George Jeffery’s A beginner’s guide to post-hardcore #9

Over the past ten weeks, I’ve tried to give an insight into the wonderful world of post-hardcore music. Hopefully I’ve achieved my goal in revamping the record collection of the old-timer P-H fans and perhaps even converted some people previously sceptical about this incredible genre. However, the sad truth is that there’s probably very few of you willing to read anything labelled “post-hardcore” but for anyone that is, I urge you to read this summary and listen to the bands mentioned, you will not be disappointed.

Starting with the old favourites of post-hardcore, we came across At The Drive-In with their drug-induced weirdness and unpredictable live shows. Next up was Refused, a hardcore band from Sweden who fathered modern heavy punk. The almighty Glassjaw came third with American metalcore heroes Every Time I Die following in week four. Then we had The Fall of Troy and witnessed Thomas Erak’s godlike guitar mastery. Week six then saw a change of setting as I began to let you into the UK post-hardcore scene and the amazing bands it has to offer. Firstly there was funny men Reuben and then the apparent vagrant-led Meet Me In St. Louis bringing us up to two weeks ago. We then had the ever-ranting Blakfish and finally explosive trio Shapes.

All of these bands, while quite different are phenomenal in their own way and I would strongly encourage you to check them all out. On a more specific note, you can find so many decent UK post-hardcore bands if you just look around the Facebook pages of Shapes etc. and I would really recommend you do this because, in the words of Blakfish, the scene is dead, and any underground bands you find will really need the support that you can give them. Don’t get me confused with Lenny Henry though. I’m not trying to get charity for these bands; the music they produce is astonishingly good and any money they get is more than well-deserved. These bands are constantly touring and their shows (just like all post-hardcore shows) are fucking awesome, just have a look around and there will definitely be something you’ll enjoy, normally in some terrible area of London but the shows are definitely worth getting a little bit stabbed for.

If you are a rich man however, something far more appealing may be Sonisphere 2012 which will have the newly reformed Refused as well as Glassjaw playing Worship and Tribute in its entirety. Unfortunately I will not be attending as the pleasure overload would render me a deadman.

Finally, never stop listening to post-hardcore…ever.