Bush Hall was built as a dance club back in 1905, one hundred and seven years after its conception punters shook a leg for Frank Carter's debut gig with PURE LOVE.
In July last year Carter departed Gallows in pursuit of a new musical direction. The lead man stated the band had "hit a crossroads" in their writing process and he had "different ideas regarding the sound of Gallows going forward". This new sonic tack, until now, remained shrouded in a veil of mystery. Uniquely, no full song had been leaked into the digital realm until last night. As punters waited in the veteran halls of the Shepherd's Bush venue the anticipation was tangible.
Carter and his new band took to the stage at the billed time of 10pm, a raucous mewl rang throughout the spectators as the suited, tattooed luminary shuffled onto the podium. Joining him in PURE LOVE is the mercurial talent of Clouds' Jim Carroll, from the outset Carroll proved his capability and aptitude. PURE LOVE deliver unabashed rock n' roll for a solid hour. After two minutes sworn hardcore fans were leaving the building due to a self-centred policy which meant they couldn't appreciate the music that spawned their preferred genre.
Throughout, brief moshes spun into life before petering into the slow shoulder wavers the music solicited. There were moments of harder, guttural rock as featured in our video below, but this set was built on a backbone of ballad. Carter addressed the crowd with typical colloquialism: "I only went and learnt how to fucking sing!" - and sing he can. Not a note is missed, Carter has shown the world that he can do it all. His transition from hardcore screech to mellifluous trill is reminiscent of Plan B, but with larger balls and more tattoos.
Moving forward, we suspect, Carter will increase the amount of violent, severe rock tunes. Not because he needs to return to a comfort zone but because he is one of the best in the world at venomous 'passion'.
Carter is an intransigent human being with an iron grip on what makes great art. PURE LOVE are nothing but a superb rock and roll band - do you like rock and roll? Of course you do.
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