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Amebix -  The Underworld – London (18/06/09)

By: Denis Augusto

 

Everybody was very excited to see Amebix live today, afterall, the band broke up in ’87 and only got back together for good last year. That’s why you could find teenage punks – who’d never seen Amebix live – among the crowd formed, mainly, by old school die-hard fans. Before the headliners hit the stage though, a good warm up with this great band from south London, Inner Terrestrials, who plays a mix of dub reggae with hardcore. I had seen them live many times before, and all I have to say is they’re getting even better as time goes by. Their set didn’t change much through the years, so nobody was surprised when the first chords of ‘Enter The Dragon’, ‘Off With Their Heads’ and (their best one) ‘War’ came to life.

Amebix

 
Amebix
Just after 10pm Amebix started their intense set, convincing the old fans that they still got it and making the young ones understand why the band is still relevant. ‘Winter’ and ‘Right to Ride’ were enough to crack the Underworld walls, but it was ‘Lagarctyl’ the one responsible for the first singalongs (“relax, it’s only paranoia”). Even the more melancholic tracks, such as ‘Drink and be Merry’ and ‘The Darkest Hour’ were hypnotising, so there weren’t people using them as a ‘perfect moment’ to go to the toilet or grab another beer at the bar. The best part of the gig though, without doubt, was at the encore with ‘Arise’. That was the only song that managed to get more people singing the chorus than ‘Lagarctyl’. It may sound cheesy, but this was one of those moments when band and public became one, as everybody in the venue sang the chorus “Arise! Get off your knees!”. This song alone was worth the evening.
 
Two things need to be said about the band nowadays: Rob’s voice sounds far less similar to Cronos’ (of Venom) – which is a good thing – but, most importantly, new drummer Roy Mayorga gave a new edge to Amebix, with no more room for sloppy beats. In my opinion, that’s something positive because brothers Rob (bass/vocals) and Stig (guitar) now have a better opportunity to improve their skills – while keeping Amebix’s integrity intact.
 
 
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