For those coming early to secure their place at the front where they intend to watch their new idols' every move are to be sorely disappointed tonight. Pure Love's main men Jim Carroll and especially ex-Gallows frontman Frank Carter spend the majority of the set on the dance-floor with the audience, leaving ample room at the front if anyone so desires to stand there, in fact you could park a bus there for most of the band's set. Pure Love bring new meaning to the words 'crowd interaction', and it's a refreshing thing to witness.

Hardcore fans may well be shocked by the change of direction that the pair's new material has taken, but personally not being fussed either way about Gallows or The Hope Conspiracy, I have taken quite a shine to this band after first hearing 'Handsome Devil's Club' last year. More Indie-based than Hardcore and anthemic at that, their sound brings to mind the likes of New Model Army, Big Country, Mega City 4 and even The Smiths, and it's melody overall that shines through with Carter showing he can actually sing. Don't believe what NME say, those guys wouldn't know a good song if it smacked them around the face these days, unlike Pure Love who surely do.

Before Pure Love take to the stage we are treated to some noisy fuckers from London called Turbogeist, who perform a tight set of angry, yet quite catchy punk rock to an already pretty full room. Not bad at all, check out 'Alien Girl' on YouTube for starters, people.
 
I came to this gig tonight knowing pretty much only four Pure Love tracks well, as the album has just been released this week and I am not yet familiar with it, yet after the first two songs things are sounding pretty fine. Heavily tattooed Carter bent over the low mic stand, smiles and sneers his way through songs that sound rawer than they do on record. It's not until the end of the second song that things start to get tasty. As he gives a shout out to a guy who has been giving him grief on Twitter that is in the audience tonight, the energetic frontman jumps in to the crowd for the start of 'Beach Of Diamonds'. The crowd around him go insane and the carnage begins. That aforementioned song, for me, is the highlight of their just released debut album, 'Anthems', and it sure is one. The crowd jump and sing along as one, Carter's vocals seemingly lost in parts as he is turned upside down and passed over my head and across the room, it's the defining moment of the gig for me, and we are only three songs in.

The almost haunting title track follows, it is another highlight, bringing things down for a breather, on the other hand 'Handsome Devil's Club' sees Carroll join Carter in the moshpit as both play the song pretty much entirely on their backs, being passed over people's heads by a sea of hands. They are not the only ones either, several guys join them crowd-surfing as well as a massive inflatable banana and what looks like a cock & balls in a larger see through ball, dodging band members boots and plastic phallic objects seems to be the order of the night and there is plenty to dodge as the set and the carnage continues.

'Bury My Bones' has Carter urging anyone who has come with somebody to get on their shoulders for the song, and many do as the whole room erupts and the guys are lost in a sea of bouncing couples clinging to the rafters in a struggle to not topple over into the pit below.

Announcing there are just two songs left Carter requests a large circle in the room to be made, and the drum kit is dragged from the stage and set up on the dance floor, this whole routine does somewhat mess with the flow of a very upbeat show, even giving me enough time to visit the merch stand to pick up a signed CD before things re-start, but I guess it removes the need for walking off stage and returning for an encore. The whole band play the final two songs there, with a group of fans circling them, spinning round and round like some bizarre sweating human whirlpool. Never has a stage been made to look so redundant at a gig as the action centres entirely on the dance-floor tonight. The only thing with playing a gig this way is, unless you are in the middle there is little chance of actually even catching site of Carter and Carroll do their thing, but a bit of pushing and shoving will do the trick if you want to catch the action.

They came on at about 9.20pm and it was all over by 10pm, did I feel short changed though? Did I fuck! Pure Love did in 40 minutes what many bands fail to do in an hour and 40 minutes and that is entertain with a truly energetic set of future anthems. If you get the chance, and they are playing near you in the future, I strongly advise you to go check them out, you will not leave disappointed. Pure Love set the early standard for my gigs of the year list, and as I write these words with 'Anthems' blasting in the background I feel sure the album will do the same.

[Photos by Kluens Photography]

To pick up your copy of 'Anthems' - CLICK HERE