Finish What You Started
Gorilla Biscuits weren't around for very long during their initial inception, four short years produced just one official album (although a second was recorded but never released). During that time however they helped to redefine melodic hardcore and attained semi-legendary status following their demise. They've been back on the scene since 2006 and tonight's Manchester date is part of an extensive European tour, proving that despite their long absence, memories are long and their legacy remains strong.
Fifteen minutes before showtime there can't be more than a hundred people in the venue but over the next ten minutes a steady stream of people floods in from the bar and by the time the band hit the stage the numbers have swelled considerably. It's a long way from capacity but the several hundred that are here are primed and more than ready!
The band take a couple of songs to really get into their stride tonight but the same can't be said of the audience, the complete absence of a barrier and any security makes it easy for the would be stage diver and tonight there are lots ...a hell of a lot in fact! From the first song onwards it just never stops and both band and crowd smile and laugh as wave after wave of punters clamber onto the stage before launching themselves back into the crowd in a succession of increasingly inventive techniques. It's not really until third song 'Degradation' that the band reach full speed but from then on there's no let up and for the next hour they plough through pretty much everything that you could hope to hear. 'No Reason Why' sounds as fresh as it did twenty years ago, whilst 'Sitting Round at Home' is just a nailed on classic to this day. Vocalist Anthony Civarelli interacts with the crowd from start to finish and can't help but grin throughout as every track is greeted like an old friend by the crowd.
The sound is good, which is always a bonus when hardcore is in town and it's easy to see why Gorilla Biscuits made such an impact on the future of hardcore. Sure there are a few tracks that are pretty generic but when they throw in the brilliant 'Big Mouth', 'Finish What You Started' and 'Hold Your Ground' it matters little. As Civarelli rightly points out, hardcore never went away but it did go through some dark days and tonight is a reminder of everything that was good about it first time around. Everyone is having a good time and even Civarelli can't resist launching himself into the crowd towards the end. They finish with the title track of the album 'Start Today' and it's the cue for a mass stage diving party, which just encapsulates the whole set perfectly. Energy, passion, camaraderie and some kick ass tunes, Gorilla Biscuits have them all & that's hardcore folks!