Sound and Fury is an annual three-day hardcore/punk festival that takes place at the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara. With perfect weather (the mid 70s), the beach right next to the venue, all three days selling out and a slew of both legendary and young hardcore bands on the bill, the fest was sure to be a weekend to remember.
The road leading up to the fest was a little rocky as fans were slammed with extremely long lines and opener, New Brigade, cancelled their set due to missing band members. The tables turned quickly though, as Southern California heavy hitters Disgrace opened with a brutal, albeit short 15 minute set. It was smooth sailing from there on as bands such as Single Mothers, Ivy League, and Basement played solid, memorable sets. The final three bands that night were Rotting Out, Comeback Kid, and Touché Amoré and the energy throughout the entire venue did not wind down at all. Comeback Kid played songs spanning their entire discography. The same can be said for Las Vegas favorite Touché Amoré, who treated the crowd to two brand new songs sandwiched between their classic hits such as “The Great Repetition” and “Honest Sleep.” If day one can hold this much energy, how can it possibly be topped?
Day two of Sound and Fury began with a surge of energy right from the get-go from Santa Barbara’s very own Harness, whose metallic twist on hardcore made me a fan immediately. It’s a shame that many people had to miss this band along with emo rockers Souvenirs because of the long line to enter the venue. Day two was also sold out, but since the majority of people had their three-day wristbands from the day before, the long lines moved quickly and smoothly as people came and left the venue as they wished. Many stayed, however, as veteran bands Bane, Terror, and H2O were headlining. Fans went wild as soon as Bane hit the stage and the energy remained constant throughout the remainder of the night with a barrage of singalongs, pile-ups, and during Terror, possibly the largest circle pit I’ve ever seen. Everybody left the venue exhausted yet satisfied and an overall mood of excitement lingered because there was still one day to go.
Fans were given extra time to rest on day three since the festival had a late start, with doors opening at noon. Post hardcore acts Mountain Man and Xerxes both put on solid performances and were faced with a welcoming crowd. Another Vegas favorite, The Beautiful Ones, were also given a warm welcome and proved that they’ve come a long way since they opened the festival last year. Following the slew of “heavy” hardcore bands such as Fire and Ice and Dead End Path was Seahaven, who played one of the most intricate, memorable sets of the weekend. Though they played only five songs, they changed the entire mood of the show, playing old favorites such as “Plague” and unexpectedly ending with the acoustic ballad “Honeybee.” The calm before the storm was brewing, though, as Ceremony and Blacklisted were coming up.
Ceremony played an eclectic set, beginning with the lead single off their recently released Zoo, “Hysteria.” The band seamlessly incorporated their older, thrashier material with songs from their newer album, such as “Citizen.” They ended with the first song they ever wrote, “Kersed” and the entire venue echoed with the voices of fans singing along. Blacklisted finished out the night with a great set spanning their entire catalog. Songs like “Memory Layne” and “Everything in My Life is For Sale” were well-received by a welcoming crowd, despite the intense energy of the past two days. As Blacklisted finished playing their final song, vocalist George Hirsch uttered into the microphone, “I want to see Soul Search.” For those who don’t know, Soul Search is arguably the biggest band from California at the moment, and many were disappointed to find out that they weren’t slated to play the fest. Alas, Soul Search took the stage for one quick song despite vocalist Omar’s injured foot. The entire venue shook as the band played their hit “Stuck.”
Though the fest started off on a bad note with long lines, the final surprise made up for it in the end. Attending Sound and Fury 2012 was one of the wildest experiences of my life and I cannot wait to return to beautiful Santa Barbara next year.
– Ian Caramanzana
Minority Unit photo by Aaron Bautista
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