Defeater, The Underworld, London

It’s a rainy January evening but at least there is a smorgasbord of domestic and international hardcore talent – and, as we shall later see, something a little different too – to warm the cockles of our mosh shorts tonight. Opening up proceedings are Goodtime Boys, and while their name might make them sound like a brilliant 70s sitcom, in reality they offer up a set of emotionally charged hardcore not too dissimilar to tonight’s headliners. Diminutive frontman Alex Pennie’s vocals feel a little insecure when his band open up into more drawn out passages but nevertheless they’re a decent starter for 10, as Paxo would say.

Up next are the hotly anticipated More Than Life, a band who still set hearts racing on tumblr even though their sole full length effort to date surfaced nearly 4 years ago. News that a follow up will finally emerge in the near future seems to have recaptured the quintet some momentum though, and tonight they whip a dedicated enclave at the front to a near frenzy. As fan favourite ‘Fear’ brings with it a veritable dam-break of emotion it’s clear there is still plenty more to come from this lot in 2014.

It wouldn’t be labouring the point too much to say that Caspian stick out like a great big post-rock sore thumb on tonight’s bill. Given that their last UK tour was with po-faced goth mob HIM, facing a room full of new-skool hardcore types could be a little off putting, but tonight they are an absolute ace in the pack. Mesmerising in both their complexity and efficiency they produce a display which should capture the heart of even the most obstreperous hardcore brat. Crushing, twinkling, moving, paralysing; they’ve got it all in spades. If you think post rock is usually as dull as a hug in a brothel then these guys could be the ones to change your mind.

From then on though the level of anticipation kicks up a couple of gears as an absolutely teeming Underworld gets ready to pour their hearts out. It was announced before this tour began that singer Derek Archambault is suffering from necrosis of the hip which means, in layman’s terms, they he could shatter into a million pieces at any given moment. With that in mind the usual stomping of heads and stage invasion antics that normally accompany shows like this are well policed tonight, with The Underworld’s much maligned crowd control barrier a constant reminder to be cool and not flatten the singer. Any apprehension about the audiences energy levels suffering as a result are quickly quashed though as the band lead the swirling dancefloor through a masterclass in emotional hardcore. And while on record their rose-tinted post war depression shtick has got a little wearisome, in the live arena it packs as much punch as it ever has. ‘Red White and Blues” vocal pay-off in particular ricochets around the room to spine-shivering effect. When the inescapable acoustic numbers come mid-set the atmosphere is treacle thick, both ‘I Don’t Mind’ and ‘But Breathing’ rendered in schmaltz-less clarity; eye moistening stuff. As the existential angst of closer ‘Cowardice’ buries itself in the sweat-soaked walls the physical fever of the crowd manifests itself in any and every way it can – bodies fly from balconies while crowd surfers are pushed forward and then retrieved back so as not to cause problems. It is bedlam of the most controlled and respectful kind. And even if the perspiration has drenched us more than the rain outside ever could, the smiles on our faces at seeing one of the best hardcore bands of the moment delivering the goods are recompense enough.