This was not the first time I had the opportunity to witness the musical phenomenon that is the Apocalypse Disco so I knew what to expect. Where they as great as usual? Read on dear reader to find out. First I need to tell you about the rather spiffing support bands.
First up it was Still Moving, an incredibly talented band. The drummer strived for absolute perfection and probably came within a hairs breadth of it. The lead singer’s voice reminded me of a young Grace Slick at times. Their original songs, particularly “Through It All” were very promising. The band’s choice of covers were very Marmite for me. Their take on “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was fabulous, mesmerising and lava hot. Meanwhile their Oasis cover, while technically great, was bland. Why do so many bands feel the need to cover Oasis? Anyway aside from that Still Moving are undoubtedly an excellent band. Their closing song nailed their burgeoning reputation. It was a tumultuous finish with a strong Jefferson Airplane vibe flowing through it.
Next up in the penultimate slot it was Forever Texas, a band who supposedly don’t play very often. That is not apparent in the powerful punchy set. This was metal tinged punk full of power, passion and a healthy pinch of anger at the world. Musically it was as if John Cooper Clarke wrote the lyrics and Lemmy wrote the choruses. This was a tsunami of mighty riffs which laid siege to your ears in a very good way. The drummer was a talented and tasty performer and held the band together well. I loved their song about flag shaggers. (In case you wondered it was certainly not in favour of flag shaggers!) I am most definitely a Forever Texas fan!
Finally it was time for the Apocalypse Disco to hit the stage. They delivered a tight, high‑energy show that feels more like a late‑night rave ritual, although there was a distinct lack of glow sticks. The musically superpowered duo of Robin and Ian gave a relentless and cohesive set, turning the room into a sweaty, locked‑in dancefloor full of acolytes of the band and their ethos. They are more than the sum of their parts, layering thick synths, driving beats and distorted textures into a dense, physical sound. Robin’s vocals ooze passion and urgency and he performs with a Jagger swagger. This towering performance played into a darkly gorgeous, neon‑lit, end‑of‑the‑world aesthetic. While their name an many of their songs communicate current and impending dystopia there is also strong theme of hope and euphoria. This is protest music you can dance to, and it implores the audience to lose themselves while still feeling that something meaningful is at stake and life is always worth living. The Fulford Arms played host to a show that was intense, sweaty and immersive. If you like your loud, cathartic and unafraid of the dark then seeing the Apocalypse Disco live is definitely for you!.
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