Bannlust Chasm - Brixton Academy, London, 18/11/2006

  by Andy Vincent

published: 22 / 11 / 2006

intro

Taste of Chaos is an all day show which supports some of the biggest and fastest rising stars of the punk and emo scene. At the London date of the tour, Andy Vincent watches performances from Taking Back Sunday, Anti Flag, Underoath, Alexisonfire, Senses Fail and Saosin

Taste of Chaos is a much loved all day show which supports some of the biggest and fastest rising stars of the punk and emo scene. 2006 was no exception. After losing myself in the maze that is the backstage of Brixton, I found my way to the packed out front of house, where hundreds of punk fans were waiting, all incredibly excited. First on stage were Saosin. I was not expecting a huge amount from them, but the band created an energy amongst the crowd that for a show this size I was surprised by. This was developed further by the following band, Senses Fail, who enjoyed massive appreciation. Riding on the release of their newest album 'Still Searching' the band clearly showed an ability to please their fans, playing new songs to a now very involved crowd without letting up for a moment. Harmonies and riffs flew about in all directions and Senses Fail created an atmosphere that the Academy was clearly waiting for. This was a great set and a great start to events. Alexisonfire tore on to the stage with 'Drunks, Lovers, Sinners and Saints', the opening track from their new album 'Crisis', and, as if from nowhere, the already active crowd's movement went up by 110%. You could tell the band were one of the fastest rising stars of their scene as they played songs from all three of their albums. The crowd clearly loved it and Alexisonfire knew it. In playing such “hits” as '.44 Caliber Love Letter' and 'Adelleda' you could see that they were a band that are not one to be missed. They were followed by Underoath, who the crowd, despite flagging slightly, give a similar level of support to. I honestly believe they will be a band to watch in coming months. Tiredness, however, got the better of me and I trudged off to lean on a bar for to enjoy a good mix of their new and older songs. After a short break, it was time for Anti Flag, who enjoy a different type of support than that expected from the other bands on this tour. I can't help but think that it undermines their left wing politicisms when they take part in such a money maker of a tour as this one, but nevertheless the band worked hard on their show and may help to take beginners' politics to a mass audience. If that inspires interest, it can't be a bad thing. They are, however, somewhat lost on me and I found it very difficult to enjoy them. This was echoed on some of the crowd, but another part of the audience jumped enthusiastically up and down to them in the front of the stage and, fair play to them, the energy and effort they put into the show deserved it. Headliners Taking Back Sunday had the show of their lives waiting for them, with a crowd as warmed up and enthusiastic as this one. But then it all got somewhat confusing... frontman Adam Lazzara came to the stage and, on his own, played some acoustic songs. Myself and many others welcomed this break. After 5 hours of standing around, tiredness was really kicking in now. He soon explained that guitarist Fred Mascherino would not be taking part in the show as he had family issues to deal with... and stepping up would be... well... pretty much most of the cast of the Taste of Chaos tour and they did so and well. The crowd responded to songs from all three of their albums with a renewed sense of passion and vigour that the band fed off, providing a fantastic show and a clear statement as to why, even despite the absence of a crucial member, they should be headlining shows of this size. The photographs that accompany this article were taken exclusively for Pennyblackmusic by Anna Gudaniec at Taste of Chaos and feature in order Alexisionfire, Senses Fail, Underoath, Anti Flag and Taking Back Sunday

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