into the action.
The night’s emotional high came with Steadfast, a classic FightxClub song that had fans singing along to every word. As the chorus swelled, the scene turned unexpectedly heartwarming—fans hugged each other, sharing a moment of camaraderie amidst the chaos.
FightxClub ended their set with 1st Rule, a nod to their band name and a fitting conclusion to their high-energy performance. The track’s blistering pace opened the pit one last time, and by the end, the entire venue was a sweaty, exhilarated mess. Any memory of the chilly air outside had been replaced by the heat and adrenaline coursing through the crowd.
FightxClub’s performance was a relentless, no-holds-barred showcase of hardcore punk at its finest, leaving everyone in the room pumped and craving more. They might have been the last band of the night, but they ensured the evening ended on an unforgettable high.
-Sherman Leung
Live review from Heavy 17:
1. Justice
2. 1st rule
3. Train
4. This is what I want
5. Stand strong
6. Steadfast
7. Palisade (cover)
It was a night of loud bands, but none as noisy as FightxClub. The hardcore quartet drove their genre to its limits with seven abrasive songs. Channelling aggressive acts like Hatebreed and Terror, the band were the only act of the night to incite moshing.
The delivery style of frontman “The Fight” used cracked vocal yelps interspersed with belching growls, in a similar vein as Suicide Silence on songs like Train. His voice grew to anguished screams on This Is All I Want, over fast, pulsing bass and a simple metal riff. The drummer hammered his snare as cymbals rang out, before guitarist The Means broke into a rapid, finger-tapped solo in a metalcore breakdown. Stand Strong channelled Funeral for a Friend’s She Drove Me to Daytime Television in hoarse yells and punk-inspired guitar. All members jumped around and headbanged to some heavy rhythm: the bass was tuned so low that the slack strings bobbled and gurgled.
Brutalist drums, grunting bass, furious barks and guitar revving like a muscle car defined Steadfast. The Fight started a chant of “fight fight fight”, encouraging further violence, before indulging in some pretty pop punk “woahhhs” to get everyone singing. Final song Palisade began with what sounded like metal’s answer to Blondie’s Call Me on the guitar. The high-song signed off a lean, mean, testosterone-fuelled set, confirming the irreverent FightxClub as a force to be reckoned with on the Hong Kong hardcore scene.
– El Jay
FightxClub四名成員黎自及時雨、無價寶、遊蕩等唔同嘅樂隊,算得上係一隊supergroup。佢地嘅風格無疑係荔枝王一代傳承落黎嘅香港hardcore,音階低、節奏快、活力十足。主音Liam閉上雙眼,由頭到尾都係沙啞嘅screamo,完全冇回過氣。
FightxClub玩得最精彩嘅一首歌,無疑係改編自荔枝王嘅「Stand Strong」,可想而知呢隊老牌樂隊對香港獨立音樂嘅影響力有幾大。呢首歌非常適合現場表演,鼓手以片刻停頓操控觀眾嘅情緒,主音一開始獨自一個吶喊,然後係成隊樂隊突來嘅爆發,前排嘅觀眾,全程都跟住拍子跳。四人喺一片「We want more! 」嘅呼聲下,玩咗歇斯底里嘅七首歌。
– Elson Tong