Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes at Roundhouse

Frank Carter and his rattlesnakes have shed many skins over the years, not to mention Carter’s previous hardcore punk band Gallows – which he absconded from in 2011, leaving them to disband in 2015. Presently on their fourth album release, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes played the first of two live shows at the Roundhouse last night, and it’s one their fans are unlikely to forget in a hurry.

Carter enters the stage in a wide-legged white suit and slicked-back hair, and the band launches into a new sultry number: Can I Take You Home. Its explosive chorus gives Carter a chance to show off his powerful vocal cords, which is followed by the smooth and mysterious Brambles and the dancy Self Love. These new songs present the band in a new light that moves them away from many people’s idea of what traditional rock music should sound like, much like the recent crooner sounds of the Arctic Monkeys.

Bringing it back to something a bit heavier, the band play Devil Inside of Me, an early release off their debut album Blossom, which injects a sharp shock of energy through the crowd and thus creates a huge mosh pit. “This mosh pit just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” observes Carter, who then calls up to the stalls: “What you doing up there mum? You’re meant to be in the mosh pit!”

After playing the lively Kitty Sucker, Carter begins to prep the crowd for the next track Wild Flowers, and proceeds to tell all the blokes to leave the mosh pit  – this one’s for the girls. This, perhaps unsurprisingly, causes a bit of a stir, with one crowd member refusing to leave on account of having lost his phone: “You’ve lost your phone? It’s f*cked, it’s in the middle of the mosh pit. Get out of the pit and you can find your phone later… Sorry, it’s done for.” He was likely correct in this assumption.

Frank Carter is clearly a showman, and he’s good at it. You don’t need to be a huge fan to enjoy this gig, as enough is going on to keep you entertained regardless of whether you’re familiar with every song.

Heavy track Crowbar further ignites the audience, eventually sending Carter into the pit himself, which ends with the singer sitting smugly atop the crowd after disappearing in the chaos for a good few minutes.

There is a welcome encore, where Carter and his Rattlesnakes spit out the angst-ridden I Hate You and then end aptly with grandiose rock ballad Man of the Hour. It’s safe to say, Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes well and truly delivered tonight.

Hannah Broughton
Photos: Guifre de Peray

For further information and future events visit Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Man of the Hour here: