Kids Can’t Fly / Darko / The Wonder Beers / The Fail [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 22/7/14]
This kind of gig is the reason I go to gigs in the first place. There’s nothing in the world as fun as watching a bunch of bands push themselves to the limits in the name of putting on a great show.
Well, ok – there are some things in the world that are more fun, but this is TMMP, not the basement of a Soho bookshop. Let’s move on to the bands before things get out of hand:
The Fail
The last time I saw The Fail, I thought they played too well. They’ve sorted that out now, and the result is incredible. Scrappy, raw, and stuffed to splitting point with balls and swagger, The Fail are set for serious success if they keep going the way they’re going.
When The Fail succeed, the irony may turn my brain inside out. But I am totally fine with that.
The Wonder Beers
On the surface, The Wonder Beers take the piss. But below the surface lies a seriously professional attitude and sense of musicality that sets them apart from the crowd.
Songs like Downing A Shot, Thursday Is The New Friday, and Skint Again pass by and brand themselves into the brain so efficiently that you’d have to spend years in therapy in order to get them out again. But when those songs are so damn awesome, why would you want to?
The only thing The Wonder Beers need to do to hit that next level is play more gigs, and get more press. These words should help…
Darko
Darko are more or less dead by the end of every set they play. I have no idea how they survive touring; there’s so much more than the standard blood, sweat, and tears being funnelled into this band that I just don’t understand how it’s even possible. One thing is for sure, though: Whether their music is your thing or not, Darko deserve your respect.
As for me, I love what Darko do. If Protest The Hero ditched their slick, ass-tight tech metal in favour of a more gritty hardcore approach, they would turn into Darko. This is something fascinating and unique that any self-respecting music fan needs to see at least once in their lives. If you’re reading this and wondering whether or not you should go to Darko’s next show, trust me: Just do it. You will not regret that decision.
Kids Can’t Fly
I still remember the day I discovered Rage Against The Machine. It was the day they split up, and I was totally gutted that I only got into them the day they stopped being a band. Last night was similar – only this time, I got to see a band who’re splitting up live before they completely disappeared.
I can only imagine how the fans of Kids Can’t Fly must feel, because this band are fucking great. They occupy the previously-alien-to-me space where Reel Big Fish meet Fall Out Boy, ripping through skacore tunes at breakneck speed and generally ruling the roost for the benefit of a passionate and loving audience. If you’re into alternative music, summer should always sound like Kids Can’t Fly.
Whether overcoming technical issues, un-fucking guitars, delivering summery beatdowns (yep, you read that right), or inspiring a a completely hectic full-crowd pit for their final few tunes, Kids Can’t Fly made a fan out of me even on the verge of being gone for good. It’s a shame that they’re splitting – but hopefully we won’t be hearing the last of the individual members. They’re too talented to turn their backs on music entirely.
Check out the links below to find out how to catch Kids Can’t Fly while you still can. If you miss this chance, you will be kicking yourself as much as I did back in 2000.
Links
Kids Can’t Fly on Facebook and Twitter.
The Wonder Beers on Facebook and Twitter.
The Fail on Facebook and Twitter.
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