Fucked Up @ Cabaret Voltaire, 10 May
Not even a song into the night of hardcore punk overtures and Damian Abraham, Fucked Up’s bear-like frontman, starts roaming the crowd. But while 80s Rollins might have duked it out with a sharp-tongued concertgoer, Abraham – affectionately known to his public as Pink Eyes – hands out sweaty hugs as he bellows.
Back on stage, the rest of the group masterfully integrate indie rock leanings with chunky punk riffs, even finding a way to incorporate Spector-esque harmonies into the cuts they showcase from the forthcoming David Comes To Life. This diversity of style reflects in the crowd as well – curious kids, hardcore die-hards, lads and lassies all crash around to raucous rallying cries like Son the Father.
Also in the stramash, somewhere, is Abraham; despite a fresh forehead cut and a penchant for holding strangers aloft, you realise he has the measured restraint of a pro wrestler. Nobody’s getting hurt – he just has a hands-on philosophy for that oft-repeated mantra: 'Get Involved'. And it's heartening to see that there’s barely a soul here tonight who doesn’t share it.
Fucked Up release David Comes To Life via Matador on 6 Jun