As I arrive through the door Consumed are just saying hello to the few people that have gathered at the barrier tonight. Wasting no time they launch into 'Heavy Metal Winner', a song that's all big drums, heavy, groovy bass, a mix of short licks and riffing guitars with rousing, throaty vocals and dual backing vocals. That overall description pretty much summing up the rest of their set, but to that you can also add lots of smiling and good-humoured banter, which just endears them to me all the more. It also seems to have worked on the rest of the crowd as they have now increased into an appreciative, livelier bunch. Singer Steve responding to this with a few "Thanks a lot!" and my personal favourite, "Nice one. Nice one." By the time they play the excellent 'Twat Called Maurice' I find myself asking, "Zelda, why the hell don't you have any Consumed albums?"
The main band tonight is Canadian, political band Propagandhi who combine their outspoken views with a variety of all out speed-thrash, subdued guitar tunes and something that's a cross between the two, usually within the same song. Unsurprisingly then, for a band renowned for it's opinions, there is quite a bit of talk between songs as the singer explains the deeper meanings behind some songs or just has a rant about current affairs. Amongst such songs as 'Back to the Motor League', 'Natural Disasters', 'Today's Empires, Tomorrow's Ashes' and 'Bullshit Politicians' we hear, with reference to the displays of patriotism that have sprung up in reaction to recent events in America, that usually "what starts with patriotism ends in fascism" and that "Bush has gone from being village idiot to being a national hero". This is all very well, but in a live show it can stem the flow of enthusiasm from the crowd, no matter how important the band feels their opinion is.
Although the bassist does his best to encourage any enthusiasm with jumping around the stage in a manic, dance style, on the whole it is a much more serious impression that is given but to be fair they never pretended to be a fun band. They play an encore without leaving the stage, explaining that it can be embarrassing hiding behind a speaker waiting to be shouted back on when it doesn't happen. So, after many requests from the crowd they invite someone on stage to sing 'Ska Sucks' as they say, "the lyrics are shit".
