Rival Schools / J Majesty / Champions Of Sound - Exeter Cavern - 10/7/02
5/5
By: Thomas Hannan
The Cavern has in the past set itself some very high standards. This tiny venue in the rural south of Devon has somehow managed to stage shows from the likes of Hole, Fugazi, Muse and Jets to Brazil, sufficiently establishing itself as part of one of the UK's most important underground venues.
As it happens, too, the seminal Quicksand, featuring Walter Schreifels from tonight's headliners Rival Schools, were the first group to ever play at this venue. Schreifels, one of the nicest men in rock music, now describes himself as a 'Cavern regular'. As a favour to friends that run the club, Rival Schools haven taken time out from their hectic touring-schedule (they play the sold-out London Astoria later this tour, for instance) to serve as the main attraction for Exeter's impressive 'Urban Live' festival.
In keeping with the rest of the acts on the bill, openers Champions of Sound hail from New York City, and promise us all 'a bite of the Big Apple'. Like the 'Schools, they also feature an ex-member of Quicksand in guitarist Sergio Vega. Sadly, however, we perhaps don't experience the group's full sound due to the absence of their drummer, who is this evening replaced by a drum-machine; now, call us traditionalist, but there's something about a band without a drummer that makes you fear what you're in for. The artificial rhythm coupled with the more familiar bass, guitar and vocal framework is mildly off-putting, only saved via aloof and welcoming melodies, and, seeing as a lot of the crowd seem to wish they lived somewhere other than in the slightly dull south, Champions of Sound being some of the few people here tonight who seem pleased to be in Exeter (which most certainly works to their credit).
Much more to the crowd's taste however are the genuinely brilliant J Majesty. Probably fitting into that pesky 'emo' category nicely and, reassuringly, featuring a real-life drummer (and a gifted one at that), their scope of musical-expertise ranges from heart-wrenching punk to the cheery likes of 'Song For The Dogs' (no, it's not some kind of metaphor), right through to the body-shaking funk-metal of 'New School', both shockingly focused for an act yet to release their second album. Coupled with deadpan humour ('get used to this song, it'll soundtrack your next five minutes') and the intelligence of the music itself, a converted audience is instilled.
The pleasure brought by the J Majesty set is one thing, but the euphoria that greets Rival Schools is something else completely. Opening with anthemic current single 'Good Things' provokes a communal sing-a-long, this time not in anger or protest but in (a disturbingly chirpy) shared joy and appreciation. And what a relief and apt change it is to see such a side of emotional hardcore that reveals feelings of intense happiness rather than anguish... For Rival Schools, 'good things' are equally as affecting as the bad ones, an attitude which reverberates throughout their entire killer of a set... And who else on the scene anyway can follow up such a superb opener with something as mind-alteringly graceful as 'High Acetate'?
To boot, from start to finish, frontman Walter is in fine form. Stopping to sign posters following songs and depositing forward enough energy into the performance for all three bands this evening, he rightfully gains the crowd's adoration, acting as the one person in the room capable of stopping the seemingly relentless jumping up and down - something he manages by occasionally surfing over the mass of bodies, gorgeous tunes still making their way out of his guitar.
Incidentally, within the live-arena, RS at times sound indistinguishable from how they do on debut LP 'United By Fate'. If it wasn't for the amount of sheer sweat dripping off the performers' faces and the evolution of the songs drifting them into spaced-out noise-fests or sheer laid back ambience, it could be a very impressive and convincing mime (not that one person here tonight would care if it was). Fittingly captured during the moving end to 'Undercovers On', involving everyone in the venue on collective vocals, the band's ability to break down the barriers between artists and the kids to form one unified movement of sound is utterly exemplary.
Quite simply, this four-piece head the pack of new rock groups by a mile. And, vigorously loud, comfortingly uplifting and staring you right in the face, Rival Schools have tonight been incredible.
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