LIVE FROM THE PIT: Fentanyl, Flesh Prison, Kute, Perp Walk,

Coming all the way from San Francisco in the US, the hardcore Fentanyl is known for its raw, aggressive sound and unapologetic lyrics, and it surely does not stop just here. Consisting of the vocalist, guitarist and bassist Kenneth Turner, guitarist Carlos Cruz and drummer Joshua Mendoza, the band has released their debut self-titled LP in September last year and has been in one circle ever since.

Being supported by the bands Flesh Prison, Do One, Kute and Perp Walk, Fentanyl’s performance is a part of Real Life Summer Jams, that are taking place at the New Cross Inn from 2^nd July until 8^th July.

The first support, Flesh Prison, had a fairly full venue already, which is always a great sign. Giving the audience screams, heavy riffs and immaculate drumming from the start, all they really needed was a two-step moshpit, which started almost immediately. The band’s set was roughly twenty minutes long, which was not a lot of time to do anything, but they still managed to hype the venue up, making everyone inside even more excited for the upcoming bands.

Fentanyl

Do One sadly could not perform, as everyone from the band, apart from the drummer, got stuck on overground on their way to the venue after a big incident. The drummer, to a big surprise of the fans, improvised for a bit with someone from the crowd, resulting into a little filler set before the next band came onto the stage.

Kute, however, were ready to step in the first second they had, and it was truly an amazing experience. Coming down to London from Glasgow, they brought their feral vocals, swift guitar and bass and heart-pounding drums, and created a performance that is going to be talked about for a while. Powered by a huge two-step moshpit, the audience was not behind on their end and truly welcomed the band in London with a pompous style, showing them that they are always welcomed at the New Cross Inn.

The long awaited, and frankly, one of the most prominent bands of the evening, Perp Walk, took over the stage after a quick soundcheck, and the floor transformed immediately into a battlefield. From two-steppers, to crawlers, audience went absolutely feral through the full set, and rightfully, as the band is one of the best ones on the underground scene. The band’s singer screamed through their set with no issues and the guitarist and bassist nailed their lines with no flaws. As the set was getting to an end and the moshpit grew into enormous size, people were joining on the edges with glasses of drinks, and this rookie mistake cost the guitarist a whole pedal board, as one of the fans fell down and spilled his beer on it. Apart from this, the set was very energetic and absolutely a highlight.

After three sick support bands and one, that could not show up on time, Fentanyl finally took over the stage. Bringing in its Bay Area Hardcore, the band made the stage their home immediately and was supported by their fanbase, who somehow made the moshpit even bigger than before. The raw and aggressive vocals of the band’s singer Kenneth Turner were lingering and the vengeful guitars of Carlos Cruz and another guitarist, who was touring Europe and the UK with the band, kept the pit on its feet. Although there were few instances, when stage-divers were not met with hands to hold them high, it was not a reason for anyone to stop jumping into the crowd. By the end of the set, the band was stunned when their fans longed for an encore, and they gave them two more songs to enjoy, only to definitely end the set right after, as the never-ending pleas that continued could not be honoured.

Fentanyl’s set was definitely one of the heavier ones New Cross Inn has ever seen, and it has been welcomed with an unmatched energy from its loyal fans. The selected support bands were amazing and helped the crowd to get into mood very quickly, even when short of one. The third concert of the Real Life Summer Jams was indeed a successful one and a one the band is not going to forget any time soon.

Words and Photos: Katerina Stepanikova