Written By: NICK ASHTON
Photos By: NICK ASHTON
The By Design Tour rolled into Sheffield offering up some tasty treats on a triple header designed to get your pulse racing and bile rising in equal measures. Featuring a different local support band on each date, tonight’s crowd at The Corp were treated to local alternative grunge maestros DeadBlondeStars who set the tone for the night with their dark, brooding intensity. Opening with 11 Teeth, it’s clear that we are in for both an aural and physical pummelling as the brutal riff at the heart of the song kicks hard before Gary Walker’s soaring vocals cut through the wall of sound created by his bandmates. It is quite obvious that DBS embrace the Seattle sound; however they filter it through the Steel City experience to produce an instantly recognisable grunge vibe underpinned by modern rock sensibilities. With only 30 minutes to hammer home their message, the band quickly move on to This Tree, which has a slower paced dream-like quality, before upping the ante with Worlds Apart. The riffing, courtesy of twin guitarists Tom Gratton and Oliver Thompson, sounds like two tectonic plates grinding against each other while bassist Matt Simons batters any survivors of this seismic activity into submission. The only member who belies the underlying good nature of the band is drummer Jaimie Machon who smiles throughout the night and steadfastly refuses to conform to the none more black dress code. Nonetheless the drumming pummels, kicking harder than an ornery mule as exemplified by Shine Any Light and Tiny Giants. All too soon the end of the set approaches in the form of A Friend Like You. This song encapsulates all that you need to know about DBS: soaring, passionate vocals over a grinding wall of riffing intensity which overwhelms the senses and draws you deep into the belly of the beast. Best experienced with the volume tuned up to 11, DBS will banish your everyday woes.
Tonight is my first experience of James Kennedy and the Underdogs, and it quickly becomes apparent why they are a good fit for this tour. James shares the same anger over political corruption and abuse of power that drives Amongst Liars. The set is constructed around 2020’s Make Anger Great Again album, which takes a punk-fuelled swipe at populist politicians on both sides of the Atlantic, provoking outrage from their right wing fan-base upon its release at the beginning of the pandemic. While things might have changed for the better recently here, it looks like the USA is gearing up for another chaotic Trump presidency so Kennedy’s anger remains relevant. And what a joy that anger is: kicking off an incendiary set with Mind Revolution we are quickly left in no doubt where the barbs are aimed and who should be held accountable for the state of the world. Autopsy has a funkier undertone, but still reveals a social conscience that takes a swipe at zero hours contracts and tax-avoiding billionaires. Ghosts is somewhat mellower, musically at least, which then leads into the grungy, distorted Outragers. We Fight Dirty has a suitably filthy swagger and a shout-along earworm chorus that refuses to vacate your brain. The sleazy riff really works its way under your skin and refuses to leave, like a parasite burrowing inside you. If politics is not your thing, fear not because you can enjoy the Prince-inspired funk of Algorhythm, the introspective Struggles and the alt-rock of Behind These Lies at face value for the things of beauty that they are. So to the close of the set and a rabble rousing The Power. Reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine both musically and lyrically, this is a call to arms for the disenfranchised and disaffected. Who wants a revolution, indeed.
So to the main focus of the night. Amongst Liars have steadfastly done things their own way; wearing their hearts on their sleeves they have not compromised their beliefs to placate those who think that musicians should stay out of politics. Indeed, they have become increasing angry, not just about the last 14 years of Tory government but also about bullying, domestic violence and mental health. Their 2022 self-titled debut album demonstrated that they are a force to be reckoned with and now By Design, released on 4 July with perfect timing to coincide with the rejection of the Tories, sees them raise the stakes even further. To celebrate both the album and the change at Westminster, the band are hitting the road for the 7-date By Design Tour. Expectations are high as the band hit the stage and launch into the frantic You Are Not A Slave. Vocalist Ian George spits out the lyrics, which attack bullying in the workplace, with real venom while Leo Burdett’s buzz-saw guitar sounds like an angry wasp. Before you have chance to draw breath, new addition to the band keyboardist James Brummeo kicks off Vice with some dance flavoured fills before the guitar kicks in once more. Although less frenetic, lyrically this still kicks hard as does The Shameful which opens with a plaintive howl from Ian who paces the stage constantly, giving the song every ounce of his energy as he verbally eviscerates gaslighting politicians. Unexpectedly, we are then treated to a preview of album 3 in the form of new song Story which shows that although the band are already thinking ahead, they have not changed their sound radically from the formula that has been successful so far.
Ready For This? and Alibi both feel cinematic in their scope: the stage at The Corp is not big enough to contain the soundscapes that are being painted. Then it’s time for a change of pace in the form of Drown, which is a very personal song about dealing with loss and its impact on mental health. Ian leads the song on an acoustic guitar, before Leo picks up and expands the main riff. The song is mellower than the bulk of their material; but the dynamic interplay between gentler verses and wide expansive choruses works really well. After that we return to a more aggressive approach tackling the impact of domestic violence in the form of Cut It. The bass riff set up by Ross Towner insinuates its way into your head and angrily buzzes away trying to escape, before the huge chorus swells up as Ian spits out his contempt for the abuser. Centre piece of the debut album and a song which defines Amongst Liars’ contempt for the Tory government, Black Days is fast and fierce. By now shirtless, drummer Adam Oarton is a powerhouse at the back of the stage smashing out the huge drum sound that underpins this frenetic blast of energy.
And so to the final climax of the set. Mind builds slowly until it erupts with yet another huge chorus which overloads the senses and draws you ever deeper into the music. Title track By Design also starts gently before an explosion of sound washes over you, ebbing and flowing as it recedes for the verses and then bursts back into life in the chorus. Truly magnificent stuff which really deserves to be heard on far bigger stages than tonight’s compact offering. Then all too soon it is the end of the set in the form of Wolf Machine: while aimed firmly at the previous occupants of Downing Street, this call to arms is so powerful that it cannot be ignored and needs to be heard. Amongst Liars continue to fly the flag for the disaffected, the overlooked and the angry underbelly of society. Their music is loud and aggressive, yet thoughtful and thought-provoking at the same time, showing just how far modern rock music has advanced. Jump on board and enjoy the ride of your life.
