The Rupture Dogs with support from Nomadic Rituals, Little Miss Stakes, 84 and Green Monkey
Friday 31st January 2014 – Stiff Kitten, Belfast
Belfast rockers The Rupture Dogs certainly chose a rather eclectic lineup support for the release of the video for ‘Before the Flood’. From horror punk to modern rock to…something (of which more later), there was arguably something for everyone who braved the blustery/rainy/snowy/bollock freezing weather and headed to the Stiff kitten last Friday night.
Taking to the stage first was doom/sludge metallers Nomadic Rituals. The studious-looking trio treated the growing crowd to a set of dark, ominous metal, quite Sabbath-y in tone but very much modern metal in the vein of Sunn O))) or Candlemass. Their brooding and ominous sound was perfectly matched by vocalist/bassist Craig’s deep, growling intonations which just about had the floor vibrating. The only slight niggle was the rather samey-samey tempo of the majority of their songs; the odd time change here and there wouldn’t go astray.
Up next was Belfast’s premier horror-punk quartet Little Miss Stakes. They kicked off their high-energy set with traditional opener ‘Play With the Dead’, followed by the spooktacular ‘Samara’. Their set reached its peak with the brilliantly catchy ‘Mina’, with frontman Mick Van Dyke’s snarling vocal delivery blending effortlessly with the stonking guitar melody that runs throughout.
Their set also contained a new track – the old-school punky ‘Exceptional Psycho’ – and a funky cover of ‘Vampira’. Groovy basslines also took centre stage in their final number ‘Dr. Frankenstein’, which garnered a huge round of applause. LMS have grown in confidence since their lineup (hopefully) settled; 2014 shall surely see exciting things happening for this merry band of freaks.
Punk rock entered stage left next in the form of Eighty Four, who immediately began rocking everyone’s socks off. Vocalist Darren Brown was bouncy and engaging, their ska-tinged rock was catchy and vibrant…frankly, you couldn’t have asked for a more entertaining set. Brown interacted easily with the crowd (they even had groupies!), and the entire performance was smooth, well-rehearsed and confident. (Plus, their bassist is hot. Sorry. But he is).
They charged through their high-octane set lobbing out tunes like grenades. ‘Stand United’ – boom! ‘Don’t Fade’ – boom! ‘Zombie Youth’ – BOOM! They showed themselves to be a potent combination of old school anarchy and social commentary, a liberal dose of ska and a hefty dollop of hard rock. In short, a seriously talented bunch.
And now for something…oh, you know the rest. Green Monkey then took to the stage before a full house, and proceeded to dazzle and puzzle in equal measures. The band combine hip-hop with rock, which they did tonight with um…varying levels of success? Frontman Niall Delaney looks for all the world like a blonde Jarvis Cocker (sans glasses), and he spoke to the crowd in a striking/somewhat bizarre Jamaican (?) accent and rapped up a storm – there was no denying his talent there.
The music was funky as f**k, rocky and pretty damn groovy, with the bass guitar definitely stealing the show. The front half of the room were in raptures (throwing some serious shapes), while the back half were quite nonplussed. Think ‘geeky version of Aerosmith/Run DMC’ or even ‘Revenge of the Nerds meets Rage Against the Machine’ – if you’re able!
One thing was for certain: watching the poster child for ‘Play That Funky Music White Boy’ waxing lyrical about ‘bitches’ and ‘cops’ was certainly an experience most won’t forget in a hurry. Of course, the danger that GM face is of falling into the category of ‘novelty act’: wheeled out when crowds are suitably intoxicated but never taken entirely seriously. This would actually be a great shame, as they certainly proved themselves to be talented musicians tonight.
With the support acts putting on the aforementioned eclectic shows, it was time for the reason for tonight’s shenanigans: the premiere of The Rupture Dogs’ new video for single ‘Before the Flood’. The video proved to be a classy affair, shot in black and white and admirably showcasing the band’s talents (as well as a nifty guitar-cam). The lads slunk onstage during the vid and were in place to start rocking out as soon as it finished.
They began with the ‘slow swingy start which builds and builds to an all-out aural assault!’ of ‘Painted on Skin’, during which their bassist went fabulously buck daft! This beaming golden-maned youngster looks as if he’s been transplanted from a thrash metal band and undoubtedly influences the band’s heavier sound.
Aforementioned single ‘Before the Flood’ was duly played, and duly sounded even more electrifying live. The swirls and eddies of ‘Nightmare’ sounded tight, lush and gorgeous. Set highlight ‘Burn’ galloped and charged through the whole venue…well, the list just goes on and on. From opening number to closing (a barnstorming ‘Start a Fire’), TRD amply demonstrated tonight why their reputation as an utterly professional and excitingly talented band is well and truly deserved.
Big things are surely coming this band’s way. Huge! They are on top of their game and frankly, the sky’s the limit – rain or shine.
