The Plight, Islington Barfly, London, November 2007
where_ur_at : step-on magazine > music reviews > the plight



Heading towards Islington I have to confess that the only thing keeping me alive was Redbull and BRMC on my iPod. Three days with far too much alcohol and far too little sleep meant that this was a gig I wasn't convinced I would ever get to see. Luckily finding the venue, which is bizarrely located in the middle of a shopping centre, wasn't as big a pain in the arse as I had anticipated, and it meant I arrived with plenty of time for a couple of pints to abate my oncoming hangover before the support Blackhole came on...

Considering the collective age of this band must be about seven, they were actually pretty awesome. You might expect the heavy guitars, 'fuck you' screamy lyrics and the skulls that adorn their album cover but you might not be expecting the 'we have kind of made an effort' stage routines and catchy riffs that reveal their somewhat more mainstream rock influences. Their sound is a modern mixture of heavy metal and alternative rock but with a kind of control and synchronicity that belies their age. It won't be long before they're headlining.

Hangover fully abated (glad it was at the Carling and not the Smirnoff Academy or we could have had problems) and The Plight storm onto stage to such an extent the bassist's lead blows and it all has to kick off again. A suitably rock and roll opening to what turns out to be a fucking astounding set. The Plight are five young lads with ten pairs of balls between them. Their music hits an immediate combination of intense rock and heavy metal with a distinctive punky edge. Raucous drums, shouty lyrics, shambolic bass lines with the occasional salute to 80s rock make this band one of the most refreshing in the current scene. The front man, Aliskull, is the epicentre of the band, and believe me that is saying something. His energy is as frenzied as it is infectious, and it's not long until the crowd are caught up. A dark mixture of violence, politics and disorder dominates their lyrics but that's not to say this band have an agenda. Mostly their songs resonate a raw demand to simply make the most of your life. Fuck self-harming and having a big fringe (you know who you are).

Despite the venue not drawing a particularly big crowd, the people who had made the effort were pretty appreciative and enthusiastic. Maybe the venue needed to be a bit dirtier to attract the right crowd. There's something that doesn't sit right about a plush venue and this type of music. Maybe it was because it was in Islington. Maybe it's just the smoking ban. Either way, I'm sure The Plight stickers the team were giving away will adorn teenage girls' bedrooms and toilet cubicles at sweaty venues for years to come.

Inspiring, colossal guitar riffs, awesome drums (it says a lot when even their manager is wearing earplugs). No puppies had their heads bitten off but that's not to say that this band were not rock & roll...parts were riotous, parts were sexy, some parts were a bit scary actually, but mostly I was left with a feeling that I needed to toughen up my music collection and see this band again. Bring on the revolution. I'm converted.

Editorial : Tamsin Winter



visit www.