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So far, you'd have to agree it's been a pretty good year for LA hardcore punks the Bronx. Good album, picking up increasing coverage in the press and generally looking set for bigger things.
Tonight though sees them put arguably their first foot wrong since coming to the Vault's attention - namely booking Danko Jones as their support. The best way of summing him up is from the guy himself - "This ain't a metal gig, this ain't a punk gig, this ain't a blues gig, this is a ROCK 'N' ROLL GIG BABY!!"
Indeed it is. And it's rock 'n' roll so perfectly constructed that frankly it chills the blood. From the sleazerama of "The Mango Kid" ("You can call me the Mango Kid/But your girlfriend calls me BABY!") to the "testify brother" sentiments of "Before You Can Play The Blues, You Gotta Get Yourself A Woman", tonight sees Jones and his band play a tight-as-hell set which gets a rapturous reception from the crowd.
So the $64,000 question - just how the hell are the Bronx gonna follow that? With difficulty as it transpires. You can't fault them for effort - certainly the mohicaned hardcore kidz down the front go mad when they come onstage and the singer spends as much time in the pit as he does onstage but after the pin missile precision of Danko Jones, the Bronx's scatterbomb thrash approach feels like something of a letdown. There's no doubting their good intentions but it's so easy to predict how each song is gonna be - Black Flag style guitar mangling, indecipherable screamed vocals essentially - that it inevitably disappoints. Even the highlights of their admittedly excellent album like "Cobra" can't really stand up in these circumstances.
Towards the end, to their immense credit, they do turn it around with a beautifully desolate cover of "The Needle And The Damage Done" by Neil Young which just to say rescues the set by proving that there is more than one side to the Bronx's repertoire. Thereafter it's a bit easier to enjoy the last few songs that they do. But really, next time these guys are gonna have to be a bit more careful in who they choose as support. As for Mr Jones? Well, put it this way, he should get his wish of returning to the big room in the Cockpit sooner rather than later if the kids keep coming back...
Review and pics by Andy James
