Freebutt, 19th December 2008

If you like your music loud, lethal and relentlessly abusive then you’ll no doubt have checked out The Ghost of a Thousand already. However, for those of you who’ve yet to take those tentative first steps into Brighton’s unbelievably rich hardcore scene, here is the lowdown.

These young scamps have been riding the crest of a rather large (albeit underground) wave since their inception back in December of 2004. Since then they’ve toured the UK, leaving a trail mangled bodies in their wake. They’ve recruited a small army on the festival scene and have supported the likes of Gallows, Cancer Bats and Brighton’s very own Blood Red Shoes. Not bad.

Tonight sees them returning to their original stomping ground and is the final show of the band’s Christmas tour. The place is packed, and as they take to the stage the audience unites in singing (or rather screaming their lungs out) along with a mix of both new material and old favourites. Tunes like “Left For Dead” and “Black Art Number One” are all out, no-holds-barred punk rock bullion. The band are rocking out hard, hanging from the rafters and getting as involved with the crowd as they are with each other. This no barrier style is what makes them so great. The moment is theirs but the music is yours, we need to see more of this in the live music scene.

Lead vocalist Tom Lacey, ever the discerning frontman, takes a moment to reflect on the band’s meteoric rise to success and shows the crowd some love by exclaiming that the Brighton shows are always the best. And just as you think things might get a bit gooey he yells “I hope you all have a fucking rubbish Christmas. This is our last song, goodnight.” A swarm of angst ridden teenagers rise from the pit for a token stage invasion. Job done.

Words by James Watts