Gallows
The Sugarmill, Stoke On Trent
04/12/2009

As he clings to the upper balcony, looking down at the chaotic maelstrom he has created below, Frank Carter smiles an anarchic smile. Having crowd surfed his way to the wall and scrambled up it, he now growls the chorus of ‘Abandon Ship’ to the frenetic crowd, each baying for him to launch himself towards them.  With human pyramids, stage dives and head smashing already ticked off the list, there is little else left to do…

It certainly has been quite a night. Gallows are once again at their combative best, rattling the foundations of The Sugarmill with every note. Charismatic front man Frank is antagonised as usual, pacing the stage like a caged animal and launching at every note despite a mild case of Swine Flu. Yet such an inconvenience is not enough to derail the show, the band smashing through tracks old and new to frenzied appreciation. To get over four hundred Midlanders to recite ‘London Is The Reason’ at full volume is no mean feat, yet this is the nature of the Gallows spell.

As each delightfully crunchy riff bounces off the walls, so the atmosphere seems to intensify. Guitarist Steph Carter leaps around like a lunatic yet remains note perfect throughout, whilst Lee Barrett’s blast beats and double bass pedals thud like oncoming thunder. A fleeting guest appearance from Rolo Tomassi’s Eva Spence adds a touch of diversity, but tonight is undoubtedly all about the main event.

And so Frank clings to the balcony still, stretching the turbulent atmosphere to its peak. This is Gallows doing what they do best, and the crowd love them for it. ”The hardest thing you’ll ever learn, is how to love, and be loved in return”. And with that he lets go, leaping toward the outstretched arms below, all ready to break his fall, all desperate to be part of the spectacular chaos.

Dan Grose