Posted on April 4, 2010 - by Editor

Strung Out + Random Hand + Vanilla Pod + The Human Project

Random Hand © Imelda Michalczyk

The Underworld
Camden London, UK
Wednesday 31st March 2010

The Human Project who have been filling the support bill on many recent tours through London and the UK to date have not impressed upon me. Now with Ex Random Hand drummer and taking up bassist duties for the band, Joe Dimuantes has a potential awkward evening ahead with his former band higher on the bill, thankfully all relationships still seem positive. Although the crowd is much enlarged to previous times I have seen them pla,y due to Strung Out headlining more than anything else, the band does sound better but I still don’t walk away from their set feeling any more positive or excited. They play melodic punk rock and use the driving guitars and songs to build momentum and its good, but not spine tingling stuff.

Vanilla Pod are a name I recognize and on further research I am a little embarrassed I haven’t seen them play before. They appear to be stalwarts in the UK scene, forming in 1995 and released their 5th record last year, with members plying their wares in Billy No Mates, Goober Patrol and the Toy Dolls. They are influenced by the skate/surf punk sound and play it pretty damn well, with echoes of Pulley, Good Riddance and Strung out coming through for me. The tempo of the set is spoiled somewhat by too much banter but they are at ease on stage, full of confidence and cheekiness and the songs are great. Overall I’m really impressed and keen to check out

Vanilla Pod © Imelda Michalczyk

their recent release and keep an eye out for future shows.

Random Hand, with the fore mentioned departure of their drummer, has a new man in place and their recent break seems to have renewed their focus and energies. I have seen the band play a number of times, but tonight they seem to be having as much fun and energy as I have seen. Front man Robin in his witty humour, managing to get a good reaction with his banter emphasising the bands Yorkshireness work ethic and friendliness. Crowd (and personal) favourites ‘Play Some Ska’ and ‘Anger Management’ are great and the crowd embraces the metalcore ska hybrid with great enthusiasm in the pit.  The band also offer glimpses of a record to come with new material and with the band sounding as fine tuned and refreshed as they do, all sounds promising.

The Underworld is pretty rammed by the time the Californians Strung Out come to the stage for their final UK show of the tour. It’s a band I always enjoy listening to when their music comes on but I can’t claim to be a massive fan; tonight they play a blinding, passionate and sweaty show which only raises my respect for them. The guitarists are so skilled and the sound fusing punk rock and metal with full of guitar driven solos and frontman Jason Cruz engaging so easily with the crowd while giving it all on the stage, sweat drenched and often kneeling on the stage floor, head down and lungs bursting. The band all dressed in black receive a chaotic circle pit of appreciation as the small venue erupts to band classics ‘Alien Amplifier’, ‘Cult Of The

Strung Out © Imelda Michalczyk

Subterranean’ and more recent tunes from recent records “Blackhawks Over Los Angeles” and “Agents Of The Underground”.

The bassist Chris Aiken has a lot of fun between songs playing with the reverb on the microphones, shouting out loud and musing at his own stoned state through the mic. There is in truth not too much chat but when Jason does engage, he asks for stories from a fan he has pulled on stage, actively encourages the constant crowd diving from the stage and talks crap with some fan about the new record and promises he made last time they were in town.

The final song pre encore is an amazing version of “Matchbox” sung back in unison by the crowd and is one of those songs that just raises the bar on any evening when the chorus comes though. I leave at that point but have really enjoyed the headliners show and it will probably make me go home and pick through my old Fat Wreck compilations from the 90’s and earlier Strung Out records with greater appreciation with the lyrics ”Don’t Look Back at anger” ringing through my head.