60 KERRANG!
“Yep, hold on, nearly
got it plugged in...”Frank Carter: an intensely
distracting bandmate
photoS:NICOLE MAGO■ “Who the fuck do you think you are?!”
bellows Frank Carter angrily to a crowd-
surfer who’s found himself onstage with The
Rattlesnakes. You can see the guy tense up
for a split second as Frank ushers him backto the centre of
the stage, but then
the singer grins
widely. “Don’t you
dare creep off that
stage.” The crowd
cheer and prepare
themselves to catch
him when he jumps.
It’s just one of many
moments tonight
that make Frank’s intimate New York party
so much fun – a mix of good-natured aggro,
laughter and thrilling punk rock shot through
with pure good vibrations.
Openers Sharkmuffin are cut from a similar
cloth, offering up fuzzy, riot grrrl energy
with a space-age sheen. It’s nowhere near as
chaotic as the headliners, but their catchy, fun,
spiky punk songs are a joy to watch.
From the beginning, Frank and The
Rattlesnakes are on fire, tearing through a
cathartic set that mostly comprises material
from their recent End Of Suffering album.
Opener Why A Butterfly Can’t Love A Spider
starts things off slowly, but by the end of
second song Tyrant Lizard King, Frank is in
the crowd, held aloft by his feet, ensuring
everybody feels the power of the song.
Aggressive as the music is, it’s underscored by
an emotional fragility and empathy, manifestedbest in the now-traditional ladies-only
moshpit for Heartbreaker, and Frank’s earnest
admission about the state of his mental health
before a phenomenal Anxiety.
The added sense of openness and
vulnerability has taken nothing from Frank’s
intensity. If anything, it’s made him even more
of a powerful force. And as the Watford Wolf
tears through this city, it’s clear he’s still one to
be reckoned with. MISCHA PEARLMANFRANK CARTER
crumbles the Big Apple
with aggro and feels
FRANK CARTER and
THE RATTLESNAKES- SHARKMUFFIN
MERCURY LOUNGE, NEW YORK
10/06/2019KKKK
CART’
ATTACK