FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES + HOTWAX @ CONCORDE 2, BRIGHTON 15TH OCTOBER 2024
Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes roll into Brighton as part of what may be a valedictory tour following the announcement that they are going on “indefinite hiatus”. If there was any lack of ticket sales, that announcement has certainly resulted in a slew of sold-out shows. Whether this hiatus results from Frank’s recent shows with the Sex Pistols remains to be seen. Rumours of the Pistols playing world tours and summer festivals abound. Only time will tell.
Support tonight comes from the ever-incendiary HotWax. I first saw them at The Great Escape last year. I was astounded to discover that they were only eighteen and already playing like absolute demons. I can only assume that they spent the bulk of their teen years (and possibly their childhoods) practising in their bedrooms. They really are that good. Moreover, they’re in excellent form tonight. I don’t believe they know what “a bad day at the office” actually is!
When they take the stage, they immediately tear into One More Reason, which has a funky bass line that reminds me of The Knack. HotWax are probably too young even to know who that band was! Bassist Lola Sam is wearing a red pearly queen jacket, which is very fetching but probably a bit hot under the stage lights. Treasure is gloriously riffy, with interesting tempo changes, too. One of the key things about HotWax is that they are musically ambitious. Not only that, but they have the chops to more than match that ambition.
She’s Got A Problem is their new single, coming out on 21st October. It more than matches the quality of their previous releases. Lola Sam discards her pearly queen jacket. She has a tattoo of a bass on her inner arm. That must have hurt! Wanna Be A Doll features a bass solo, possibly put through a phaser pedal. Lights On has a classic rock sound, but it manages to do so without appearing retro. Drummer Alfie Sayers is particularly impressive here.
Tallulah Sim-Savage goes from strength as a frontwoman. Her vocals are superb throughout. Rip It Out is an excellent set-closer, with Sim-Savage leaving you in no doubt that she means every word. HotWax: a great live band, with marvellous material. What’s not to like??? Indeed, see for yourself. They’re on the road supporting Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes and then Warmduscher for most of October and November. They play the Mutations Festival in Brighton on 9th November.
When Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes take the stage, the reception that they receive is beyond fervent. The audience is definitely primarily comprised of devotees. I don’t think anyone is here out of curiosity. The crowd seemed to know every word. Surprisingly, the band came onstage to White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, which I didn’t think would be their thing. They immediately kick off with Honey from their most recent album, Dark Rainbow. Although it’s a relatively recent song, the audience receives it like an old friend. Tyrant Lizard King from 2019’s End Of Suffering album features a savage guitar solo by Dean Richardson. Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes are unusual in that they have two core members, Frank and the aforementioned Dean Richardson, and augment the band with additional musicians when they tour. The additional guitarist tonight is Elliot Russell. He plays occasional keyboards, too. Unfortunately, I don’t catch the names of the bassist and drummer.
Kitty Sucker, also from End Of Suffering, has a rendition that almost takes it to within an inch of its life. The band are in excellent form tonight. The crowd love them. Could Frank really be thinking of giving all of this up for the Sex Pistols? I find it difficult to comprehend. After Wild Flowers, Frank asks the audience to open up the dance floor from the front to the back “for the ladies”. The idea is for them to have a safe space in which to mosh. This is very well-intentioned, but mosh pits should be safe spaces for females anyway. Perhaps I’m being too idealistic.
Most of Frank Carter’s lyrics deal with issues in modern society, and My Town is a prime example of this. It’s both powerful and moving. Mentions of used needles lying scattered around are depressing, but that’s because it’s such a realistic scenario. Obviously, it’s not like that everywhere, but there are too many places where that is the case.
Before Rotten Blossom, Frank jumps into the crowd to mosh. He finds somebody’s house and car keys on the floor. I hope that he managed to find their owner! Frank stays in the crowd for Fangs. An audience member reminds him that he once lost his chain whilst in the crowd. This is something that Frank is still not happy about! He dedicates his juggernaut to Brighton and is back onstage for Brambles. The mosh pit has been carnage since the get-go. Frank is clearly a very brave boy!
Frank tells us how awful it is to see news of war on his phone. This is part of the introduction to Thunder. This song was written ten years ago and is sadly more relevant now than ever. It’s a slow song with thought-provoking lyrics. At the song’s end, Frank tells us how lucky we are to have been born here. Any problems we have are certainly first-world problems. Frank is very much a man of the people and is aware of his audience. There’s a lady in a wheelchair at the front. Frank gets her moved so that she has a better view.
The set ends with I Hate You, with Frank proffering his mic to the crowd, who sing the song for him. It’s a moving moment for both the audience and the band. There’s no encore. Well, what could they follow I Hate You with?
The band were originally only going to do one album and one tour. Five albums later, and they’re still here. They don’t know when they’ll be back or if they’ll be back. This is somewhat unfortunate, as the band unflinchingly tell it like it is. Quite frankly (if you pardon the really quite unintentional pun), Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes are precisely the band that the world needs at this moment in time.
All Words: Mark Kelly Photos: ©Cris Watkins Photography
