Lovvers - The Macbeth, London - 25/10/07
4/5
By: Yousif Nur
A packed, frenzied Macbeth in Hoxton wait with much zeal for what one was hoping to be an incendiary performance by Nottingham's Lovvers. On the back of two seven-inch releases, said band, who are anything but affectionate or smooth as their name might suggest, formed from the ashes of The Murder Of Rosa Luxembourg are a promising foursome with enough scuzz and attitude to force their path into one of next year's one-to-watch lists and gurning photoshoots for fashion mags. Though that won't be in the thoughts of their increasingly swelling fanbase much, for as anyone who has witnessed a performance of theirs will attest to the brutal and near devastating spectacle of their albeit short set.
It's what any credible, discerning punk fan should expect - live presence, rambunctious messy guitar and a frontman who looks in pain. One uses that term because his vocals scream through a muffled mike and jerky movements as though he were contorted. It's fair to say that Lovvers look across over the pond for their influences, from much of the eighties and nineties hardcore and (dare we say) grunge, which proves a catalyst for an aura of which can't quite be pinpointed at a certain axis. They play quite a short set, with each song no more than an estimated three minutes in length, whilst barely acknowledging those not in the loop as to who they are, and why they're important.
A companion of mine gave the opinion that he was 'pissed off' with Lovvers, because of the fact we were barely in our infancy when Minor Threat, Bad Brains, Void or the Minutemen to name but a few of the hegemony of American hardcore were trashing sweaty bars across the USA. Yes, they're a homage to that era. Agreed it's nothing particularly new and fair enough there's no distinguishing originality in much acts in present time. But what they have in abundance is a distinguishing realisation that what they have got with their brand of old school hardcore, is that frankly - it rocks. Hard.
Artists in this article: Lovvers
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