Primordial General Mayhem
Lincolnshire Showground – April 22nd and 23rd 2022
It’s all systems go at the aptly named Lincolnshire Showground Epic Centre. The modern airy building has two stages set at each end of a large enclosed space that gives enough room for all without ever feeling too full, or too empty. Cage Fight start swinging like their lives depend on it from the moment the first note sounds. Vocals are intense, surprising a few early drinkers. Thoroughly modern and up for a party is how best to describe Seething Akira. There’s no messing with these guys and they set the bar almost impossibly high. They have the crowd bouncing straight away. An appearance at Download later this year will surely go down a storm.
And speaking of storms, that’s what melodic metallers Skarlett Riot bring to the table. Clean melodies mesh with pounding rhythms in a finely tuned machine. New songs sit well but it’s old favourite ‘Warrior’ that still steals the show. Like theatre? Like a bit of horror in a cartoonish child friendly way? Ward XVI are the band for you then. They bring (almost) all of their wondrous stage props to the Epic Centre. There are inflatable chainsaws, ghouls, ghasts and even a toy box with a little marionette girl inside of it. Importantly the music meets the high standard the imagery wants you to have it deliver. Slick guitars and strong writing are enhanced by a well pitched vox. The asylum isn’t that scary – honest!
Now Primordial have pulled off a bit of a coup in getting the legend that is Devin Townsend to play a special acoustic set. He rewards the event with a typically classy show. The banter is just right. His voice is quite breath taking in both range and texture. And he has a deft touch on the six stringer he plays with a respect usually afforded to a family heirloom. Everything about Townsend shouts quality. He’s the real deal and proves it today. What is great to see is that the acts around him more than hold their own in the presence of such a major artist.
Take Millie Manders And The Shutup for instance. They’re closing the (marginally) smaller Primordial Presents stage on this opening night and they own that lofty position. The ska punks have such a diverse repertoire that you’re hooked from the first intro until the last note fades away. ‘Bitter’ booms loudly, a pleaser for all the rock fans. ‘Glitter Mix’ has you reaching for the hankies, a ballad of stunning depth. And those punk roots are well represented with the uplifting ‘Not Ok’ and anthemic ‘Your Story’. The music is played with panache while Millie’s voice is simply world class. This is a band very much on the up.
With both headliners pulling shortly before the event you can only imagine how the organisers must have felt. Friday night’s top slot is filled admirably by the fast rising Florence Black who damn near lift the roof off with their hard rockin’ groove. There’s real punch from each song and the very full sound threatens to overwhelm things a little so a shout out to the engineer dealing with it here is in order. You need something to put a smile on your face to end a festival day and the Welsh trio don’t disappoint. It’s a fine performance that bodes well for the future. Stepping in so late in the day Tristan, Jordan and Perry show they’re ready for that next big step up.
Saturday’s sets at Primordial AGM are all about voices. Singy/shouty vocal voices, of course, but also voices from within the artists, who, in saying something, are actually saying everything. Wait! Don’t be confused! Take Delilah Bon, who is the first act of the day but could easily have headlined. Honest, heart-wrenching hip-hop, punk, that pisses on attitudes that still still hold us back every single day. The stage is ablaze as soon as Delilah and her girls step on it. And it’s a fair bet that everyone nodding their heads isn’t only feeling the music – we’re agreeing with the lyrics.
With voices being the theme of today’s sermon, Scruffy Bear have got the memo. You need the toilet? A beer? Sorry dude, you’ll have to wait. Because Scruffy Bear’s vocals gonna pull you to the stage like a wasp to a glass of wine. But these hard rocking folks are much more welcome. Alt-rockers Tribeless leave it all on stage. Confident lead vocals, spot on harmonies, kick-ass attitude, and songs to match the swagger. Like a Labrador, Tribeless will not quit until you pledge your allegiance. And rightly so. Red Method: If you know, you know. And if you don’t? Best say your prayers. Things are getting pretty effing heavy on an April afternoon. Guttural, face-melting, circle-pitting death/thrash/horn-throwing metal. Red Method leave with A LOT of fans – who, indeed, are lucky to leave with their lives.
Powerful (musically, lyrically and visually) atmospheric rockers Hawxx make – no cheap pun intended – soaring, uplifting music. The words mean the world while the riffs and rhythms sway and shove their way into your soul. Men who clearly pay no heed to their larynxes, Defects give an astounding performance. They’re loud, proud, pit-enticing boys who can scream, spit and scratch until all the Strepsils are gone, but the fact remains that their clean live vocals are as good as some of the stadium bands.
Groovesome good-time quartet Scarlet Rebels up the revs with a pinch of country, a hint of road trip and a bit of bar brawl soundtracking rock n roll in four safe pairs of hands. Oooof. There’s been some heavy stuff today. And then there’s Vexed. Rattling, frantic, ear splitting, gritty metalcore that threatens to blow speakers and minds. As December Falls fresh sound is as captivating and energetic as their stage presence. Sharp beats, spikey riffs, and real sentiments delivered by delicious vocals.
Fiercely dressed, finely named fun four-piece, femme fatales The Hot Damn! welcome in the evening with their self-proclaimed ‘sassy punk rock’. Playlist bothering ‘I Didn’t Like You Anyway’ sounds even better live than on the radio and is a real treat. Remember what we said earlier about voices saying everything? Bob Vylan. Utterly charged from their very first word – and every single word therein – all of which are heard clear as a bell. Bob Vylan’s songs tonight are full of rage while the (self-confessed extensive) chat in between is laugh out loud funny. Closing with a mass stage invasion by invitation of frontman Bobby, this is a set no one will ever forget.
A stageful of people (well six, so not quite as many as Bob Vylan, but still…) each giving it their all in the melodic post-hardcore stakes. As Everything Unfolds’ vocals switch from angelic to deadly without warning, and make an impression as big as their membership. Bringing the party to a close is the Kris Barras Band, who admirably stepped in to fill the headline slot. Storming onto the stage with ‘Hail Mary’, their solid rock n roll/bluesey combo flows freely through the thrilled crowd and wraps the whole awesome Primordial Radio AGM 2022 up with a nice big hard rockin’ bow, ready and waiting to be untied and unleashed in 2023.
We’ve seen nineteen acts over two days and the thing that cannot be ignored is that twelve of them had female representation. That’s just over 60%, very much there entirely on merit. Primordial General Mayhem should be congratulated for showing that you can have a festival line up with true gender balance and book the whole thing naturally. The all ages welcome policy meant some very happy young fans too. Wonderfully diverse and leaders in supporting emerging artists we hope this event (and the radio station) runs for a very long time. Roll on next year, we can’t wait!
Review by Jo Wright and Gary Trueman
Photos by Gary Trueman