Review and Photos by Kyle Bunkin
Tonight’s show sees Portsmouth’s SSMC promotions move to their third home and, with a winner of a line up, it seems a sure-fire event. Unfortunately the evening’s proceedings have been dogged with problems as Portsmouth-based Attack! Vipers! have pulled out due to sickness and then Asbestos have had to pull out at the last minute. A lot of promoters would have backed out at this point but tonight, SSMC’s Callis and Adam have said “balls to it”, made it a free event and insisted the show must go on.
The first of tonight’s two acts are Drop Anchor who are playing their second Portsmouth show and, compared to a few weeks ago, they’ve found good stead and sound completely savage. It’s a wall of chugging riffs reminiscent of a more-doom Black Flag and although it’s not going to reinvent the wheel any time soon, everyone in the venue is banging their heads to it.
Headliners for the evening are Holy Roars run,WALK! who I like to think of as Winchester’s version of Lightning Bolt. It’s with this comparison that tonight takes an interesting turn as I become completely incensed by what’s going on. As sound checking for the band begins, the ‘engineer’ the venue have drafted in, in his infinite wisdom, gives it the “nah mate, it sounds like complete shit, turn it down if you want people to actually stay” routine; not to the band as a quiet word in their ear, but over the miniscule PA, in full volume to the crowd, much to the dismay of run,WALK!’s bass player.
On to the show however, run,WALK! sound completely batshit mental and easily as loud as any full band I’ve ever seen and despite being a two piece, they find time to include some stage-based acrobatics whilst remaining like a two-man-fucking-jungle-drum-machine. It’s hectic passion, played at balls to the wall volume however this doesn’t seem like familiar territory for the soundman, so he turns their microphones off.
After playing in bands for several years, I know the soundman is someone you want on your side, but this seems like just plain ignorance. It’s at this point that I’ve let slip, albeit at some volume “the sound guys a c*nt”. I didn’t expect a response from the front row of “Keep that up and I’ll shove that camera up your arse” from who I was later informed was the manager of the venue; that’s an interesting business model which I can see working with some longevity.
Score one up for me who then approached both manager and soundman at the end of the show to pass on (a lot more diplomatically than before) my disdain to be told “if you don’t like it, you can fuck off”. I then proceeded to mock-cry at the pair which led to being squared up to by a budget Phil Mitchell before I finally left the venue.
For SSMC, this show was a silver lining in what was otherwise an extremely dark cloud and it took some true DIY spirit to keep this show going despite the odds being stacked against them. run,WALK! were probably one of the most exciting bands I’ve seen in Portsmouth for some time so I doff my metaphorical cap to (most of) those involved.
Very saddened to read this.
I’ve played many gigs in my time as well, including a fair few dodgy ones. But this sounds like an exceptionally amateur way in which to branch out into hosting live music.
Oh well it’ll be their loss. Word gets round pretty quick in these situations. Hardly think bands will be queuing up to play after this.
Wow.
just wow.
I’m surprised how this slipped under my radar.
Good thing I haven’t been there in a while. Don’t think I will be.
Not unless it’s something REALLY worth going to.
See ya soon, Kyle
As the inhouse promoter of the Fox I thought I’d just leave a quick note concerning this, as I have seen it referred to within the community, unfortunately.
Although unfortunate, this was a one-off, and the soundman was relieved of his position as we deemed his behaviour to be completely inappropriate and no longer wished to use him. We have changed to two of Southsea’s most reliable and lovely soundmen, Alex and Phil who are best known from their work at the Wedgewood rooms. Since then we haven’t had any trouble.
In regards to The Fat Fox manager, his reaction was as the result of a misunderstanding which I have heard has been apologised for, in person, to Kyle.
It upsets me to think that a community as strong as Southsea dismisses a whole venue due to one individual whom I had unfortunately given a chance only to be proven otherwise. We have had no trouble since then, and are striving to open our space to outside promoters and give the support that we can provide.
Yours, Tallie.