It is new if you have never seen it before, and the games and rituals at post-hardcore concerts are new to me: a series of tics and conventions, rituals and participations, set in stone thru the many years I have neglected it.
It is like hip hop in that sense and also in another.
What constitutes rap is rhymes broken up by samples, hip hop is songs interrupted by raps -both of which owe unrepayable debts to Diddy and Biggie; and hardcore, songs interrupted by the bowels of the devil screams as propagated by Fugazi in the 1980s.
All three are direct forms over content at all times: they all build towards a a prototype.
At Friday evenings consistently good performances, the content were the side show. I See Stars is power pop content mixed with hardcore form;, D.R.U.G.S. are hard rock mixed with hardcore form; Black Veil Brides are… well, actually they are metal a la Metallica capable but a little cool to hardcore forms.
They call it post-hardcore, it is a teenage past time, and it is good fun.
I See Stars played a brisk melodic pop rock with a touch of electronics. Devin Oliver is a (19 year old today) good looking, friendly and competent leader for the the night, he has a sweet voice, and he would be good be in an emo band if he wanted (Zach Johnson does the screaming).Devin pushes audience participation to the limit, as does former Chiodes lead singer Craig Owens: the audience find this stuff a lotta fun but I find it tedious. Both bands over do it, telling the audience to perform silly traditions, circles of pits, hands waved in the air, heart shaped fingers lofted high, singing two words… the teen girls (absolutely the vast majority) went bonkers.
But there is a difference between D.R.U.G.S and both I See Stars and Black veil Brides: Craig is an expert at the genre and D.R.U.G.S. break through the strictures of their structure and are on the cusp of greatness.
But I was not in awe of Craig'S performance, and I was in awe of Devin, he is a fun performer, with a "I want to have sex with each and every one of you" and a "You can hug me but nothing sexual", but D.R.U.G.S. are a precision based hard rock band who have built a set on a handful of crowd pleasers and passion to burn. They are so good they could tone it down.
Black Veil Brides are none of the above. They are a crunchy, clever metal band. The make-up is both shtick and statement: dressing like a member of Kiss will only get you so far. But as Lady Gaga has noticed, putting yourself on the side of the outcasts, telling your audience "You don't need to love your music but you need to love yourself", in the assault driven world of High School -this is an army you can join.
So I like that about Black Veil Brides.
And I like the way they write really strong hooks based upon riffs.
And I like their gutsiness, despite their post-hardcore credentials, they were almost sparing in their use of the "Bowels of hell" vocal interruptus.
But they need to write melodies because in the end they are neither post-hardcore nor metal, they are attempting something different in ways the first two bands weren't and melody, when you add blue notes to white noise, it will take you far.
Look at this pix:
-the arms out in a cross shape (crap pix I know), remind you of any one, well, does it? Marilyn Manson of course. but here is why BVB can't make that jump. MM wrote catchy pop songs that were also so hard rock/metal classics and and BVB's only do the latter. They have hooks but not melodic hooks.
That's a real complaint, a real question, but on stage their enthusiasm, their summer stock let's put on a show for you guys vibe, blows it away. The question of violent emotions through white noise is based upon a paradox that all three of these bands embrace: they are tough little boys, they are Jimmy Dean. Paled out losers who embrace their last three years in High School plotting, not their revenge, which might well figure, but their new art school: a place where they welcome and are welcomed. If you have read Mary Magpie's interview with BVB you will realize the x factor: they are good kids. Trust me, if they were threatening, they wouldn't have this audience. These are Justin Bieber fans kids sister, finding their own way. A girl pulls off lead vocalist Andy Six's belt, he doesn't mind, he doesn't at all. He wants to touch and be touched, he wants you to join him.
All three of these bands are very, very good and Black Veil Brides, for all my caveats are more than that.
But they are not my band.
They are yours.