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Review: 'Hardcore Superstar, Bonafide, Nitrodive'
'Live at the Garage Highbury Corner'   


-  Genre: 'Heavy Metal' -  Release Date: '11.3.15.'

Our Rating:
Hardcore Superstar are back on tour to promote the band's new album Touch The Sky that isn't out until April and back at the venue that I first saw them playing live at the first time they came over way back when in the late 90's.

We got in while opening act Nitrodive were playing they were a competent Swedish glammy rock band nothing wrong with them as such just nothing made them stand out too much either, of the 3 songs that I saw the closing number Dead Inside or whatever it was called as the best of them but they were very easily forgotten after the other two bands had played. Still the singer looked cool!!

Next on were Bonafide who I recognized as they were setting up and yet I couldn't and still can't remember who it was I last saw them supporting as I'm certain I have seen them before. As how could you forget a band with such crushing riffs like on the opener Riding High that sounded like all their songs like a cross between ACDC and Peer Gunt with a dash or two of early Lucifer's Friend thrown in for good measure.

The riffs ground through us and got the place going pretty quickly however obvious the lyrics maybe as they sing about a Rock & Roll Show they are so tight and are having so much fun you get pulled into the bands world new song 50/50 sounded much like the old songs but that's ok as they Don't Talk About it as long as everyone is banging there heads the band are happy.

They had a bit of a false start and plenty of mucking about at the start of Hard Living Man but once that riff got going and they pummelled it into us it sounded great and got most of the audience singing along to the chorus almost as catchy as an Airbourne song. They finished with the rather anthemic Fill Your Head With Rock & Roll that was a great way to end a pretty good set. Hopefully next time I see them I'll remember the band's name and who I've seen them opening for previously.

I t wasn't long till Hardcore Superstar burst onto the stage and in front of a backdrop obviously designed for bigger venues than this one they opened with an old favorite We Don't Celebrate Sundays that got the packed crowd going, but it should have been packed as this is a far smaller venue than the bands last London show at Koko.

Jocke was in great form as normal even if he did then apologize that they were going to be playing a bunch of new songs we've never heard before tonight and the first one was The Cemetery and it sounded much like classic Hardcore Superstar even if Vic and Martin were swapping glances to make sure they had it nailed.

Off With Their Heads was the next new song that has a really catchy riff and lyrics that fans will be singing along to in no time at all at the moment we were just happily rocking along to it as it sounds cool. They took us all back to Jocke's My Good Reputation that really did get everyone singing along from the second line onwards it really got everyone going. Which meant it was time for another new song Touch The Sky this saw Vic keeping an eye or was it an ear on Magnus for when the changes were I think they had it about right but it will get tighter as the tour progresses.

Well Jocke made sure we all knew he's not Growing Old anytime soon and seeing as they have now been at it as a band for 18 years and he really doesn't look or sound that much older he may be right. Wild Boys really had a party atmosphere to it with them all having a ball playing it. The next new song was Fly that was introduced as being the bands Long song and it was longer than most of their stuff and had a bit of a psychedelic edge to it and the guitars were a bit more relaxed but damn what a great song, I'm sure as they get more confident playing it the solo's and instrumentals will get a bit longer still, expect it to be a 10 minute epic by the end of the tour.

It was still early but it was already Last Call For Alcohol a song guaranteed to have the place going nuts and everyone singing along and this was no different it sounded just as great as always as we all raised out glasses to the band who then finished the set with one more new song Party Till I'm Gone that was just about the sort of raucous fun that'll kill off some of the older audience members if they pogo too much.

Still after a bit of a wait for us to go mental enough to get them back they came back out for the encore and yes played another song they had never played live before Don't Mean Shit that sounded angry and more aggressive than normal but they then broke out the party classic Moonshine for everyone to go mental too and the audience singing almost drowned Jocke out. They finished things off with Above The Law and not long after it started the drum roadie came on stage and started dismantling Magnus' kit as he was playing first his ride and crash cymbal went and the band were all giving glances and smiling then as the song progressed the floor tom and snare went and still they played on by the end of the song he only had I think 3 drums left it was an interesting end to the show.

They got a great ovation at the end of it and if the current tour gets close to you as ever Hardcore Superstar are well worth seeing. I look forward to hearing the new album when it comes out.
  author: simonovitch

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