Live Review: Vein- New Cross Inn, London 20/02/2019

Vein are arguably one of the biggest bands within the hardcore scene at the moment, and have one of the hardest albums released in 2018.

Walking up to New Cross Inn on Wednesday, you could already feel the overdue anticipation spilling out of the doorway as everyone queued up before the first support band had even started. Errorzone is an album so many people raved about in the scene when it was released, and for many, this will be the first time seeing tracks from the album played live.

First up came Narrow Head, who are much more on the softer side compared to the other two bands to play tonight. Bringing more of a Superheaven/emo type of vibe to the stage, it was actually a welcomed change to ease the crowd into what was set to be a chaotic night. The band did however run over their set time and drag out their set a little longer, much to the sound guys dismay, it still went down well with the first few rows of the crowd, and the evening itself still finished nice and early before 10:30pm.

As Higher Power came on stage, this is when everyone started to really warm up and people were throwing themselves around half way through the first song. Arms were spinning round, legs were flying and bodies were hurling across the air and we couldn’t expect anything less for the Leeds based hardcore band. Having not officially releasing any new material since 2017, the band are still doing exceptionally well for themselves and after touring with a big name like Vein, this tour will only bring them more popularity. This being said, they are by no means a small name themselves. Set to go out on tour alongside Knocked Loose and The Acacia Strain in the spring across America, it’s clear to see the band are set for big things.

With only a small wait till Vein started, everyone had only just had time to cool down and calm themselves before the chaos ensued. The very second lead vocalist Anthony opened his mouth, the entire room stormed to the centre of this tiny pub and created carnage. From this point, the carnage did not stop and there were very few rare occasions where you’d be able to get to the front of the stage without getting pushed or accidentally hit by two steppers and crowd killers. Whilst the crowd sounds dangerous, you could not fault it for the way everyone looked out for each other. If someone fell down, they would get picked straight back up again. If someone was about to fall, someone would catch them if they could help it. And the best part of all? Members of Vein got stuck in. Even the lead vocalist threw himself into the crowd on numerous occasions, leaving his mic behind as he flips into a crowd surf before quickly heading back to sing where needed.

Often giving the mic to other members of the crowd, it was incredibly interactive and intimate and made everyone feel part of the experience. Fast forward to half way through their set and guitarist Jeremy gets to the highest part of the stage that he can and dances with their sound guy. In the process of doing so, he hits his head on the ceiling and doesn’t even flinch. He jumps down and carries on the performance going as hard as ever, screaming in everyones faces as blood drips into his eyes and down his face.

The band cannot be flawed on their ability to go as hard as possible at all times and it’s a crazy mystery as to where they find the stamina to keep going. Vein not only deliver a show, they deliver an experience. An experience that really is a shame for anyone within the hardcore scene to miss out on.

Words and photography by Hayley Fearnley