There are a few things in life that should be just taken as fact.

Y'know like crunchy peanut butter is better than smooth. Tea is better than coffee. Liverpool aren't going to win the Premier League any time soon. Oh and that Dan Yemin is the best front man in hardcore.

A year ago, almost exactly to the day, I saw Paint It Black at The Fighting Cocks in Kingston and they blew me away. Last night I saw them at (the slightly bigger) Peel and yet again they were incredible. That's another thing that should be accepted as a fact; Kingston shows are always fun. Fuck London.

But anyway, I'm not sure what it is about Paint It Black that makes them so good live. I mean obviously the songs are brilliant; a breathless, heartfelt, angry selection of tracks that incite mayhem whenever people are present. But I also think Dan Yemin plays a massive part in making the band such a force to be reckoned with live. Stalking the stage like a caged panther, Yemin is both intimidating and welcoming in equal measure. Getting in people's faces, while at the same time encouraging everyone in the room to get as close as possible so people can stage dive and grab the microphone, he possesses a stage presence that others can only dream about. He's also an incredibly intelligent man. Speeches last night about gay rights, women's rights and how bad organised religion is can sometimes veer towards cliched when front men talk about them, but this is never the case with Yemin. Unlike some of his peers and contemporaries who you sense couldn't back up their words, you get the feeling that Yemin would fight tooth and nail to uphold the beliefs and values which he holds dear. Truly an inspiring band in a scene that is so often filled with the same bands shouting about the same problems.

Last night also marked the end of an era for UK hardcore-punk, as it was The Steal's last ever show.

I've always liked the Steal whenever I've listened to their songs, but they've never been a band that I've properly got in to and loved, if that makes sense? After last night though, I feel like an idiot for not absolutely loving this band to death. Their set was ridiculously fun and the perfect send off for a band who seem to have inspired a lot of people in and around the punk and hardcore community. I honestly don't feel like I have the authority or knowledge to talk about what they've achieved as a band, but all I know is that this morning I woke up and felt gutted that I'm never going to get the chance to see them play live again.

Here's a video I found on the Strike A Chord blog:




xo