Blood Youth - 4th March - Think Tank, Newcastle

Photos By Sam Wall

Yorkshire born hardcore band Blood Youth well and truly dispelled the Monday blues and kicked the week into high gear when they invaded the stage and our senses at Think Tank, Newcastle this week. After the crowd had been warmed up by support acts Lotus Eater and Palm reader, Blood Youth took command of the stage opening with their latest single “spineless”. Immediately hitting us with a pulverising double bass, a gunshot snare and gut wrenching vocals from lead singer Kaya Tarsus.

The pits formed instantaneously, almost prematurely, due to the crowd’s ambition to give it their all to what they were about to experience. Blood Youth powered their way through their set with almost equal measures of the latest album “Starve” and debut album “Beyond Repair”.

only letting us catch our breath periodically with well thought out and orchestrated ambient interludes between some tracks.

Audience participation seems paramount to their performance with Kaya spending as much time in amongst the crowd as he does on stage. Bassist Matt’s temperament also whipping the eager fans into frenzy. It’s a genre made for getting up close and personal with your fans, the intense feeling of community I felt among strangers was captivating, cemented into truth when every time someone fell in the pit they were pulled to their feet again instantaneously. To the indoctrinated it can look violent and intimidating but really it is an outward expression of how much they love the band and their music and what you really have to do is accept this and jump right in.

The melodic verses and sing along chorus’ of “Reason to Stay’ and “Closure” offer a refreshing variation to their music that particularly caught my attention. Prompting everyone to sing at the top of their lungs, thus enabling a call and response between artist and audience that we’ve come to expect from bands with such committed fan bases. This is something that is often lost in the bigger venues but was perfectly captured in the venue, Think Tank.

The finale to their set came all too early. Ending, with the title track of their latest album “Starve”. This show had everything fans of the genre needed. Blood Youth gave it their all and never let their foot off the pedal once. The stacks were bouncing all night. Vicious dancing, head banging and moshing were everywhere to be seen. They left the crowd demanding more. So much so i immediately had them on in my headphones on my way home.

Rating Out of 5: 4.5

Article and Photos by Sam Wall