Swedish hardcore legends Refused paid tribute to their New York underground rock influences tonight (March 21) at Brooklyn Paramount in New York throughout the second present of their farewell world tour, which featured opening units from classic native staples Orange 9mm and Quicksand.
Refused fashioned in 1991 and break up following their landmark 1998 album The Form of Punk to Come, however the Dennis Lyxzen-led group reunited in 2012 and has been energetic within the studio and on the street ever since. Contemplating he suffered a coronary heart assault final June, the 52-year-old frontman was in exceptional type all through the 18-song set, as he jumped and danced throughout the stage, twirled his microphone like a lasso and screamed the classics on the high of his lungs.
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The significance of the setting was clearly not misplaced on Lyxzen and his bandmates, nor was the lineage of Quicksand, whose frontman Walter Schreifels additionally performed within the influential New York hardcore bands Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of At this time. “For the reason that return of our band, this metropolis has been fucking so good to us. The exhibits we performed, the after events we performed — it’s been fucking improbable,” Lyxzen mentioned. “I used to be a metalhead. Yeah, it’s true. I didn’t have the power to apply, after which I found hardcore — particularly, New York hardcore. One of many first hardcore data I ever purchased was [by] Crumbsuckers. After which Agnostic Entrance. After which Sick of It All. After which Gorilla Biscuits. After which Youth of At this time.”
“Once we began Refused, and this can be a fucking true story, I had a hardcore band known as Step Ahead and we broke up,” he continued. “A pal of mine known as me mentioned, you wanna play a present with Step Ahead? I mentioned, we’ve damaged up and we obtained a brand new band known as Refused. He’s like, do you wanna play? I’m like, fuck yeah, we’re gonna play. So, we obtained on the bus [for] three hours, confirmed up and performed 4 Gorilla Biscuits songs (laughs). I believe we performed two or three outdated songs and perhaps a Shelter music. This metropolis’s given a lot to me. To have the ability to have Orange 9mm and Quicksand opening up for us is fucking surreal. It’s so fucking loopy! I might by no means have dreamed that that was gonna occur.”
Lyxzen admitted that he was “somewhat winded” from easing again into the bodily calls for of a Refused present, however added, “we play this actually violent, aggressive music, and I’m simply tremendous completely happy (laughs). Once we began and we performed that fucking punk present, who would have thought we might promote out a fucking stunning venue like this? It’s unbelievable.”
The set was dominated by materials from The Form of Punk To Come but additionally sported rarities equivalent to 1993’s “Blind” and opener “Poetry Written in Gasoline,” which had by no means been performed reside previous to the tour opener the night time earlier than in Washington, D.C.
“For me, punk rock and hardcore music was insurgent music,” Lyxzen mentioned. “It was part of not solely subculture however anti-culture. If you’re an adolescent, you don’t actually absolutely perceive the world. You go intestine feeling. You’re like, fuck that! Fuck society! We had been actually younger and writing all these political songs, and I’m exaggerating a lot my pants are busting on the seams. After which, 30 years goes by and I’m like, oh no. This isn’t an exaggeration in any respect. I’m studying songs from our first demo tape, the place I discuss politics is managed by economic system, and I’m like, oh shit! It’s fairly wild to see it occur. The excellent news is, on the finish of the day, it’s as much as us how we wish to reside our lives and the way we wish to outline the world we reside in. It’s as much as us if we wish this world to be a greater place than the fucking shitstorm that’s occurring now. There’s loads of us right here. Get fucking organized. Go to protests. Be fucking offended at what’s occurring. I really feel the overwhelming barrage of bullshit. It makes it really feel fairly lonely. However, holy shit. Take a look at us. There’s 3,000 of us right here. Lovely.”
To start out the night, Orange 9mm performed simply their second present in 25 years — six songs from which had been drawn from their beloved 1995 album Driver Not Included. The group additionally unveiled a brand new tune titled “Flip It Up.” Quicksand then drew 10 of their 15 songs from Slip and Manic Compression, the 2 albums they launched of their ’90s heyday earlier than splitting for 13 years. Highlights included “Thorn in My Facet,” the measured “Landmine Spring” and the first-pumping “Head to Wall.”
Final fall, Quicksand had been one in every of many admirers contributing Refused covers to the gathering The Form of Punk To Come Obliterated. This remaining Refused run has dates on the books by way of early August, after which the band have pledged to completely break up.
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