Review: Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, O2 Academy

Watching Frank Carter perform made me painfully aware of how little my gym membership has been used this year. The crowd slowly filled up to the rafters through support acts Ecca Vandal and Basement but there was the sense that everyone was reserving energy for the main show. Which was wise.

Frank Carter is an absolute powerhouse of a showman who makes the entire venue his stage. Starting the show with first album favourites Primary Explosive, Fangs and Juggernaut  Frank’s dyed green hair and leather jacket rendered him a punk rock ‘Joker’ and he’s just as manic.

By the end of the second song Frank had a strobe light held triumphantly overhead. By the third song Frank was in the pit performing a one-armed handstand as they held him up. The crowd, fuelled by free Sailor Jerry’s (a welcome first for any gig I’ve been to) is frenzied.

Now married with children it’s obvious that Frank wants to make his shows as inclusive as possible. Before Wild Flowers he takes a moment to let the crowd know that this song is for the girls. Specifically for the girls that always want to get involved but worry about what might happen if they do. Frank asks the ladies to crowd surf and makes it explicitly clear what will happen if guys can’t keep their hands to themselves. Several girls fly across the crowd for what looks like their first time and it’s the sort of refreshing inclusion that should be staple at all shows.

Whoever had the idea of giving Frank a wireless microphone should receive a medal. As Real Life plays out he makes his way over the crowd and performs from the sound desk before moving up to the second floor. The rest of The Rattlesnakes continue to play with equal ferocity even with most heads turned away. It can often feel a little impersonal watching a show from the balcony but there was no chance of that tonight.

After his complete lap of the venue the band bring it down with Beautiful Death and Loss before leaving the stage. After two slower songs the crowd are itching to thrash again and the encore doesn’t disappoint.

Coming back with Devil Inside Me and Lullaby (which is anything but) the crowd is more tumultuous than ever and barely a second goes by without a drink soaring into the air. The ever rowdy I Hate You finishes the evening, tearing throats apart as the crowd screams along.

Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes reinforced their place as one of the most exciting live shows on the planet. A ten o’clock curfew is too early for a show like this and despite an hour and a half of heavy cardio it feels like we’ve only just started. Frank closed the show saying; “we’re not going to slow down next year, we will come back and dominate again” before dropping the mic. I can’t wait.

Photos: James A Grant