Injured at work through no fault of your own? Has your annual leave entitlement been reduced with no consultation period? Fired and rehired? Need some sort of compensation? No, we’re not talking solicitors, we’re talking the high energy live performance from Kick The Clown recorded at The Marrs Bar In Worcester earlier this year.
Now I didn’t attend the gig myself but as live gig recordings go this is really good and for those who did attend it’s going to be a really good throwback. The energy in this band is very high so I imagine it was a good gig, the crowd noise seems to suggest it was. One of the things a band has to get across is that they’ve got the stones both on and off the stage and these guys certainly do. Kick The Clown are well established on the scene now so they’re probably not fazed by that sort of thing these days, but this album stands as a good recorded example of what they’re capable of in a live setting, so should be a winner with promoters and event organisers too.
Generally speaking I love Kick The Clown’s music and have done since we came across them on Flam and Flange a couple of years ago. Firstly it takes me back to my youth as a skater listening to this kind of thing (which in turn makes me feel old as you could no more get me into a mosh pit now than fly me to the moon) but also I hear the originality they bring to the whole thing. For me originality comes when you firmly establish yourself within a tried and tested genre and just bring your own passion to it as converse as that sounds. Don’t try to be different, just be yourself and do what you love. Sometimes it’s pants, but then sometimes magic happens, like these guys. They are clearly very passionate about what they’re doing in terms of the energy, but the tightness of the performance, the lyrics, which are both political and satirical in the vein of all good hardcore, and creativity in the music itself show that they have a lot of love for what they’re doing and spend a good deal of time in the crafting.
The use of samples and soundscapes bookends many of the tracks but doesn’t come over as too contrived and cheesy and segues them from one fearsome burst of energy to another. The production value, considering it’s a live recording, is fantastic, mixed and mastered well, nothing is too loud, everything in balance.They’re good with the crowd too, they’re not just banging out tracks, they’re engaging with everyone and all who deserves recognition gets a shout out. My Favourite track is definitely New Devil, visceral, disturbing and powerful too. Other stand out tracks for me are No Way Out, Plastic People and A Hardcore Song, but honestly it’s hard to pick favourites here as they’re all so good. Either way if you’ve had a bad week and need to go smash some plates, put potatoes in your boss’s exhaust or drive a tractor over his car (not recommended for legal reasons) make sure this is your soundtrack.
By: Stu McGoo
Flam & Flange
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