Tasked with opening proceedings on this night, a celebration of Life Of Agony’s 1993 Album “River Runs Red”, was Tarah Who?. There was quite a bit to like here from the notable grunge, punk & blues elements to the absolute shift put in by Tarah’s bassist and drummer. They epitomised what a backing band should do, giving Tarah a tightly knit canvas to showcase what her music is all about. At times I couldn’t help but think that the work put in on the bass gave it a feeling of being a lead guitar, playing passages that were completely unique to that of the work on guitar, whilst not at all stealing the spotlight. I’ll always champion the bass as being the unsung hero of any band – and this was why. It was just a shame that the Manchester Club Academy was relatively empty during this set as there was some seriously cool takeaways to be had from this performance and Tarah Who? Is a project I'll certainly keep an eye on in the future.

When written down on paper, Madball are a band that has me and my taste in music written all over it. Anything that combines the words “New York” and “Hardcore” is an instant winner in my book, yet me and Madball have never crossed paths, until tonight. It took me literally 30 seconds to think to myself “why the hell have I never got onto these before”. This set was simply phenomenal. This band reeked of energy and ferocity that hit every single person inside the Manchester Club Academy in the gut. Frontman Freddy Cricien left no inch of the stage untouched as he bounced around regaling some of the tightest and most technically sound Hardcore I've heard in some time. There was a sense of irony in this as Hardcore isn’t meant to be technically sound, it is meant to be gritty, messy and just outright unhinged. There was rhyme and reason hidden within the band’s sound that can be picked apart and dissected; all whilst staying true to the DIY ruthlessness that hardcore is renowned for.

The reason I love Hardcore so much is that, as mentioned in my previous reviews, I am a huge lover of 90’s Hip Hop, especially that which came out of the East Coast in the early to mid 90’s. There is an underlying crossover between that of Hardcore and Hip Hop both in themes and lyrical flow and by the fact that these two genres of music were born and bred on the streets; you only need to listen to the Biohazard & Onyx collaboration “Judgement Night” to understand why this two genres are so perfect for each other. After doing a deep dive into the interests of Madball vocalist Freddy Ciricien, it is obvious that he has an undying respect to Hip Hop making multiple references to how Hip Hop shaped his life growing up. The point of this tangent is that Madball truly nailed the best of both worlds with their music and it is why it resonated so much with me. Ciriciens flow was every bit raw as it was perfectly articulated. In conclusion, this was one of them sets that was just too short especially as there were so many perfectly intertwined elements that I just couldn’t get enough of, I simply didn’t want it to end.

Sometimes a band comes along takes you by complete surprise to the point where you just have to take a minute to just stand there, gather your thoughts and take in what you have just witnessed. Life of Agony are that band. 

Whilst admittedly unfamiliar with both the band and their critically acclaimed 1993 album, “River Runs Red”, it takes approximately 3 songs to understand why such a body of work holds a special place in so many people’s hearts. From the get go, lead vocalist Mina Caputo and co delivered a performance that every bit was as intense as it was euphoric and beautifully personal. You could literally see the adolescent spirit of the somewhat older crowd unravel in front of your very eyes, as songs from their youth were being performed. Each individual in the crowd would have had their own stories to tell about their experience with this album as they all came together in a blissful harmony that turned this from a show into an almost spiritual gathering. It was this magic and beauty that made me an immediate lover of Life Of Agony, as I've yet to experience a band 30 years into their careers elicit such an authentic youthful exuberance from their devoted followers.

On a technical level, what struck me most about Life of Agony was the sheer amount of groove they put into their live sound. Every beat, every note, every word of every song was delivered with such pinpoint accuracy to a level which transcends that of what you hear in their recorded sound. Whilst this made the flow of the tracks seem somewhat predictable, you couldn’t help but think “fucking get in there” when the twists and turns of Life Of Agony’s music comes to life infront of you. Every track was just that infectious. All of this was held together by the natural captivating vocalist Mina Caputo. From the get go, she was an energetic tour-de-force on the mic, covering every inch of the rather small stage of the Manchester Club Academy, taking time to point to members of the crowd who passionately sang every word back to her. 

The most important theme for me tonight, more so than any individual song or melody, was the idea that Life Of Agony took the capacity crowd on an adventure that transcends time and space, creating a venue that was transported back to 1993 when the band and this album were first gaining traction. Whilst I was not around to fully appreciate this album as a body of work at the time, I myself was taken on a personal journey of my own relationship with music, and at multiple times throughout the night, I found myself thinking “fuck, I wonder what it will be like when I get to see an important album in my life celebrated in such a fashion” - if it was any bit as good as this, I simply cannot wait. Despite being in my own euphoric bubble, I could only imagine how those who had been with this album from the start must’ve been feeling. Tonight was a night in which the true relationship between people and music truly shone bright. As previously mentioned, each person would have their own unique feelings, emotions, stories and experiences of this album and it resulted in a sense of atmosphere that was so powerful, the sheer impact of which I have seldom seen to this level at shows. It is this notion that makes music one of the most powerful and personal vessels on earth. This is one of them shows that will stick with me for an incredibly long time. 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!

Life Of Agony, Maddball, Tarah Who?