LIVE FROM THE PIT: Basement, Anxious, Dynamite and Midrift

Almost ten years ago, five guys from sleepy Ipswich opened for BRING ME THE HORIZON. At the time, basking in the pop-centric lull of That’s The Spirit, plucky openers BASEMENT would make the mark with releasing the first singles from their third studio album Promise Everything. Here, their set would be defined by their second album Colourmeinkindness, which would eventually gain a cult following with time and nostalgia, and was honored wholeheartedly with a full album playthrough at Outbreak Festival last year. 

Whilst the band’s influence in the UK alternative scene was underrated by most, for those who cherished their overwhelming sentimentality and the grunge heavy overtones of the Kurt Cobain-crazed nineties, there was a carefree timelessness to their sound. Authough there have been periods of hiatus for the band over the years, for many BASEMENT was a constant soundtrack- as poetic and heartfelt as the falling leaves outside of Manchester’s New Century Hall. 

BASEMENT’s recent tour is a colourful anthology of the band’s two decades, showcasing the band’s impressive song roster and sparkling with the beginning of a new era. Strikingly so is the legacy of the band’s sound, diamond-encrusted with youthful supports MIDRIFT, DYNAMITE and ANXIOUS, as promising and reminiscent of the band that had that knowing gleam in their eyes all those years ago. 

Basement

Opener MIDRIFT is living proof of the shoegaze revival. The Cali surf-rock collective promise the brutality of DEFTONES alongside the bleak yearnfullness of SMASHING PUMPKINS and MY BLOODY VALENTINE. Their sound feels like an angsty younger sibling finding AMERICAN FOOTBALL’s Never Meant and blasting it at full volume, as a way to make themselves known to the world- and more importantly to everyone in their neighbourhood. The vocals were low in the mix, but amongst it all the vocallists’ HOT MULLIGAN warble was loud and indulgent.  MIDRIFT’s first time outside of America is met with the enthusiasm of a band who has only just discovered their sound. What potential they may have in the future is yet to be determined- but we will watch from a distance as they navigate an optimistic and forgiving world. 

As the opening fuzz of London hardcore bruiserweights DYNAMITE erupted from the stage, it was met with the surging mass of millennial men making their way to the pit. Being the only truly heavy representation on the tour, their pit was pushed wide as the band, feeling dominated by the massive stage, made their mark. If any heavy band could find their place on this tour, it would be them, flowing with that etherial nostalgic energy but still willing to pack a punch. In  that moment, Outbreak Autumn came back for a glorious Manchester return- and the crowd knew it. Hardcore was represented with a stellar array of merchandise, throwing conversations back to the underground, the place where all of the bands on the lineup made their debut. 

Despite the name, ANXIOUS were confident. Owning the stage, even. As vocalist Grady Allen took his time to firmly be acquainted with the crowd, he held the same enthusiasm for the scene as a young Parker Cannon. Wide eyed and fresh off of a tour in Japan, they really made a statement, with explosive energy that Grady flung himself into the crowd. The pop-punk elements of their sound really shone in a live setting- upbeat tempos with even more raucous guitars. Whilst their sound mused with the longing of their latest album Bambi, this set added an entirely new dimension. Entirely stratospherical. ANXIOUS gives us faith in the future of pop-punk, a genre that thrives with its all-or-nothing attitude but with the hurt and the pain of the shoegaze generation recently feels like the scene has lost its way. The band seemed to thrive off of that energy, passionate about the scene and as a result completely won over the entire crowd. Now, that is what you call a performance!

Anxious

In the best way possible, BASEMENT was the comedown. A steadfast compass pointing north, a place where catharsis and content end up at the same destination. Opening with the tried and tested Are You The One, the band’s connection with the crowd was kinetic. Inevitably, a pleasant and welcoming experience, as alluring as ever and exactly what you wanted it to be. 

The band’s set was sensible, tailored to make the most emotional impact. Catapulting conflicting feelings between BASEMENT’s holy trinity of albums (Colourmeinkindness, I Wish I Could Stay Here and Promise Everything), its commitment to 2018’s Beside Myself was non-existent. Instead, there was a moment to push two new tracks to a live audience. Both hallmarked the band’s refined alt rock sound, smoothed by trilling guitars and complimentary vocals that made BASEMENT feel so present in the moment. 

The crowd’s response to the band was overly positive. At the right moment, you could often see the tears rolling down onlookers faces. This is a fanbase that has experienced a lot- they were older than expected but knew exactly what they were getting into. With Manchester being the first show to sell out on the tour, vocalist Andrew Fisher threw out the fact that he has never played a bad show in the city. 

Switching gears into some of the more danceable tracks like Brother’s Keeper and Fading, there was a compact but resilient pit swirling in the middle of the crowd. The energy, no matter where you stood, had movement. The experience was wholesome, with everyone in the room making the most of the moment with the band. Sensual swaying, singing every word made the show wholesome- which in comparison to some of the more longing lyrics felt like there was a resolution. It’s those moments that you realise how important the things you have already are. 

Basement

BASEMENT’s set felt quick. Fleeting. The band wanted it to be that way, asking for no encore, but reasoning with the audience for two more songs. After the emotional Pine, came the iconic Covet, a song that made the most of the TikTok algorithm. With the participation of the crowd, the song’s bashful lyrics did not feel as lonely or as wanting as when it was written. Instead, it becomes full circle and cinematic.

Somewhere - out there - is a kid caught on the outside who discovers BASEMENT for the first time. A bedroom listen, heavy with the weight of their own existence soon becomes an experience made real with the crushing loneliness of each listen. In some ways, it is too personal to play live. In others, especially with a room full of strangers, it instead takes on a whole lot of new meaning.

Words: Amber Brooks

Photos: Ace Cheng