Grove Street Families at The Flapper - review

Opening the show were Telford hardcore band Force of Neglect with further support coming from West Midlands based Conspire, former Unsigned feature band Splintered and hip-hop artist Obijuan.

Following a set full of technical difficulties for Conspire, it was clear that large portions of the audience were already fans of Splintered and that it wasn’t going to take much to convert people either. The Birmingham band made the night feel like their own, with Obijuan then taking the tempo down for a second with his brand of hip hop. Some may argue that hip hop has no place at a hardcore show; however for its groove and reception it shares many a similarity and towards the end of the set it’s clear that the majority of the crowd have warmed to it.

Taking their namesake from a gang in popular gaming series Grand Theft Auto, Southampton’s Grove Street Families have been making a name for themselves recently with their brand of hardcore following appearances at Download Festival as well as support slots for Madball and Trash Talk. But it’s within an intimate venue such as The Flapper that GSF feel their most energetic, ferocious and perhaps engaging. Tracks such as ‘Faded’ and ‘Big Smoke And Mirrors’ prove perhaps why Grove Street Families have garnered a reputation beyond the scene they find themselves placed in, with a sense of melody and accessibility that you would perhaps not find amongst the typical hardcore band. That’s not to say however that any aggression or riffs have been compromised, with driving riffs and huge breakdowns forming the backbone of the evening’s set. Lively, energetic but more importantly fun it’s an exciting time for Grove Street Families.