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Rival Schools: Support, The Icarus Line
London Astoria, July 09 2002

With the incessant rise of an army of Slipknot and Korn clones in the last year or so, the term 'noise merchant' has certainly garnered a lot of game time. However, as The Icarus Line career on to the stage in front of an already packed and expectant Astoria, it appears they are the most suited recipients of the moniker yet. The suited and booted New Jersey five piece unload into a dirge that, officially, is labelled "New York Hardcore" but sounds more akin to four angle grinders. It soon becomes clear that the snazzy shirt and tie combos are the closest these guys will ever come to being The Hives. A poor audio mix certainly does not help matters, and if one was being fair they did improve towards the end, but by that point I was past caring and, judging by the hordes of roadies seeping onto the stage as the band reach their body-shaking conclusion, I was not the only one.

The leap in quality as Rival Schools take their bow is both immediately and alarmingly evident. The current flavour of the month are in fine fettle and keen to justify their tag as they launch into current single "Good Things". The band are quoted as being at the forefront of a new movement dubbed Emo, but in reality the foursome are merchants of top drawer melodic rock. Frontman Walter Schriefel's gravely vocals seem to float effortlessly over the sweaty auditorium and as the singer bounds round the stage like a schoolchild following an overdose of caffeine, guitarist Ian Low remains an immobile figure of stern concentration.

Making a headline slot out of only one studio release can often prove problematic but Rival Schools make light work of this and prove what an accomplished piece of work debut LP "United By Fate" really is. "High Acetate", "Everything has its Point", "The Switch" and "My Echo" are hammered out to a rapturous welcome, driven on by Jack in the box drummer Sammy Siegler and Schreifel's years in New York outfit Quicksand are palpable.The band play an emotional "Undercovers On" before working the crowd into a frenzy with a rousing version of the already classic "Used for Glue".

With that it should be a case of thank you and goodnight, but as I'm charging through crowds of scraggy haired youths to fetch my coat the tones of "World's Invitational" come floating down the stairway. It seems Walter and Co aren't quite ready to leave their newly acquired adulation just yet. Sadly it proves to be a case of after the Lord Mayor's show. As the band finish, somewhat bizarrely, with a new song Schreiffel declares "This song is about enjoying the moment".
We were Walter, about five minutes ago!

Greg Norman

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