Posted on June 15, 2010 - by Editor

The Flatliners + Anti Vigilante + The Living Daylights

The Flatliners © Imelda Michalczyk

The Underworld
London, UK
Tuesday 8th June 2010

Canadian punk rockers The Flatliners are making a habit out of regularly returning to London, which is great news for fans of progressive yet spirited and quality punk rock! Thankfully the band also brings with it a new selection of UK based support bands on the Tuesday night, with both The Living Daylights and Anti Vigilante gaining some decent exposure from a near filled Underworld in the heart of Camden.

The Living Daylights are a band I have heard little about and the web adds little more to their mystery, but the four piece hail from mighty Lincoln, UK and play pretty decent post hardcore and melodic punk rock along the lines of “insert appropriate popular melodic punk band here”, the guitarists shirt revealing a clear admiration for The Gaslight Anthem. They are good though, so ignore my slight jest, but there are a number of bands who are playing the melodic inspired music, full of harmonies and tightly woven driving guitars with multi vocals. There seems to be  definite hint of Hot Water Music in their approach, a band that has spawned a legion of other bands, but The Living Daylights are tight, play energetic and catchy rocking punk, and cue their

gang harmonies with precision at times. They are writing a new record due in September which will be their second full length and it will be interesting to hear how that shapes up as there are enough positives on the night to suggest it could be good.

Anti Vigilante have been playing around for a while now and been building up some decent support slots, as the four piece from

The Living Daylights © Imelda Michalczyk

Milton Keynes deliver a hybrid skapunk mixture that sits somewhere between The Skints and Random Hand for UK fans with some urban influence aka Sonic Boom Six but still hold their own in identity. Josh on vocals and sax has a swagger and very much British vocal delivery, mixing between hardcore ska and rap whilst the guitarist Sean has honed the near perfect metal rock stance whilst fully focused on his playing and having fun. With their debut album “Secure Beneath the Watchful Eyes” released, their snotty skacore is full of energy but they also break into ska tunes and a bit of fast paced reggae to mix things up and play a good set to a crowd that might not be fully their cup of tea but appreciate their efforts.

The Flatliners open with frenzy and play faster than their records suggest which only enhances the fury and energy of their performance. With their latest record “Cavalcade” expressing their maturity and craft and also identifying unity in troubled times, the band  never seem to take anything for granted and continue to deliver for their fans, the bands own disbelief and appreciation etched across all of their expressions with each song. London seems to have a soft spot in the bands heart and the crowd have on each of the four occasions I have seen them perform in the capital warmed some and more to the Canadians brand of progressive, energetic and impassioned music. With their Canadian flag draped across the PA and the band identifying fans who have made the journey to see  them, coming from afar as Finland for the show, it’s clear to see The Flatliners have built a dedicated fan base and continue to do so.

Anti-Vigilante © Imelda Michalczyk

So what is it about the band exactly? Chris Creswell on guitar and lead vocals is not the most animated front-man but he delivers with such utter determination and passion, it’s difficult to knock the bands authentic appreciations and performance. While bassist John Darbey and guitarist Scott Brigham offer more of the visual energy and engagement during the songs, with drummer Paul Ramirez the instigator and engine that drives the intensity. With plenty of material coming off their previously well received release “The Great Awake”, songs such as ‘Mother Teresa Chokeslam’s The World’ and‘Mastering the World’s Smallest Violin’ the band also played a few pre show requests from their first releases which showed their ska-rock-reggae roots such as ‘Gullible’.

The moshpit was sweaty but the band and the crowd seemed to posses boundless energy although the crowd surfing was held in

The Flatliners © Imelda Michalczyk

reserve till near the end for the most, there was still the same intensity to all previous London shows for the band. Mid songs there was some banter from the guys, but more so mutual appreciation and at one point a ‘Billy Jean’ instrumental as some minor technical issues were addressed. The band doesn’t shy away from playing their new material either, with the crowd singing along in full voice; songs such as ‘Carry The Banner’, ‘Bleed’, ‘Monumental’ and ‘Count Your Bruises’ all standing out along with a track from their recently released EP “Cynics” called ‘407’.

Of course The Flatliners ends with a rousing rendition of “the song that broke them” in their singers own words, and as ‘Eulogy’ rang through the subterranean venue, a song that with such power and emotion brings a lump to the throat and simultaneously gives inspiration in the sense of living your days to the full, I do sincerely wonder whether The Flatliners are indeed one of their generations finest flag bearers for punk rock and shaping things to come.