On Feb. 22, Boston-based hardcore band Haywire headlined a show at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Florence. They were joined by fellow bands, Holder, Machines of Hate, Dream Fatigue and Balmora for an intense night of live music.
This show marked their fifth performance on their New England tour this week, where they have been joined by Dream Fatigue and Balmora for a series of high-energy gigs. So far, the bands have rocked DIY venues across Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont, with their final stop on their tour scheduled for Feb. 23 in Connecticut.
As the doors opened at six p.m., fans began streaming into the VFW hall. Tables loaded with merch from each of the bands, as well as merch, CDs and records from the DAZE record label, lined the back walls, adding to the busy atmosphere. Photographers and videographers crowded the front of the hall, eager to capture the show.
The night kicked off with a powerful set from the flourishing Western Massachusetts-based band Holder, who just returned to Massachusetts following a series of shows in Florida earlier this month. The band’s liveliness instantly ramped up the energy in the room, with fans forming a horse-shoe pit as they moshed and rushed to the front to scream the lyrics with the band’s fiery vocalist, Brie Percy.
Next up was the Western Massachusetts, straight-edge band, Machines of Hate. Their performance further escalated the room’s energy with their intricate guitar solos, booming bass lines, relentless drumbeats and George Barroso’s drilling vocals. As the band’s menacing breakdowns rang out, the mosh pit opened up, with fans lining the walls and others moshing intensely in the middle.
Dream Fatigue’s subsequent performance brought a pleasant shift in the bill’s vibe with their shoegaze-y set, offering a much-needed breather. The vocalist brought a powerful energy, passionately singing to the audience while using a looper and soundboard to create the perfect shoegaze effect. In between songs, she took a moment to thank the other touring bands for their opportunity to be on the tour.
Connecticut-based melodic metalcore band Balmora followed with a blistering performance, blending elaborate guitar solos with intense breakdowns. Their mix of growling vocals and melodious singing showcased the band’s dynamic and powerful sound.
During “Under the Weight of a Blackened Sky,” the crowd erupted in excitement, singing along with lead singer Senti, only to explode into a full-on mosh pit once the breakdown hit. Hearing the fast melodic guitar riffs live felt especially powerful making the experience even more intense.
Balmora capped off their setlist with a cover of “I Do My Crosswords in Pen” by the legendary Boston hardcore band On Broken Wings. The audience went wild, jumping onto one another and screaming along with each other, caught up in the shared excitement.
Haywire wrapped up the night with a high-energy set. The crowd was totally immersed throughout the performance, crowding over the lead singer, Austin Sparkman, to sing with him for each track.
During “CLOCKTOWER PLACE”, the mood in the hall shifted from the earlier chaotic mosh pits into a much more unified energy, as fans tightly packed into the front of the venue to sing the heartfelt lyrics together, nearly forming a mass of people in sync.
Sparkman shouted out the Boston hardcore legends Rival Mob, urging the audience to stream their music before the band dove into a thunderous cover of Rival Mob’s “Boot Party.” Herds of fans grabbed the mic from Sparkman, ecstatically singing together.
Nearing the end of their set, Haywire performed “Love Song.” Sparkman dedicated the track to a friend, using the moment to remind the audience of the importance of sticking together and fostering community in local hardcore scenes. As the audience herded to the front, Sparkman climbed on top of the drum kit and beckoned for the audience to move closer. After pointing the microphone into the herd of fans, he leaped off the bass drum, flipping into the crowd twice during the songs’ choruses.
Haywire closed out the night with “Like a Train.” As the infamous riff began, fans began running from side to side, opening the pit. At the chorus, fans ran back up to the front and chanted the chorus together, creating an unignorable sense of unity in the hall.
Between songs, Sparkman announced that Haywire’s next release will be a split with Springfield, Illinois’ No Guard. Next month, Haywire will travel to the UK for their 11-day-straight “From the Old to the New, For Better or for Worse” tour.
Crissy Saucier can be reached at [email protected].
