This gig is a total one off. ‘I’m totally psyched about this’ (as my American friends would say - or is it stoked?). Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon (referred to henceforth as TSUA) are playing and I thought 3 months ago that they were to rest in peace forever, but like all the best living dead, they are back from the grave and are going to destroy this evening later on.

Let me just tell you where I am. I am in a Rowing Club - that’s a good start. There are (unfortunately) skinheads to the right of me and they were just dancing to some gawdawful band while me and the guys outside were dancing to the likes of Zao and Bane and skating. But enough about my boring life.

Back to the MOSH - I’m sure…
So many people I know are here, the atmosphere isn’t ruined by the skinheads and the room is totally filling up. As I look around I can see the TSUA’s various girlfriends (they’re popular guys obviously!) jumping up behind the band with some pretty stylish handheld camera equipment. Just behind them are the surreal boards of the various past heroes and champions of the Durham rowing club. Again I’m wandering totally from the point, which IS, that just in front of these rather sexy rock girls is one of the greatest ensembles of Newcastle Hardcore the UK has ever seen. The singer is gigantic and wearing a ‘Mouthpiece’ tee, he is already a hero. The lead guitarist to my right (and only about 30cm away, this gig is so wonderfully personal) keeps playing what really sounds like the opening 3 battle strums of ‘The Saddest Day’ by Converge. He is also going on the hero list. Also you should be aware that amongst the mass in this room, about 25% are totally donned in 80’s gear, as it’s two local lads’ birthdays and they asked for this as their party. 5% are massive skinhead oi! Rockers, 5% are arsehole skinheads, but they’re causing NO trouble so I don’t care, there’s the normal guy crew from my hometown Middlesbrough, and some really fucking fit women who I’ve spent the last about 30seconds (how apt!!) ogling.

The sound-check is actually a rendition of the first 30seconds of the Lost Prophets track 'Shinobi vs. Dragon Ninja - funky guys. I feel very Welsh.

Then in about the next three seconds:

I can tell TSUA are about to blow this place apart. The room feels like it’s actually swelling. The temperature is rising I’m sure or am I just imagining this? The pressure on my body keeps getting more forceful and all I can think about is wanting to move, wanting to really start moving.

Then it really did start moving.

Opening the set about 10 guys put their fingers into a star formation on the floor and TSUA blasted into action. ‘Crazy, just crazy’ is the way some people would describe it, I could hear someone screaming ‘bring the fucking mosh!’ The blinding vocals were delivered so well considering the set up, the PA struggled with the sound this band was pummelling out. The next thing I remember is an incredible breakdown with really crazy mid-speed chugging guitar. Double Speed blast beats keep filling the room and at least five high kicks come from out of the crowd, some kid in a ‘Feed The World’ t-shirt is hanging from the disco lights rack (the lights are totally lifeless) and swinging like a repressed nun in heat.

I’m floorpunching as fast as I can, and then everyone’s floorpunching faster and faster and someone’s grabbed the mic and is screaming in a singalong style. There’s so much finger pointing going on and posing. I keep pretending to row and I’m loving it. The atmosphere is utterly consummate and this is even more unbelievable considering that only the strip lights are on and if this was happening anywhere else the fuzz would break it up as fighting. But it isn’t, no one is getting hurt, everyone’s smiling, everyone’s enjoying themselves as TSUA pummel out another blasting song. Then something great happens, something that affirms for me in my mind that this gig is truly special.
Unite, unite, UNITE, UNITE, UNITE! Comes the chant, louder and louder with each cry from everyone around me. Am I at a Throwdown gig? I think not, but I love every second, every morsel, every little modicum of this part of the night and as I shout with everyone else ‘Unite the Masses’ TSUA’s set ends and this goes down in history as the best gig at a rowing club.