By Andrew Bansal
May 27th 2016, Fonda Theatre, Hollywood CA: Swedish hardcore/experimental/art/post punk group Refused announced their second reunion in 2014 and released their fourth full-length studio album ‘Freedom’ in 2015 via Epitaph Records, their first LP since ‘The Shape Of Punk To Come’ (1998), and a set of tunes that prove to be worth the 17-year wait. Refused embarked on a U.S. headline tour in May 2016 with support acts The Coathangers and Plague Vendor, and arrived to a packed house at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood CA last Friday May 27th 2016. Hardcore, dedicated fans of the band turned up in large numbers, as expected, but as a result of Goldenvoice’ constant, unending efforts to make their shows successful by promoting as much as they can through various ticket giveaways and promotional activities of similar nature, this show also brought in a fair number of first-timers and casual fans. One thing is for sure, by the time the show was done, none of them left the building as casual Refused fans.
Doors opened at 8, and the show began at 9 with Whittier CA based quartet Plague Vendor taking the stage for a 30-minute set. The Fonda wasn’t packed yet but Plague Vendor succeeded in creating a positive impression on those that were here early enough. Vocalist Brandon Blaine’s incredible levels of energy and enthusiasm were infectious, and compelled the audience to take notice. The story is that the band started out in 2009 and worked hard to get to tour with Refused, a band that most heavily influenced them, and by the looks and sounds of it, Plague Vendor seem deserving of the slot. This set was a raw but solid presentation of heavy post-punk/post-grunge. Refused fans attending any shows on this tour are recommended to arrive in time for this opening act.
Next up were Atlanta, Georgia based all-female punk rock trio The Coathangers. It came across as a straightforward interpretation of punk rock but with wild, strange vocal stylings, and overall, despite being a little repetitive, it was lively and interesting to witness. At one point during the set, the drummer and drummer switched instruments and drew a huge cheer from the crowd. Another strange segment was the song ‘Squeeki Tiki’ which sounded exactly like what the name would suggest. The band isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but when it comes to female-fronted/all-female/female-centric rock groups, The Coathangers certainly beat the hell out of Babymetal, Butcher Babies and the like.
And finally at 11 PM, Refused came and conquered. Los Angeles, the Fonda Theatre in particular, has witnessed a lot of great rock performances in its long history, but very few have outdone, matched or come close to the kind of show Refused orchestrated here on this occasion. There was no limit to the amount of energy they brought to the stage and the set’s insanity and intensity never faded away, even for a single moment. Early in the set, vocalist Dennis Lyxzén made his way off the stage and into the center of the general admission floor, all the while continuing to sing, and as one can imagine, the crowd went berserk. But even as they did so, many of them helped Lyxzén by holding his microphone cable aloft so it wouldn’t get tangled and pulled. It was like a human transmission built on the spot, a sight to behold. Besides his larger-than-life performance as a singer, he also wins accolades for his interaction with the crowd between songs. He made strong statements but kept it jovial. I’m never one to endorse over-talkative frontmen, but this was such an exception that I wouldn’t have complained if Dennis Lyxzén had spent even more time talking to the crowd. Many rock and metal frontmen, including some of his most esteemed fellow countrymen, could learn a lot about crowd interaction from Lyxzén.
Refused played a good chunk of the latest album ‘Freedom’ in this 80-minute set, and also included older selections to make it a well-rounded representation of their musical spectrum. Even though they have been described by terms like hardcore punk, post punk, art punk and experimental rock, they really do not fit into any one category in particular, and what they’ve created over the years is their very own genre and style. Refused is simply Refused, and if any fans of hard rock and heavy metal aren’t yet listening to this band and attending their shows, they must do so, specially the latter, because it was simply impossible to walk away from this show with anything but admiration for what the band did on stage.
Besides the stellar musicianship of Dennis Lyxzén and his band mates, and the incisive, sharp tones they exuded from their respective instruments, the light show played an extremely crucial role in making this a successful performance. If left the audience in no doubt whatsoever that Refused brought their own lighting director with them, because the lighting patterns and transitions were in perfect synchronicity with the music, and the lighting director clearly knew the music inside out. Strobes were used judiciously at opportune moments, and the band was backlit for sizable portions of the set, creating a silhouette effect, intensifying the atmosphere and enhancing the impact of the music that much more. And last but not least, the sound quality was beyond perfect at the Fonda, specially up in the balcony.
In all honesty, Refused delivered the best performance of the year so far, by far. An unabated exhibition of punk rock madness that vindicated fans’ unwavering support and turned first-timers and curious onlookers into lifelong fans.
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Remaining Tour Dates:
5/30 – Belly Up – Solana Beach, CA
5/31 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
6/01 – Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
6/03 – Trees – Dallas, TX
6/04 – Free Press Summer Festival – Houston, TX
6/05 – Mohawk – Austin, TX
6/07 – Mavericks at the Landing – Jacksonville, FL
6/08 – Revolution – Fort Lauderdale, FL
6/09 – The Beacham Theater – Orlando, FL