Live Review: Borstal - The Black Heart, London
5th November 2021
Support: Who Cares?, Dropset
Words & photos: The Fleameister
I knew it was going to be a good night. I had been dying to see UK hardcore merchants Borstal for a while and finally it was happening now Covid restrictions had been relaxed. How could you not be when Borstal’s members have backgrounds in bands such as Brujeria, Knuckledust, Dripback, King of Pigs, Cradle of Filth & Testament so this was building up for a good one.
The atmosphere was great, everyone was excited to be there and you could feel it, it was most defiantly high voltage. The first band Who Cares? nicely set the tone for the gig, loud, furious and heavy as did the next act Dropset who brand of UKHC assaulted the crowed into frenzy and the atmosphere quickly ramped up. UK hardcore was in full effect and the place was rocking.
Borstal came on stage minus the intro (it was on someone’s phone and the battery had died, no names mentioned) and after a few jokes the place erupted as the band opened with 'Refuse to Lose', the first track of their debut E.P. ‘At Here Majesty’s Pleasure’ which came out earlier in the year.
You could see the passion written all over their faces for their craft and Borstal certainly exudes stage presence. Pierre Mendivil on vocals soon mixing with the crowed singing like a man possessed in both English and Spanish. Wez Hanslip almost tearing the strings off the bass constantly glaring at the crowd like a madman working them up into warp spasm. Whilst Lee Kitchener and Jamie Hunter furiously tore into their guitars reminding me of M56 Smartguns in an Alien hive with Nick Barker at the back blasting the drums to bits producing a sound reminiscent of rhythmical carpet bombing during a thunder storm.
Most of the songs off the E.P. were played along with a new tune and a cover of ‘King of the Jungle’ by 80s Oi masters The Last Resort - of which Guitarist Lee’s dad Arthur Kitchener is a member. A nice homage.
Borstal’s crunching, brutally intense brand of UK Hardcore seems to infect the senses and possess you as it did me when I lost it and dived into the pit. With music this brutally good you can’t help it. I fell over at one point and everyone stopped slamming too pick me up as it should be. UK Hardcore has a good crowed and it showed. Thanks guys. It was a fantastic gig and I can’t wait to see Borstal again and hear new material. These guys have a great future ahead of them and if you like your Hardcore they are a must.
