That Fugazi manage to make the cavernous (read: soulless) Academy venue seem intimate speaks volumes. Watching ‘Furniture’, released only last year, explode into their most inspiring moment tells more; Fugazi may be revered for their vast and brilliant work over the past 15 years, but in 2002 they’re better than ever.
Without the influence of Ian MacKaye, DIY ethos in music would arguably have been lost, flooded by a shitstream of major labels and money middlemen. So when the most respected figure in modern day alternative music speaks, Manchester listens. He begins the show with an articulate anti-war tirade, later pausing to rightly chastise a “fucking coward” in the crowd throwing beer cans.
His right-hand man (technically on MacKaye’s left!), Guy Picciotto, is a rock ‘n’ roll stick insect, shaking his ass manically, dispelling any fears that Washington DC’s greatest band ever are no more than po-faced preachers. The frankly towering list of classic songs – which they plough through with teenaged enthusiasm but the ease of seasoned veterans – is astounding, too much so to even comprehend. So let’s not bother even trying. Crushing, vital, intense, sweat-drenched. Genius.
Adam Anonymous @ Manchester Academy [30/10/2002]

You can’t see their eyes. How can you trust a man with no eyes?
It’s not natural for the truest anti-war statement to come from a musician. Maybe this whole protesting through music drivel works. When the men stand up for such righteous acts that their selves are merely instrumental, how can you not trust them?
I have but the one Fugazi album. I’m new around these parts. I understand this is a punk gig. Where are the punks? I’m missing something … some punks.
Surely having only ‘The Argument’ would mean that as usual I wouldn’t be able to benefit from this show as well as I could. Yeah. It did mean that. I wish I knew all the songs. I wish I could throw my arms up in the air and sing along, like that girl in front of me. I was jealous. I hated her then. I wanted to be that bitch … more than anything else at that point.
It’s when you can’t just stand there. That’s when you know it’s special. My mind is often equally static. It’s not the way it should be. It wasn’t my choice.
It’s not the way Fugazi let it be.
Raziq Rauf @ London Kentish Town Forum [2/11/2002]

Winnebago Deal were like the duet of The White Stripes crossed with Slayer.It rocked, but with such a limited palette of sounds (much like the 'Stripes) I got bored after a while. Main support, Billy Childish and his band looked like ancient Crimean War army officers and played great energetic punky 60s R&B. Their look took a lot of bottle, and their closing cover of Hendrix's 'Fire' kicked massive ass. Respect.
Every band in existence today would have bowed down in respect to Fugazi had they been here tonight. (I went to the gig with Ben of Vex Red and David of Rachel Stamp, neither typical straight-edge hardcore fans, and they both left in awe.)
Exceptional arrangements, energy and dynamics, fierce intensity cascading into fresh air drops of sparse nakedness ... Brendan Canty and new member Jerry Busher, the two drummers battling over Joe Lally's fluid fat bass, Ian MacKaye and Guy Picciotto the duelling frontmen, one moment shimmying, the next flying across the stage with six string chainsaws and blunt polemic.Ultra tight, ultra sharp...simply incredible. I love modern day heroes,like the Foo Fighters and QOTSA, but compared to this they looked like school bands. Fugazi are the craft perfected.
Chris Nettleton @ London Kentish Town Forum [4/11/2002]