Back in 2006, Norwich's definitive Hardcore (or HxC) scene had pretty much died a death. Seminal bands such as Hearts and King Lifting had either disbanded, gone on hiatus or had just grown up and out of the music they once peddled.
At one point, Norwich's HxC and Screamo scene was one of the biggest in the country and the place to see up-and-coming bands was The Ferryboat Inn on Kings St, which became the habitat of many a young scene kid.
And rightly so; promoters who worked the Norwich scene and who adopted the classic D.I.Y. work ethic would often put on packed-out shows with big names from America, Europe and the U.K. itself.
However, all of this came slowly, inevitably to an end in '06. Of course between then and now there had been numerous attempts to reignite the once burgeoning HxC scene that once put Norwich on the map, but all of these lacked the solid conviction that the progenitors of the scene had had that came before them. It seemed that it became more about who had the best looking girlfriend, hair and tattoo's.
All is not lost though, as on the grapevine that stretches far and wide i 've been hearing tales of a new wave of great HxC bands emerging from Norwich, gigs aplenty, and the bands themselves talented and approachable.
I managed to corner one stalwart of the revitalised scene, a Mr Wesley Brown, and tried (with my limited knowledge) to extract some answers as to what monsters are stirring in the bowels of a fine, fine city.
Q:Mr Brown, how the devil are you and what are you doing?!
A:Right now, i'm listening to 'Murder Ballads', but in general art schooling in Norwich and playing in my band!
Q: Tell us all what band you're in and what sub-genre of HxC it belongs to?
A: I'm in Jackals. Sub-genre, i don't know. It's just fast hardcore. We take influences from stuff like Cult Ritual and Charles Bronson. It's fast and short.
Q: Honestly, is there a rising HxC scene in Norwich again and what bands are causing a stir?
A: More bands have sprung up recently, i think its people coming into Norwich and injecting some life into it again. People had become lazy in recent years and forgot that DIY was the key to make stuff happen.
Q: Are there any Norwich HxC bands touring the U.K. presently?
A: Lonewolves are doing a lot of stuff, they're Cambridge lads too, but Tom and Smalls have been around Norwich for years. But i'd say Lonewolves hands down, are one of my favourite bands in the U.K. right now.
Q: What the hell happened to the HxC scene circa '06 'til now?
A: Honestly, i think people got lazy and a lot of people left in recent years to go to Leeds... Or in your case Morgan, London. So there are always setbacks. Plus alot of people around that time weren't really down for it, and saw it as fashion. I see people that were at gigs a few years ago now going to raves and getting wrecked at shit dub-step club nights. People flake out.
Q: Can Norwich retain its reputation for producing HxC and Screamo bands that can contend with bigger scenes like Leeds for example?
A: I don't know if it has to contend with Leeds and other major cities. There are good bands that come out of Norwich despite its size and isolation. As long as the people in 'the scene', as it were, are having fun who cares about contending. Just do it anyway.
Q: Is HxC a dirty word now what with the likes of Gallows seeing mainstream adoration only to be dropped by the major label they were on?
A: No, there was hardcore before Gallows and they'll be hardcore after. Its constantly evolving. I say hardcore and i mean anything through from Cursed to Mind Eraser. Say hardcore to someone else and they might think of Terror, so its open to interpretation. Hardcore will never be a dirty word.
Q: Do you think major labels picking up on HxC in the U.K. changes people's perspective as to why they want to form a band in the first place, i.e. to have fun and play shows?
A: Maybe, but i'm under the illusion that any band i get involved with is primarily for fun, hanging out with my friends and conveying whatever i think or feel directly as i can to my peers.
Q: Has the stigma of outsiders in HxC scenes (notably Norwich) died away, or is there still an essence of elitism remaining?
A: I think everyone involved in Norwich knows one another, typical Norfolk, but if i saw someone new at a gig that i hadn't seen before, i'd be happy to say 'hi'. Since we all know each other and hang out, any notion of elitism is soon chipped away!
Q: Are there any bands in the Norwich scene currently pushing the boundaries of HxC, i.e. blending the typical HxC sound with some other forms of noise?
A: Baptists are doing some good, epic hardcore songs which remind me of noise-rock bands in some way. They're a new Norwich band to check out. I think most bands are doing something different, Jack (from 'What Would Henry Rollins Do?' Norwich fanzine) put on a gig recently and honestly all the Norwich bands had their own distinct sound. My own band for example, have had responses like, "i didn't expect them (Jackals) to sound like that!". Variation is welcome!
Q: Finally, what would you say to anyone that's dubious of listening to HxC because of its obtuse nature?
A: It's not to everyone's taste, and i'm not going to convince people otherwise!
M.Hewitt 19/02/10
(Big thanks to Wes for answering my questions. Now get your mosh trainers on, get out there and check out those bands!)
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