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Coming off the back of their extremely well-required sophomore album By Design, Amongst Liars set off on a UK tour sure to delight many fans of their punchy, anthemic alt. rock sound. Given the political messaging behind many of the band’s lyrics, the rebellious James Kennedy and the Underdogs were a natural choice for co-headliner, ensuring that each show would be full to bursting with poignant social commentary, blistering guitar riffs and a whole lot of headbanging. Rounding out the lineup with the upbeat pop-punk grooves of ZacTheLocust, Cardiff’s Fuel Rock Club hosted a night of explosive rock music and undeniable, unstoppable energy.
The four-piece ZacTheLocust took to the stage early in the night to an excited crowd. The venue was fairly small, sporting an unfortunately low ceiling and limited floor space, but these factors could do little to dampen the spirits as everyone began to enjoy their evening. ZacTheLocust blasted through a surprisingly robust set for a support act, indulging in their influences from popular acts such as Green Day. ‘Sunshine In My Heart,’ the second song of the set, is a perfect encapsulation of everything the band is about: uplifting lyrics about frontman Keryn Isaac’s children, cheeky pop-punk riffs and stellar guitar solos made this a fun romp from start to finish. Guitarist Archie Holland played with a rock’n’roll edge reminiscent of the greats like Slash and Angus Young, adding another dynamic to the group’s sound and Isaac’s vocals were consistently bright and energetic. The group’s breakout single ‘Razorblades and Roses’ was surely the set’s highlight, featuring some magical lead guitar passages and anthemic moments that had the whole venue tuned in. Similarly, engaging was the touching ‘Hold On,’ which the band dedicated to former member Cory James who had recently passed away— the group looked on the verge of tears throughout the track, making this one of the most passionate performances you could hope to see. Unfortunately, not every moment was quite so magical throughout their 40-minute set. ZacTheLocust wears their Green Day influence on their sleeve to a fault, making a number of their songs rather unmemorable when compared to the rest of the night’s offerings. Mid-set cuts such as ‘Lazy Days’ or ‘Golden State of Mind,’ while still fairly bouncy, were arguably the least explosive or dynamic moments of the event, leaving the support act with a somewhat inconsistent setlist. The band also had some small technical issues, with the backing vocals courtesy of Ashley Turner and Robert Baulch being buried. Even still, the group were a fun opening act to the event— it’s just a shame that they ended up rather tepid compared to what was to come.
Though ZacTheLocust were an upbeat introduction to the show, James Kennedy and the Underdogs really kicked things into high gear. The titular frontman is just about everything you could possibly ask for in the role: he can wail like a banshee, sing like an angel, play guitar like the devil and is completely locked in with the crowd from start to finish, frequently coming out into the audience mid-song. Themes of rebellion and social struggle pervade the performance as many tracks from the group’s 2020 release Make Anger Great Again have the band clearly worked up— it’s fantastic to see such passion from the group, with Kennedy himself wearing his heart on his sleeve at every moment. Tracks such as ‘The Power’ are inarguably anthemic, with the entire venue pumping their fists to the song’s infectious beat, and the endless grooves of ‘Algorhythm’ have the entire venue bobbing along. The Underdogs are arguably a little less exciting to watch, keeping their performances more stationary and reserved, but their playing is nonetheless powerful as they plough through a faultless set. Kennedy himself is simply a tour de force unto himself, and it’s hard to take your eyes off him at any time: for anyone looking for energetic alt. rock with a political leaning, look no further.
Last up to bat were Amongst Liars, for whom the crowd were absolutely buzzing. Let’s make one thing clear off the bat: Amongst Liars stole the show, diving into an absolute masterclass performance. Opening on the fan-favourite ‘You Are Not A Slave,’ the band flew through the track’s crushing riffs and daring verses at breakneck speed, scarcely leaving the audience room to breathe! Each member threw themselves into the song: Adam Oarton’s blistering performance on the drums was simply stunning, though the rest of the band were no less impressive as Ian George’s cries of “you are not a fucking slave!” and Leo Burbett’s deafening guitar playing rang out across the venue. The band hit a stumbling block early on on the anthemic ‘Vice,’ with the group’s sounding a little unsure of themselves as George occasionally struggled to stay in pitch throughout the song. Nonetheless, the track remained as massive and infectious as ever, and Amongst Liars would not stumble again for the remainder of their set. The vast majority of their new release By Design cropped up in the setlist, consistently sounding blissfully well-realised in the live setting: ‘Ready For This?,’ ‘Mind,’ ‘Wolf Machine’ and more all brought pummelling riffs and gigantic hooks to the table, sporting an impactful and well-balanced mix. The group’s older tracks were similarly awe-inspiring: ‘Cut It’ was a particularly lofty highlight as Amongst Liars paused mid-song, building the tension to impossible heights before releasing it into a suitably brutal breakdown that brought the house down. The most surprising moment of all, however, came when the band performed an as-of-yet unreleased track: Ross Towner’s gnarly bass riffs made this a real barn-burner reminiscent of Rage Against The Machine. When a band’s performance is so visceral, so real, so raw, it’s hard to put into words just how it felt to see them bash their way through such an incredible set: perhaps it would be best to say that if you get the chance to see Amongst Liars live at any point, just do it. You won’t regret it.
It’s always fantastic to see a smaller venue host such an explosive, larger-than-life gig, and Fuel Rock Club certainly did just that. Sporting three distinct, powerful performances, the night had everybody grinning from ear to ear, and rightfully so. Both Amongst Liars and James Kennedy are ones to watch in the future, leaving me very excited for the future of UK alt. rock.
Words: Jay Kirby
Photos: Kayleigh Fryer
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