Live Review: Blood Youth - Boston Music Room, London 08/03/2019
Three and a half years ago, ex members of melodic-hardcore band ‘Climates’ came together for a new wave in the music scene.
Creating ‘Blood Youth’ the band rose to popularity with great speed. This fast-growing popularity clearly didn’t plan on coming to a stop, as we entered their over-sold show at Boston Music Room. Alongside them came supports from Glaswegian hardcore band ‘Lotus Eater’, and the incredibly talented Nottinghamshire band ‘Palm Reader’.
With what Lotus Eater lack in album releases, they make up for with their impeccable and memorable stage presence alongside strong visuals that will make you never seen green in the same way again. Playing songs such as ‘Break It’ and ‘Gloom’, we also got the chance to hear their latest single ‘Mother’ played live for the first time, which brings a slightly new sound to the band with a change in vocals, and hints towards progression with their EP release of ‘Social Hazard’, due to be released March 29th.
Whilst we’re expecting big things from the EP, we can’t wait to see in played live as the music really comes alive and embraces a whole new level of anger. Delivering constant energy, vocalist Jamie McLees yells across the room demanding no one is to be stood still as the madness unfolds. The rest of the band dance and jump around the stage, with crazed facial expressions that you can’t look away from. To have such a personality about them at such an early stage of their career as a band bodes well for them, and after recently signing to Hopeless Records, we predict big things coming their way. There’s so much to live up to within the current scene alongside bands such as Loathe and Vein, but Lotus Eater are truly making it their own.
After a quick break in between bands, the madness ensued all over again as Palm Reader came back to the BMR stage for the second time in 4 months. After they played here in December on their headline tour on the back of their most recent album release, it appeared that the release of Braille brought them even more of a following, and it may just be their most well-received release yet. If people didn’t join in for the fun of Lotus Eater, they definitely did so now, with half the main portion of the room being taken up by crowd surfers and circle pits, and a few devoted fans screaming the lyrics back to the band.
These devoted fans doubled as Blood Youth entered to play songs from their most recent album release ‘Starve’. With a strong Slipknot vibe on the album cover, this may also be the bands heaviest release to date whilst still having strong melodic influences. The album brings insane breakdowns and strong riffs, with theatrical interludes which played out well on stage, such as {stone.tape.theory}. The music the band have released feels like a strong departure from how they used to be, whilst still retaining subtle hints that keeps the OG fans going strong.
The amount of people in the room at this point was unbelievable and throughout the whole of this tour so far, we’ve seen nothing but an amazing response to the new album. The audience delivers non-stop energy and aggression and half the room became one giant mosh pit with bodies flying on the floor, off the floor, and onto the stage. Frontman Kaya Tarsus decides part way through the set that he needs to get in on the action and throws himself off the stage, as the crowd holds him up as he continues singing every word without fault. Throughout the entirety of the evening, there hasn’t been a single dull point as every band matches the other in terms of delivering 100% of themselves the whole way through.
Creating high standards for the hardcore scene, 2019 is the year it comes on leaps and bounds as we see crowds growing and growing each time we see bands like this.
Words and photography by Hayley Fearnley