Review: Cancer Bats with Trash Talk @ Sugarmill, Stoke


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Barely a month ago when the hotly tipped Dinosaur Pile-Up rolled through this venue the obscenely shy turnout didn’t bat an eyelid. You’d have been lucky to leave with eyelids last night after Cancer Bats came knocking on the door of Stoke’s Sugarmill.

But the Canadian hellraisers didn’t single-handedly turn the place into punk-drenched road kill, as many had made sure to be here in time for their tour buddies Trash Talk, together forming the most intense double-header this winter.

As support bands go, the hardcore thrashers from Sacremento leave nothing to be desired, almost to the point of stealing everything the crowd had to give right from under Cancer Bats, but everyone here knew how much tonight demanded of them.

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They tear through concise scraps of powerviolent punk like they’ve nothing left to live for, it feels like this could easily be the last music they’ll ever play and they want to make sure a mark is made.

As if not already centre stage amidst the carnage, vocalist Lee Spielman deems it necessary to orchestrate a circle pit around himself, an amazing sight in itself, what was even more amazing was how he didn’t miss a single snarl when the pit caved in around him. It couldn’t just end there though. Just when you begin to wonder how many bodies he’s buried under he’s passed overhead back to the stage, ready as ever to batter the next song into a pile of wet chunks.

By the time the band have paused to speak about their last stop here with Gallows and the ferry over from Ireland everyone else here is ready too, albeit a pint of sweat lighter. The violently heavy finish comes with relief though, after your guitarist ascends the balcony to riff doomy hardcore chords and your vocalist surfs to the back of the room there’s not a lot left to be said.

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Setting the bar high then for Cancer Bats would be putting it lightly, but as this is surely a scenario that plays out every night of the tour, Liam Cormier and co. are at the stage now where they have a sound formula in using Trash Talk’s momentum to their advantage. From opener ‘We Are The Undead” right through to the final ring of feedback after ‘Hail Destroyer‘ they play a blinder, leading and puppeteering the “bastard’s waltz” for over an hour.

As ever though, Cancer Bats make it feel like they haven’t played to thousands of other audiences before you. Liam makes a point of fully acknowledging where they are and applauds the fans who’ve seen them here on previous tours.



The adoration is clearly mutual when you see so many destroy their own vocal chords just to be able to repeat back the lyrics and every time Liam bombs into the audience (many times) he’s hoisted up in view of all to growl and roar the unforgettable chorus of Deadwrong‘.

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The setlist looked well after fans old and new with the hilariously brutal ‘Sabotage‘ revamp (made famous by Beastie Boys) giving recent followers something to have a sore throat and stiff neck about and first album favourites like ‘Pneumonia Hawk‘ putting even the longest serving ‘Bats fans at ease.

A fitting paraphrasing could easily be “just trying to live, trying to breathe, coughing up blood” (‘Bastard’s Waltz) but tonight in one person’s case, obscene amounts of vomit. Seemingly the sickening levels of future deafness-causing hardcore was enough to add a thick, steaming layer of spew beneath the already ambulance-worthy chaos.

When Cancer Bats can produce that reaction before they’ve played ‘Hail Destroyer‘ you know they’re well and truly a live act to be feared.

(Words and pictures: Daniel Robinson)

Check out this tour diary video from when Cancer Bats hit Stoke last year:


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