Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes

Having never seen them live before, I’m obviously slightly late to the Frank Carter party but I’ve been keeping close tabs on their releases over the last couple of years. I’d also been assured on numerous occasions that the band never fail to deliver live and so when these dates were announced, it was the perfect opportunity to finally put that right.

The Underworld in Camden seemed just about the ideal venue and it was no surprise that this very intimate three night residency sold out within a matter of seconds. The darkness of the basement is a perfect compliment to the menacing look and feel of the band, although in reality I found the man himself was a complete contrast to this. Joyous and eloquent throughout the gig, constantly referencing his mum who was standing just a few metres away from him back stage, Frank hit the stage brimming with enthusiasm and immediately set the scene by encouraging the crowd to enjoy themselves, but to ‘Be safe and look after each other’. Clearly he knew what was about to happen and as he launched into ‘Juggernaut’, the Underworld erupted into a chaotic mosh pit.

Frank led by example jumping into the crowd and venturing across the banisters and it was clear he was absolutely loving it. ‘It’s a beautiful moment when you realise joy is more powerful than hate’, he declared as the high intensity continued with ‘Sticky’ and ‘Tyrant Lizard King’.

He then invited the crowd to open up for a ladies only mosh pit and then, with the venue turning into a sweatbox, he allowed everyone to take their breath for a short while by throwing in a couple of slower tunes before again crashing into some heavy hitters like crowd favourite ‘My Town’ and ‘Juggernaut’ which had been requested by a mosher at the front of the stage.

The significance of playing at The Underworld was key. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes are patrons of Music Venue Trust, the charity that protects and support grassroots music venues such as The Underworld and countless others in Camden. Frank sheepishly admitted in front of his mum that he’d been secretly going there since he was 12 and felt indebted to them for their support over the years including his first ever gig with ‘Gallows’ back in the day.

The crowd surfing continued as the band ended with 4 encores to the ecstasy of the crowd. A fantastic gig, British rock at it’s glorious best.

Setlist
Devil Inside Me
Sticky
Tyrant Lizard King
Trouble
Go Get A Tattoo
Wild Flowers
Kitty Sucker
Spray Paint Love
Love Games
Cupid’s Arrow
My Town
Lullaby
Juggernaut
Original Sin
Neon Rust
The Drugs

Encore:
Parasite
I Hate You
Fangs
Crowbar