This War
w/ Cast & Crew, The Paris Riots, Quiet The Few
As the irrevocably dull Quiet The Few began the proceedings of the night, I settled down, beer in hand, in the most unlikely of venues for this gaggle of groups to play. The Cornish Arms has long been regarded as an ‘older’ venue, more fit to bands of the folk, country and blues persuasions. An odd choice for a punk-rock night, but a fine venue and good company all the same.
The Paris Riots continue with Much Of The Same, in every sense of the words, somewhat harshing my buzz (to coin a mid-90’s phrase). Why do some vocalists insist on sounding as coarse and ghastly as possible? Have you heard of melody?
The high-speed, fevered rock antics of Cast & Crew followed, thickening the atmospheric buzz, leaving us hopeful. With tracks like Disco, I Love You, the band will rope in many a devotee in the hardened indie scene with a violent flick of a guitar string, or frontman Lou’s grunge-slathered vox.
One of the few things I remember from Business Management classes in High School is the term ‘synergy’, which, simply put, means being greater than the sum of its parts. As individual musicians, each member of This War offers their own unique and essential quality to the band which makes their overall performance that much more interesting to see. Bassist and singer Carlo Dellora explodes on stage with wild jumping dance moves while Lead Guitarist Kirk Ballantyne rips out wailing solos that elevate the musical standard of This War to much greater heights. Unfortunately, having seen This War previous to tonight , I can easily say that this particular performance left much to be desired.
Opening with a new song, none of the long serving friends and fans of This War were particularly active or lively prompting guitarist Owen Bennett to lovingly mock those who were sitting down. Following was one of the bands newer song entitled 13 Years, a song about the struggles of school life and the lack of support spawning from the endless bureaucracy of school administration. This song has a few catchy hooks and break downs and could easily get stuck in your head for days. In the midst of the energetic on stage movements to 13 Years, stands were knocked down and instruments unplugged proving that while onstage presence is important, a happy medium is yet to be found by Dellora who sacrifices professionalism for the chase of the rockstar image. It would seem that this expenditure of vigour took a great tax on Dellora who from that point on, was barely able to sing. In the next song No Good Deeds, sentences went unfinished and tone was only just held.
Having said this, from previous performances, I know for a fact that this show was a lack lustre anomaly in a string of high class gigs. Looking at previous shows played, This War are no 3rd class local band, as indicated by the plethora of international super-bands they have supported including Flogging Molly and Against Me! This War have proved their music to be catchy, inventive, and enjoyable. “It’s not the most complex music. It’s music that, I guess, anyone can enjoy if they listen out for it.” said Dellora in an interview given in late 2007.
As any real musician will tell you, a bands’ worst enemy is a crappy mixer which is often a factor for a gig. Overall, This War are one of the hardest working local bands going around today. Combining a strong political message with appealing melodies makes these guys a must have for any CD collection and with the upcoming EP “Oceans Deep” now is the perfect time to start listening. There is something for everyone with these guys. Whether you like ska, reggae, punk, rock, indie or all of the above, This War have got a song to please. Definitely worth a listen.
