Rolo Tomassi, plus support from Holy State
Green Door Store May 6
You may think it apt that a band such as Rolo Tomassi, a collective bundle of youthful Casio-noise, energy, vim and vigour, should choose to name their new b-sides, demos and EPs compilation ‘Eternal Youth’.
This is a band that has changed little since their inception and subsequent explosion onto the hardcore scene six years ago. At the same time they have grown in leaps and bounds. Last year’s spellbinding sophomore opus ‘Cosmology’ belied its creators’ tender years with intricate and measured song writing throughout and tonight keyboardist James Spence will emerge onto the stage sporting a fresh crop of facial hair.
Opening up the evening’s proceedings are fellow Yorkshire musical terriers Holy State. The intimate gig room begins to fill with bodies as Jesus Lizard-styled goodness in the form of songs such as ‘Medicine Hat’ and ‘Brain Caves’ spew forth from the stage.
A superb venue, for bands from the louder end of the musical spectrum Green Door Store’s brick-walled and floored setting sends a treble-heavy mess bouncing uncontrollably from stone surface to stone surface. This is further accentuated when Rolo Tomassi take to the stage and begin with ‘Katzenklavier’. The band look at first slightly disconcerted and it rubs off on their performance, yet as bodies begin to collide in the sweaty mosh the fresh-faced and good-natured musicians quickly raise their game to the usual high standard.
The set is sprinkled liberally with ‘Eternal Youth’ tracks, alongside plenty of old favourites and even the rarely-played ‘Digital History’ as a chaotic set closer, Spence hurling himself on top of the sweat-drenched revellers and screaming his lyrical offerings into gleeful faces. The unveiling of ‘Cosmology’’s epic nine-minute title track comes as welcome relief to those battered and bruised souls at the front whilst also serving as a musical embodiment of the patient manner in which the band now goes about crafting their songs.
In an environment where every mishit and bum note has the potential to be heard with alarming clarity, Rolo Tomassi continue to shine like the youthful diamonds that they are. ‘Groundhog Days’ this most certainly is not.
Words by Oli Robertson
Pictures by Mike Turnham
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Cat, 23, HR Manager |
| “I got headbutted in the eye, twice. Holy State were amazing” | |
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Julian, 25, Student |
| “It was sweaty, it smelt like socks, there was a couple making out in the middle of the mosh behind me” | |
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Lewis, 23, Welder |
| “Awesome for my first gig, I got hurt a lot” | |
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Rich, 27, Welder |
| “It made me cry sweaty white tears from my armpits” |
