Source: Promo Image
When two bands who are just on the cusp of getting widespread attention from across the board go on tour together it creates a sense of excitement like no other. The fact that both nights of the Heck and Black Peaks shows at The Boston Music Rooms were sold out is a testament to just how much people want to see a show with the potential to be this exciting.
First up were London natives Bad Sign, bringing some heartfelt post-hardcore straight out of Croydon. Although the vocal quality through the speakers could have done with a bit of cleaning up, it was clear from the sights on stage that bassist/ vocalist Joe Appleford was really giving it the beans. Bad Sign sounded huge for a three piece, and considering the kind of company they were playing with tonight, threw themselves around (and off) the stage exactly as much as they needed to. It’s clear from their music why they are touring with a band like Black Peaks and from their display why they’re playing with Heck. Many people are already making a lot of noise about Bad Sign, and off the back of their performances here it is plain to see why.
Some people feared for Black Peaks when first they announced that they would be out on tour with Heck. “Surely their live show can’t compare?” they cried. At Download and Wembley we had Black Peaks the rock stars; at The Boston Music Rooms we had Black Peaks the sweaty kids ready to blow the place apart. Maybe it’s because they’ve already played shows with Heck before this point but Black Peaks certainly got more vicious since we last saw them, and a heck of a lot louder (get it?). The singalongs to songs like ‘Say You Will‘ and ‘Hang ‘Em High‘ were outrageously massive, and the band playing and frontman Will Gardner singing note perfect only added to the already heightened euphoria of the occasion. It is almost a shame that Black Peaks are going to make more music because then they might stop playing songs like ‘White Eyes‘ and other bangers they have under their belt. Though their show was spot-on, Black Peaks are a band who are made for made for shows far bigger than this one, which is not something we could say about the next band…
Source: PR
By now you will probably have heard tales of the utter mayhem that is a Heck live show. Let us assure you that those are more than founded. From Matt Reynolds ending up on the merch desk, behind the bar and outside, to Johnny Hall ripping a table out of the seating area and breaking the decking, to the crowd losing their fucking minds in the most explosive way, Heck brought utter carnage to The Boston Music Rooms. Clearly the four-piece have never heard the term “fire hazard”.
Heck should never play big venues. They should just do shows like this until the end of time itself; shows in a room full of sweaty punks tearing the place apart to ragers like ‘Good As Dead‘ and ‘The Great Hardcore Swindle‘. It did feel like some of the crowd’s energy was lost to the end of 16-minute epic ‘See The Old Lady Decently Buried Although Among Those Left Are You‘, but that may well have just been tiredness after a couple of hours raging.
This tour, this show, and these band, are all unqualified successes. We need more tours like this – three young, upcoming British bands touring together and showing the UK just how exciting our scene can be if you just look in the right places.
