Substituting heels for wellies as the blizzards came hurling down. Taxi was an hour late, for this reason The Current’s set was over when I arrived. Despite the treacherous weather this sold out gig still had the excepted atmosphere that pleased all bands. Over the last year following 3’s A Riot this last gig brought back the lingering memories. 22nd March 2012 was the first time catching 3’s A Riot in the Underground; 22nd March 2013 was the last time catching 3’s A Riot exactly in the Underground. I can definitely say that these lads have left a deep footstep whilst walking over the Stoke-on-Trent music scene the last 18 months.
I was on time to watch Kadence with their usual American aggressive punk-like attitude kicking their set off. Throughout the set the attitude got more egotistic with chants of 3’s A Riot were bouncing from fan to fan. On The Run and Go Tell Your Mother has that repetitive pattern in melody and similar lyrical configuration, amongst the unusual added shrill burst of screaming. Constant crazy riffs and shattering cymbals saw Kadence out as Jak threw his guitar and stage dived.
An hour and plus set list and 3’s A Riot take over. With strobe lighting as its maximum and a club anthem up loud they enter and build the forever rising tension with Oplo an old instrumental from their debut album. Last track to be released from Van Gough’s Ear for Music EP, Growler shows that they’ve yet again been more adventurous. It’s a fine song and more orthodox then expected from 3’s A Riot. The Underground has to be a great place for 3’s A Riot to end; great sound and awesome atmosphere. As well as the music getting the crowd rowdy it was the cramped spacing that brought everyone together and simultaneously moshing. True Illusion an old track was cleverly mixed with The Unknown. It had no lyrics evidence and it got more intense as the riffs took over. Even if it was 3’s A Riot last gig they still cared, they changed sounds and mixed songs. Tonight the Sun Comes Up has a Kasabian 60s, Britpop intro to get the people bouncing. The chant-worthy, indie pop, laddish heavy choruses and subtle lyric track Take Her Back saw 3’s A Riot again experimenting with melody control, brilliant. Local lad rapper Lance made two appearances; a new track with a similar Arctic Monkey lyrical manner and hip-hop indie genre, just like In the City. With the dinosaur-sized deep bass beats and crashes between a club stomper and blissed indie rock, 3’s A Riot will be without doubt renowned for the unique approach to music.
It all came to an end with an emotional speech from Joe and a stage invasion, but not just 1 or 3 people; the whole of the underground were on stage. Lose Control came as a literal command for the crowd, as they repeated the track again the crowd were using the last of their energy to see them goodbye.
LC
Radicals Rising 