So, is this the end of the Rattlesnakes? It certainly is for the foreseeable future..
It came as quite the shock when Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes suddenly announced that this tour would be their last before going on hiatus, but they’ve undeniably earned some rest; having released five albums, toured around the world, and filled out venues from the tiniest of dives to the Alexandra Palace on these shores alone.
And if this turns out to be the last we see of them, then a sold-out show at one of the few remaining great historic London venues is a fine way to say goodbye to their home country (there are still some mainland European dates to go).
Owing to HotWax’s unfortunate cancellation, it falls to Brighton trio Snayx to get us warmed up, and my goodness, do they grab the opportunity with both hands. In terms of having an impressively confrontational stage presence, vocalist Charlie Herridge is just about up there with Frank Carter himself, whilst bassist Ollie Horner and drummer Lainey Loops unleash the kind of fuzzed-up grooves that can’t fail to get an already up-for-it crowd dancing, bouncing and moshing.
Close your eyes during the likes of ‘Body Language’ and furious closer ‘Violence’, and you’d never know they don’t have a guitarist, so massive do they sound. Sleaford Mods meets Rage Against The Machine? Oh, go on, then. Mark our words, you’ll be hearing plenty more about these folks soon – and not just from us.
The Ballroom is packed, the sense of anticipation is through the roof, and we’re all ready to go nuts – so of course, the ever-contrary Mr Carter wrong-foots us by opening with a delightfully languid ‘Why A Butterfly Can’t Love A Spider’, crooning away whilst bathed in soft lights. Then he and his band rip into the more recent ‘Honey’ and utter chaos ensues in the pit.
You could never accuse Frank of not having a sense of humour. Tonight he invites his mum into the women-only pit during ‘Wild Flowers’, dedicates a vitriolic ‘My Town’ to London (he loves us really!), and even grants a fan’s request to join the band onstage to sing lead vocals on a supremely groovy ‘Crowbar’. Occasionally he berates us for not giving it our all, but such is the connection between him and the crowd, his words are only ever greeted with smiles, laughter and cheers.
Tonight he and his Rattlesnakes go on a gleeful smash n’ grab rampage through their back catalogue, leaning especially heavily on their abrasive debut ‘Blossom’. Indeed, a mid-set salvo of ‘Rotten Blossom’ (complete with giant circle pit!), ‘Fangs’ and ‘Juggernaut’ leaves us all drenched in sweat and hungry for more. It’s a shoulda-been greatest hits that proves these guys haven’t lost an iota of their hunger over the years, and if any of the band are reading this, perhaps consider a live album as your epitaph?
However, the real treats are saved for the encore. The penultimate ‘Man Of The Hour’ (from most recent album ‘Dark Rainbow’) is an unsettling, dark-hearted ballad that proves these guys can be just as effective at a slower pace, and that Frank can sing just as well as he roars. Then he surprises us all one more time by confessing that he originally wrote ‘I Hate You’ about himself, giving heartfelt thanks to all around him for their support, whilst relishing in barely needing to sing a word as the crowd’s voices almost drown him out.
The best Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes gig we’ve ever seen? Maybe not quite, but still a fantastic set from a band who have never disappointed us live. As we file out of the Ballroom, the mood is less of sadness than of curiosity; the Rattlesnakes will be missed, for sure, but what will Frank do next? Somehow, we don’t think a comfortable early retirement is on the cards, and we also get the feeling that fronting the Pistols won’t be enough for him. Punktuation will be waiting and watching closely, and we suggest you do too.
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: ALEX GOOSE
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I spend my days teaching English to foreign students, and my evenings attending as many gigs as possible. Raised mainly on a diet of 90s third-wave punk, my tastes have grown to include just about anything from trad ska to thrash metal. The Ramones are my musical gods.
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