Live Review + Gallery | Falmouth Freakzone

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Falmouth Freakzone
The Killigrew Inn + The Cornish Bank, Falmouth
Tuesday 25th April
Photography by Liam Beck

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Liam Beck shoots two incredibly exciting nights of local music, celebrating the release of ‘Falmouth Freakzone’

After months of work, Liquid Static, an artist cooperative based in the South West have released their first collaboration album ‘Falmouth Freakzone‘, featuring many familiar faces and trusted hands. Over the past couple of weeks, I joined them for the live celebration and release of this anticipated album. With 8 bands split between two nights, Liquid Static have shown us they do not deal in small measures.

The Killigrew Inn

Starting at what many would see as the birthplace of many local bands, I joined them for the first half of their celebration inside the Killigrew inn.

Enabling Behaviour

Kicking off the night were Falmouth’s very own Enabling Behaviour, with recent explorations moving away from their original DIY Post-Punk sound, placing them into an evolving persona of gothic new romantic, new wave, alternative rock. This set showed a nostalgic return to some of their older tracks that came out of this space.

Playing classics such as ‘Half Man/Half Moth‘, they turned the cramped walls and sterile walls of the place into a sea of movement.

Ducks

Next up, Ducks created a wall of sound like no other, mixing jazz, math rock and garage into a story with delicate jazzy highs and dramatic bone crunching breakdowns blending seamlessly. With a personality that had the venue splitting at the seams, they caused chaos within the crowd.

Mopes

Ending this evening we were treated to some of Cornwall’s favourite grassroots indie rockers Mopes, featuring tender yet sincere vocals melding perfectly amongst perfectly crafted reverb-soaked riffs. Mopes transformed and carefully channelled the crowds energy into an intimate heartfelt moment.

The Cornish Bank

Continuing the forward momentum from the previous show, the second half of the release party promised a grand ending to the celebration. And it delivered. With a carefully timed line-up, concert goers were encouraged to rush between the main stage and the vault in the depths below.

Within this enclosed ecosystem, the main stage flaunted Falmouth favourites such as Mothman, The Man, The Doinks and RIZTS. Meanwhile, the underbelly was host to many exciting new bands, with ever evolving sounds and personas.

Mothman, The Man

Starting the night, we found ourselves face to face with Mothman, The Man, Falmouth’s mighty garage-psych legends. Following their release tour in celebration of their latest album ‘1000 Eyes‘, they resurfaced once again to contribute their track ‘The Void‘ into the mix. With a solid setlist and a relaxed demeanour, they powered through song after song, each time building weight and preparing us for the evening’s ultimate conclusion.

Dieflowers

Following Mothman, I found myself rushing immediately downstairs to find one of falmouth’s hidden Gems, Dieflowers. Over the past couple of months we’ve witnessed Dieflowers develop their sound dramatically into something new and incredibly exciting. Starting out as one of many punk bands to come out of the Killigrew Inn, they’ve taken the time to develop into a spectacular mixture of shoegaze and dreampop.

Setting themselves apart from many other shoegaze bands that have adopted heavier elements, Dieflowers have adopted a more melodic approach. With stronger vocal performances and an emphasis on ambience over aggression, they’ve crafted a sound reminiscent of modern American shoegaze such as Horsegirl, while borrowing iconic elements from legends My Bloody Valentine and Slowdive. It translates perfectly in a live setting.

RIZTS

After leaving the vault, I was greeted by RIZTS, flipping the mood that had been established in the vault on its head. Strutting across stage, asserting a thick fog of doom, they delivered sharp lingering choruses in their contribution to the album ‘You Are Alone‘. They spread their virus of dread to an attentive crowd, their rhythm section trawling across the room, accompanying the wails and cries on vocals.

Nikita

Downstairs the seeds RIZTS had planted flourished into a garden of mischief. With Nikita making a long awaited return to the scene, their brutish drums and callous vocals sent the crowd into a tribalistic state. The crowd devoured members of the band as they became pulled closer and closer together. As this reached its ultimate conclusion, I sprinted upstairs to see the grand finale of the night.

The Doinks

Ending the night were scene legends The Doinks. With a continued presence in Falmouth over the last few years, their classic punk sound has persisted and shaped the music to come out of Cornwall. With entertaining lyrics and light-hearted humour, they created a sense of euphoria and nostalgia for fans new and old.  With appearances from costumed superheroes, the crowd was hyped before bearing witness to a theatrical (and incredibly funny) standoff. Closing with a surprise cover of Fugazi’s ‘Waiting Room‘, featuring various guests from other bands, they closed on a massive high.

This show, for me, serves as a reminder of why DIY culture and local scenes are so important to Cornwall and beyond. A massive amount of passion is evident at every stage of the albums production, curation, and performance.

A collaborative album and string of nights like this simply would not have been possible without the will to collaborate and the fostering of an active and welcoming music scene. Throughout my years enjoying local music here, I’m well accustomed to the constant flow of artists leaving and new talent growing in that place and I have faith that this will always be the case in this unique town.

Let this album and these events serve as a time capsule of the music and sound of Falmouth right now. Let it inspire future bands to keep this spirit.

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