By Andrew Bansal
April 3rd 2016, The Roxy, West Hollywood CA: Sick Of It All have been waving the New York hardcore flag since 1986, and to celebrate their 30 years of existence, they are playing a series of 30th anniversary shows in 2016. They recently concluded an 8-show California run, and have shows scheduled in Canada and the US East Coast later in the year, along with a European tour. Sick Of It All visited Los Angeles for a gig at the Roxy in West Hollywood on Sunday April 3rd 2016, and the LAHC faithful packed the house, expecting a good time with a throwback to the old-school ways of their favorite genre.
Doors opened at 7 PM and at 7:30, local hardcore band Countime started proceedings with a solid 30-minute set. These dudes opened for Madball and Strife down the street at the Viper Room a few months ago, a show where they fit in perfectly as the local opener, and they did the same on this occasion as well. Ticket holders were still arriving at the Roxy and the place got increasingly filled as Countime’s set progressed. For the second half of their set they brought on an additional singer, and the heightened energy levels on stage instilled some hardcore dancing in the crowd, albeit limited to only a few kids. Countime definitely made some new fans through this performance, and will continue to serve as the ideal opener for touring hardcore bands.
Next up, Santa Cruz CA veterans Bl’ast hit the stage all guns blazing, frontman Clifford Dinsmore leading the way with a typically wholehearted performance on vocals, while Nick Oliveri laid down the low-end, Joey Castillo pounded the drum kit and guitarist Mike Neider brought forth all the heavy riffs. For a band that portrays such a hardcore punk infused style of metal, Bl’ast is much more riff-oriented than others in the sub-genre, and this makes them the perfect crossover band for fans of stoner metal, desert rock and hardcore punk fans alike. Their insane, off-the-chains headline show at the Echo in January 2014 is still fresh in memory, but this time as a support act they were just as powerful. Bl’ast is older than Sick Of It All, having started out in 1983, but they took a long break through the ’90s and 2000s. Their resurgence in 2013 is one of the best things to have happened to heavy music in recent years, and Bl’ast’s subsequent touring and new releases since the comeback have proved that theirs was certainly no one-off reunion cash grab. Bl’ast is here to stay, and if heavy music is your thing, you can’t go wrong with Bl’ast.
And soon enough, it was time for headliners Sick Of It All to take the stage, and a densely populated Roxy welcomed their arrival. The band wasted no time in laying into the tunes, turning back the clock with an assortment of the most popular selections from their 11-album discography, and the entirety of the 75-minute set was nothing but straight-up old-school New York hardcore. LA has always had a strong affinity for NYHC, as was very much proven by the turnout here and response from this crowd. The Koller brothers Lou on vocals and Pete on guitar and backing vocals were in their element, as was the band on the whole, boasting a four-piece lineup that has stayed the same since 1992. With this unabated, no-bullshit exhibition of hardcore, the kind that’s rarely witnessed these days, Sick Of It All gave the audience plenty to cheer about, and with the punk rock pricing of $15 for their shirts, they also gave fans old and new every chance to walk home with a very affordable souvenir.
With its beautiful classic marquee (ruined solely by the fact that the Rainbow Bar & Grill sign makes its way into most photos you’d take of it), state-of-the-art lighting rig and sound system, friendly staff and pleasant ambience, the Roxy very much serves as the perfect setting for any and every variant of heavy music, and this show was no different in that sense. LA got treated to an excellent show by Sick Of It All, Bl’ast and Countime, and fans and first-timers alike are strongly recommended to catch Sick Of It All on their 30th anniversary run this year.
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