Review: Black Peaks & HECK, The Fleece

The Fleece is one of Bristol’s longest running and most iconic music venues. Posters from bygone gigs plaster the walls, reminding punters that Oasis, Amy Winehouse and The White Stripes came to visit on their way up the ladder. As their fame grew, they left behind the Fleece for larger venues and bigger crowds, but it’s a telling reminder that everyone starts somewhere, and today’s underground hero is tomorrow’s next big thing.

This Be the Verse start things up with pounding drums and chunky guitars, comparable to a hard rock Nine Inch Nails, and they have something of the hysterical exuberance of Faith No More about them as well. Without the outstanding focal point of a Trent Reznor or a Mike Patton, however, This Be the Verse don’t quite have the impact that these bands do: there’s a lot of energy, and the set has enough variety to remain interesting, but there are no sections that sear into your memory and demand attention.

HECK, the band that used to be Baby Godzilla, are tonight’s co-headliners. Their forty minutes of stage time is best illustrated with a few snapshots: the guitarist running through the crowd wielding a metal crash barrier above his head, the bass player filling the room with enormous, snarling sounds that reach right down into your brain stem and hit “GO” on your inner caveman, the singer performing half a song from atop the bar, as staff pass pints between his legs – they’re not a band whose show you forget in a hurry.

HECK’s music is as unrelentingly raucous as their performance, comparable to the frenetic energy of early System of a Down or (if you’ll excuse another Mike Patton comparison) Fantomas. However, this constant full-tilt energy leaves little room for dynamics or finesse, and though there are memorable moments the songs start to blur together by the end of their set.

Although this is a co-headline tour it feels like the crowd is waiting to see Black Peaks, and there’s a palpable surge as they take to the stage, opening with White Eyes from their new (and only) album Statues. There’s a sense of purpose and intent to Black Peaks which contrasts with the wild abandon of HECK, a definite feeling that this a band on their way to the top.

Their performance is tight and impressively fluid, doing justice to their recording whilst adding a healthy dose of live energy. Their sound is punchy yet complex, with hints of Mastodon and the heavier parts of Oceansize making themselves heard, and the crowd loves it; a circle pit opens up, with scant regard for the half-dozen metal columns supporting the Fleece’s roof. Clearly, Black Peaks are a band aiming for bigger and better things, and it isn’t hard to picture a day when their posters are the ones lining the Fleece’s walls. 

Top image: HECK. Photos by Ben Lampard.