Live Review: Pianos Become The Teeth, Suis La Lune, Kerouac, Cult Cinema & Grappler - Purple Turle, London - 14/4/2011

Since Pianos Become The Teeth released ‘Old Pride’ last year, the first thought on everyone’s mind was certainly when on earth these guys were going to get themselves over to the UK. So when they announced this tour with Suis La Lune the hype was instant, made even clearer by the show selling out shortly before doors.

Grappler opened things up and from the moment the lead singer ignored the stage and placed the mic on the floor, their intent was made clear. They weren’t messing around opening up this show, filled with intensity and delivering a raw melodic hardcore sound with more confidence than any opening band you’ll find around most venues in the UK. Cult Cinema were up next, keeping up the intensity with a more thrashy approach to progressive hardcore, it was hard to keep up with the deathly screams from the lead singer but when things fell into place it was fast, aggressive and slightly techy with some fiddly guitar work, the kind of developed sound you don’t often expect from such a young group of lads.

Keroauc were up next, and although a lot of the crowd thought it would be OK to talk through most of their set, it didn’t stop lead singer Thom Densen absolutely killing it on the floor. If you are familiar with this band you know what to expect, it’s ridiculously fast paced and aggressive with three instruments making more sound than you’d think possible.

After their onslaught it was then time for the main support in the form of Swedish hardcore outfit Suis La Lune. It was clear from the crowd’s reaction how stoked they were to have these guys on our shores as they reeled through a solid set - which brought all the chatting clan to the front. It was good to see action in the pit quieten down as everybody focused their interest on what was going down on stage, Suis La Lune bring something unusual to the hardcore scene with a sound that focus’s in on a more ‘feel-good’ aesthetic rather than the usual anger and apathy, which broke up the barrage of this night nicely.

Then came the moment everyone had been waiting patiently for - Pianos Become The Teeth - and the anticipation was getting towards breaking point for those who had arrived for doors at 7pm. When they finally walked on stage - to put it bluntly - they didn’t fuck around. Bursting straight into one of the most intense performances you’re likely to bear witness to this year. The passion and emotion displayed within the studio only elevates on stage with each member engrossed within the music. ‘Cripples Can’t Shiver’ made its way into the set, with the monologue from lead singer Kyle Durfey’s mum just adding to the emotion on stage.

Each track was delivered flawlessly and with fervour from a band that are simply brilliant. It’s always amazing to see bands that make music because of the pure love of what they do, not necessarily to please anyone, but because they have something to say and saw music as an outlet for this voice. Watching Pianos Become Teeth up on stage, delivering every note as if their life depended on it, made clear that this band hold all the aspects of a truly great band, and one that need to get themselves back to the UK very soon. As the evidently quite short set just whet the appetite of a crowd who – as the band left the stage after playing an old classic ‘idiosyncrasies’ – were reluctant to leave. But when they did, it was with beaming smiles across their faces, in awe of what they had just witnessed.

Connor O’Brien