Tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Birminghams German Markets on a chilly Thursday night. Defects are bringing their Bloodlines tour to a close in an unassuming canal side venue, known simply as The Flapper.
With stints on the road alongside the likes of In Flames and Of Mice and Men already under their belts. Along with a laundry list of impressive festival appearances that have helped put them on the map over the past couple of years. Defects have been ones to watch for some time. So we jumped at the opportunity to head down and check them out.
Thanks to a last minute shuffle of tonight’s running order, we arrive just in time to catch the first support act of the night, Knife Bride too. Who do an exemplary job getting tonight’s audience nicely warmed up.
The four piece from Brighton sound eerily reminiscent of Spiritbox, thanks to vocalist Mollie Buckleys impressive vocal range, Sean Windles technical guitar riffs and a tight rhythm section filled out by some suitably thick low end courtesy of of Craig Glynn on bass.
As the nights first support act, they set a higher bar than we expected. With tracks like Territory hitting particularly hard and leaving us with the impression that bigger things will soon be on the horizon for Knife Bride!
After a brief changeover, it’s Profilers turn to take to the stage. Originally conceived as a solo project by vocalist and guitarist Mike Evans. The nu-metal quartet from Bristol bring early 00’s vibes with them in spades. With influences that hearken all the way back to the likes of Hed P.E and Limp Bizkit, yet with a more modern edge that elevates them far beyond being a simple nostalgia act.
Their set is the shortest of the night. However, what it lacks in length is more than made up for by Profilers seemingly limitless energy and passion. With their delivery of familiar yet fresh nu-metal grooves during tracks like Zero being absolutely spot on. It’s just a shame their time on stage feels substantially shorter than Knife Brides. Especially given that the crowd are really starting to get into it by the end of their slot!
With everyone in attendance well and truly in the mood. It’s Defects turn to show us what they’ve got and as expected, they deliver the goods and then some! Kicking things off with a trifecta of heavy hitters, End of Days, Scapegoat and the appropriately titled Second to None.
The audience has been fully on board all night, but it’s almost as if they’ve found another gear. The Flapper isn’t exactly the worlds biggest venue, but the band aren’t even halfway through Scapegoat before a mosh pit has broken out. Much to the delight of Tony Maue. Who’s quite literally hanging from the rafters, bellowing orders as the crowd surges this way and that. Their antics becoming more and more rabid as they follow his enthusiastic commands.
It isn’t long until the first crowd surfer of the night pops up out of the front row during Another Heart To Bleed. A rare sight in a venue this size, but somehow not that surprising either given the ferocity of Defects performance. Operating at full chat, the five piece from London are a force to be reckoned with. Guitarists James Threadwell and Luke Genders serve up riff after riff in perfect sync with one another. Flawlessly riding the wave of Harry Jennings powerful double kick drum. With bassist David Silver thickening out the low end frequencies beautifully.
The room may not be that big, but the energy in The Flapper certainly is as they plough onwards through their set. Dropping breakdowns that impact like precision guided ordinance and bringing a level of production you simply don’t expect in a venue this size. From the subtle interludes between tracks that they’ve lifted from their debut album, Modern Error. To the subtle 808 sub bass hits that punctuate tracks like Echo Chamber. You’d be forgiven for assuming you were at a much bigger show.
Especially with the crowd singing back seemingly every word at the top of their lungs. Filling the room with their voices. Even the bands photographer jumps into the mix, grabbing the mic and helping vocalist Tony Maue out during Modern Error. Eliciting a hearty cheer from the audience.
Unfortunately, as with all good things, the carnage Defects have wrought upon The Flapper must come to an end and they unleash one last dose of chaos with their final track, Recurring.
Chaos is in no way an overstatement either. Keeping the crowd in the palms of their hands all night simply isn’t enough. Maue takes his microphone out into the middle of the circle pit to incite yet more carnage, despite having already potentially broken a finger earlier tonight! While guitarist Luke Genders triumphantly rides a member of the audiences shoulders out into the fray himself. Leaving guitarist James Threadwell and bassist David Silver towering over the front of the stage. Both of them beaming from ear to ear as they headbang along. Gleefully watching the feral maelstrom they’ve created unfold one last time.
They may only have one album under their belts so far. However, as the house lights go up and the injuries and wall to wall gallery of smiles are tallied. Nobody left standing is in any doubt that Defects have everything it takes to wreak havoc on a scale that would put many of their contemporaries to shame. We only hope we’re there to see them do it!
To stay up to date with upcoming tours and new releases from Defects, Profiler and Knife Bride by following them on social media. The links to which you can find below-
Defects – Instagram – Facebook
Profiler – Instagram – Facebook
Knife Bride – Instagram – Facebook
