Knives
Previous Blue Final, London
twentieth March 2025
Bristol band Knives go to London to carry out a free present as a warm-up for the forthcoming Nice Escape Pageant in Brighton. Keith Goldhanger (phrases) and Robyn Skinner (pictures) report again.
There’s an indication on the unlocked venue door saying that it’s going to open at 7.30pm. We wait patiently to enter East London’s Previous Blue Final that includes three bands warming up for Might’s Nice Escape Pageant in Brighton. Knives are due on at 7.45pm (sadly we don’t have time for the opposite two bands tonight as a result of a few of us have properties to go to). By 7.40pm one keen punter boldly opens the door and whether or not the venue is prepared or not we’re stepping into.
There’s a few dozen folks within the room standing and looking at this Bristol six-piece already on stage, probably not doing something besides (most likely) discussing their soundcheck which will have ended thirty seconds in the past. At 7.45pm exactly an almighty eruption happens. It’s the sound of Knives in all their glory, the band we noticed take the roof off in Gas at Cardiff’s Sŵn Pageant final October, the band we’ve been making an attempt unsuccessfully to contact to inform them how sensible we predict they’re, and the band that anybody fortunate sufficient to catch inside any one of many UK’s small venues will love for no matter thirty or forty minutes of their lives they will decide to.
Such is the power this band have it’s debatable whether or not they themselves might final for much longer than this period of time. Knives are a band that bounce round, scream, shout and might depart observers out of breath simply by watching. It’s thrilling to watch and they seem like a bunch of people who find themselves actually having enjoyable doing what they do; not merely going via the motions earlier than forcing a T-shirt in your face, taking pictures of one another and gathering everybody’s e-mail handle earlier than leaving. In addition they seem barely shocked by the enjoyment the rising crowd inside The Previous Blue Final are producing again at them. They’re right here one minute going loopy, and forty minutes later they’re gone…..disappearing into the evening to heaven is aware of the place (most likely again to the West Nation).
It’s been one other magnificent efficiency. Thrilling, loud, messy, fist-pumping euphoric (submit) punk rock music with a pumping bass and honking saxophone. A number of voices that ebb and circulate at totally different ranges; not too severe and in no way foolish.
With an album about to be launched to the world later this 12 months on the Marshall label (Remedy?, Nova Twins … the amps and audio system we’ve recognized about for many years) it received’t be lengthy earlier than the crowds are cramming themselves inside venues in bigger numbers to witness these thrilling moments the band serve up.
It hasn’t taken too lengthy for this room to replenish as soon as the band have been in full circulate and when it does it’s famous that we aren’t the one folks within the room being swept off our toes. It’s one other free present, and one which these of us who can’t afford most of the non-free reveals within the capital in 2025 can not ignore (particularly if we really feel the necessity to exit each evening and know do what we’re on the lookout for). And this night it’s sufficient to ship us residence completely happy earlier than the 9 O’clock Information begins.
Knives gigs are a thrill a second: a relentless cacophony of wonderful noise that shakes the foundations of the venue in a method we’ve not skilled since Fucked Up appeared right here a few years in the past. They’ve given us all we wanted for one night.
Go and see them as quickly as you may, fasten your seat belts and put together yourselves for an unforgettable experience.
As somebody as soon as stated: one of the best issues in life are free.
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Extra Knives info will be discovered right here
Phrases by Keith Goldhanger. Extra writing by Keith on Louder Than Battle will be discovered at his creator’s archive. You may also discover Keith on Fb Instagram and Bluesky.
Photographs by Robyn Skinner
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