Boy Sets Fire / the Esoteric / Biologylive in Sayreville (2005)Equal Vision Records Reviewer Rating: Contributed by: Dan Perrone (others by this writer | submit your own) Published on November 25th 2005
I can’t begin to express how excited I was when I found out that Boy Sets Fire, the band that got me into a lot of the music I like today with their brilliant After the Eulogy, were finally touring again after almost two years of being dormant. I’ll spare you the back story, and hope that this review doesn’t turn into a rant about the “scene”…
Before we start, we want to thank the first band for coming out here and giving it their all, because we know how tough something like that is. And to the second band, fuck you. I’m thirty-three years old, and never in my life have I seen something so fucking pathetic as a bunch of moronic thugs instigating their group of bullying, lowlife, homophobic fans into tearing up the club, starting violence, and being assholes. It makes me fucking sick to think that these are the people that own the scene right now. To everyone sick of that fucking band and their fucking fans, STAND UP. Don’t let those thugs bully you. This is your scene, take it back. Fuck them. I’m disgusted. There’s hundreds of us, and only a few of them. Are you with me!!!The place went ballistic. Everyone’s feelings and fears during that one band’s set were washed away, and all eyes were on Boy Sets Fire, as they ripped through the opener, “Release the Dogs,” completely blowing the roof off of the Starland Ballroom. The band was psyched, and had more energy than I had ever seen in them in the previous three times I saw them They played about half of After the Eulogy, only two songs off of their Wind-Up release Tomorrow Come Today (which came out surprisingly heavy and intense live), and a few rarities, most notably “Vehicle,” dedicated to all the friends they made on the tour, as it was the first time they had played it all tour. I was amazed at how Boy Sets Fire had not missed a fucking beat over the last few trying years; if anything, they came back better. The two songs played off of their upcoming Equal Vision effort, “Requiem” and “The Final Communique,” sounded excellent, with the latter closing on a completely heavy, almost spastic note. Here’s to hoping the songs get pulled off with just as much ferocity on record. Interjecting between songs to further shit-talk Years Spent Cold, they closed with arguably their best song, “After the Eulogy,” but preceding it with "I have just gotten word that Years Spent Cold and their thugs are waiting outside for me to kick my ass. I just want to let you all know that as soon as we finish this last song, I am walking off of the front of this stage and walking out that fucking front door, and I want all of you to come with me." Nathan kept his word, tearing through the song and its anthemic chants of “RISE!” and walking right out, with no less than two hundred people following him. He kept his word, which was a ballsy move: After all, it turned out that no outside violence took place, with the cops interjecting and pulling the skirmish apart. I didn’t stay for From Autumn to Ashes. I didn’t want to. Just imagine how much longer this would be if I had stayed? I’m sure you don’t even want to think about it… This was a decent show. Saw some awesome bands, saw some not awesome bands. However, the whole good vs. bad thing was a completely awesome thing to see and even be a part of, especially after witnessing Boy Sets Fire back up their big words with even bigger actions and an even more gigantic performance. I’ve seen them four times now, and they haven’t played this good in a long time. I can sum this up real nice, short and sweet: Don’t be an asshole. Boy Sets Fire is, in every sense of the word, back. People who liked this also liked:           Please login or register to post comments. What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?
I think that what happened, i wasn't there but what happened with that opening act sounded retarted. I play in a hardcore/metal band but we have a respect for the audience being that we play various types of concerts. Fuck those guys i love bsf and i wish nathan would have kicked their asses.... I wanted to be there too wait...so your parents named you kutz? that actually is my real name. same goes for myspace. myspace.com/kutz. thanks, KUTZ hey kutz-ey...whats yoru real name? yes, presale includes the 400 tickets sold by both of the opening bands. im sure there were a few presales but definately no more than roughly 100. KUTZ i knwo i said im done but after scott / underground scene.... presale was bad? The show really wasn't selling well, they did horrible presale...thats why both of the side rooms of starland were closed before the show, and when people started coming, they decided to open one....from autumn to ashes and boy sets fire aren't that big of bands anymore, their peak days are over I'd say that shitty Jersey hardcore bands like Years Spent Cold are trash, but at least trash gets thrown out. give me a fucking break, show wasnt selling well. im done with this argument. yeah, i dont change my age on myspace. i turn 22 on march 3rd. when i was younger there was definately an aspect of fear at shows, but thats part of it. eventually you get through that stage. it was something that was a part of hardcore and still is. we were asked to play the show. being that we like some of from autumn to ashes older stuff we agreed to play the show. not to mention they are great dudes and are personal friends with one of my best friends. fata by the way face to face said they didnt wanna get in the middle of it, but they dont agree with what bsf did. the show wasnt selling well and they knew we would definately bring a lot of people. the first band busted there ass to sell tickets too, who were also super nice dudes. as for the person who said there was no reason to meet BSF outside just because of there opinion, it wasnt that. bsf clearly said to meet them outside and that they will take on any crew or group of kids by themselves and win which is the funniest thing ive ever heard. so i dont know if u were at the show at all or if u are going by what u here on message boards like 90% of other people do on message boards, but thats the straight story. its on video. Thanks, KUTZ WE'RE ALL GETTING OFF TOPIC. kutz, your myspace says you're 20 OK, but when you signe on for the show didnt you realize that you're style of music is the complete opposite of BSF? We know they have strong beliefs and speak their mind. Sure they can't always pick their openers but im sure they werent thrilled with what took place before they went on. Your fans obviously wanted to run the show and that doesnt have much respect for everyone who m ight have had interest in the openers but came to see other bands as well. ive most likely been going to shows longer than anyone on here. so to bunch everyone into a group as far as the YSC people go, into listening to bands that have been around since 2003 is rediculous. im not saying you arent right about some of our fans cuz i dont know what everyone who comes to our shows listen to, but that is no different than any bands fan base. i can say for the most part the majority of kids who regularly come to our shows have been going to shows and doing the same thing at shows for more than 5 years. ive been going to shows since the mid 90s so dont lay that shit on me about not being around. hardcore has and will always be somewhat violent, but its people having fun with violence. its aggressive music. expect it, its what happens at hardcore shows whether it be in NJ or anywhere else. the trouble starts when hardcore kids and non-hardcore kids mix. atleast post your name if you are going to talk shit and post as anonymous. its amazing how people can say things on the internet, but will never say it in person. you all know where to find me as far as shows go if you have something to say. Thanks, KUTZ www.myspace.com/yearsspentcold If I had a band, I would only hope the fan-base was soley 16 year-olds who talk big and have a false sense of toughness, homophobes, girls who say "fuck gay scene bands" but take pictures with their tits out and listen to It Dies Today, and kids who buy brass knuckles just to take Myspace pictures with them. so who is years spent cold? Oh year, some mall metal "lets put 9 breakdowns in a song" band that impresses their local friends at VFW shows and gives them a reason to punch the walls since they didnt make the football team totally finally registered, by the way...but yeah...fuck the powers that be...and all that jazz. patrick, i was there, i saw what happened, and i called it as i saw it i was at 120 hamilton st the other day to see ensign, mother night, the procedure and between the wars, i go to all types of shows, hardcore, metalcore, metal, punk, thrash, oi...whatever it is, chances are i'll be there....all i'm trying to say is, for a scene you're not involved in, you don't really have much room to talk about it I give big ups to years spent cold. and whoever that was that said calling out bands like boys set fire isent good promotion and doesent help them gain fans. thats tottally untrue coz that made me like them more then I already did. I agree these kids can be assholes somtimes but I know them and they are friends of a few of my friends and I think its fine they do there thing at there shows, its when they bring it to shows with bands that arent evern there style music that I dont like it. No one wants to see a guy hardcore dancing at a ska or punk show. pat, listen...first, i'll be the first to admit i'm not at a show every weekend, especially now - face it, people have other things going on, other shit to take care of. but to say i don't know shit because i don't to go every single local show in new jersey? come on, man. and to say i only hang around starland ballroom? i got to rutgers fucking university in new brunswick, home to a very, very good local scene - though maybe not the one you're used to, a lot of very good bands come through here, dropping by local basements on hamilton st., we well as the hamilton street cafe in bound brook (two different places, but not far from each other). i'm not going to sit here and name drop bands that i've seen and people that i know, but i don't appreciate your ignorance. and no, i don't go to shows that you and your friends will probably be at. that's not the kind of music i enjoy the most, and those aren't the kinds of places i feel like being all the time. can't you accept that? i'm not some fucking celebrity, and if you and your friends don't recognize me, then that's cool - and if you did? does that make me miraculously know what i'm talking about when it comes to music? absolutely not. and my name comes from my very first website, one i've written for for five goddamn years, and one which i wrote for when i come over here to write as well. i'm not telling you that you don't know anything about music, because you probably do know a good amount, as you run a label and all. i told you that you ignored the points made and sat there saying how you were right since no one really said anything to you, which is pretty cocky and just stupid, i must say. K-Dubs, theres a difference between changing your style of music because you want to and because you changed to a label and are trying to appeal to a larger group of people, boy sets fire's politics were completely thrown out the window when they signed to the same label as CREED, and when they ask for 500 dollars to play a benefit show for a kid in a wheelchair, the singer has been known to make child molestation jokes, i have friends who have played with boy sets fire and said the singer is nothing but a drunk pervert...i could get up on stage and talk about oppression and womens rights and all that jazz too and then get off stage and act like a complete hypocrite, but hey...whatever makes the $$$$ Theundergroundscene.... all I'm saying is that the local nj jersey hardcore scene is pretty tight knit....if you were so into "the underground scene" and came to shows, chances are atleast one of my friends would know who you are....sticking to starland ballroom doesn't make you know what you're talking about..i'm assuming that you don'tk now what you talk about because i've never seen you at a show, and yes, i know what you look like...none of my friends have ever seen you at a show...when was the last time you came to a show at a firehouse? or a skating rink? or even like bloomfield ave cafe to see local bands from new jersey play....or even bigger touring hardcore bands play.... i think it's funny that you didn't answer shit, just went on a rant about what hardcore is and how your integrity is measured by how many brainless insults you guys can dish out on the internet....wait... i think its funny how someone says something and i answer and they never bring it up again. most likely because its nothing but the truth. as for the kid who posted we should be greatful. were greatful for absolutely nothing about boy sets fire. they can eat shit. were grateful for the people who actually do something for the scene. I like this, YSC a band with no where near the credentials that BSF has decides to talk shit. Talk about respecting the scene. If I were the second band playing on a show with BSF I would be grateful for the opportunity and just deal with any criticism that came with my way. Responding with violence towards a well respected band is a bad way to gain fanfare. patrick, if i may call you that. pat, that's awfully hypocritical to write a twenty line rant talking shit about people you seriously have no idea about, and then say "if you have something to say, say it to my face and not on the internet"...as well as to say that you aren't the ignorant ones, as you display pure ignorance right there you should get the facts straight before you decide to write anything about it. Before I forget, I just wrote that last comment Here is the thing about this show, this isn't a hardcore show...from autumn to ashes and boy sets fire left the hardcore scene years ago.... I saw from autumn to ashes when they were ripping off the whole poison the well hype thing that was giong on in like 01....they are good dudes, but the music they make isn't hardcore....their entire schtick is a fashion based music scene that revolves around bad hair and tight jeans, thats not hardcore, and i guarentee you the dudes in the band who know what hardcore is will tell you that kids coming to shows with hair down to their asses, white belts, youth medium sized tshirts and eye makeup are not hardcore.....years spent cold comes from a completely different scene of music, one where you have to watch your back at shows, one where you have to keep an eye out for what is going on because it's the real deal, its hardcore music at it's rawest and although all of you kids who don't go to real hardcore shows, and stick to starland ballroom and places like that label us as "thugs" and "scene bullies" it's the way it is, thats what the hardcore scene is when you actually go to "underground scene" shows....your user name entales that you know something about the underground music scene....from autumn to ashes and boy sets fire are far from the underground music scene....where do you think these bands were 5 or 6 years ago? Playing small balls and vfw halls and watching kids beat the shit out of each other, thats where they were, the first time i saw from autumn to ashes it was just kids beating the shit out of each other, now its whose hair looks the best....boy sets fire has no right to talk badly about anything, they were basically scared out of playing new jersey for the last 5 years after demanding 500 dollars for a benefit show for a good friend of a lot of people from new jersey who was in a wheelchair, when the singer of the band first came out his whole thing was "i'm gay" and you know what, thats cool, i didn't care when i found out he was gay, i thought it was cool that he was so open about it, but he changes his sexual preference like the band changes their style of music....what is it this tour? gay or straight? not that it matters to me, but don't preach to people about saying "faggot" when you can't even make up your own mind....if you're gay, thats awesome, if not, awesome, i really don't care....i don't think anyone does...as for years spent cold saying "faggot" a lot of bands say faggot, a lot of bands boy sets fire has played with i'm sure has said the word faggot while they've played, but im sure bsf didn't get up on stage and bash a local band just to try to gain some sort of recognition back in new jersey....I own the record label that Years Spent Cold is on, and i'm very happy to say that the "retribution" cd has been doing very well, and for every kid who claims to know what hardcore is and support boy sets fire, there are 5 real deal kids on our side....i'll take my "thug" friends over some 15 year old loser who buys his personality and image at hot topic....because i know what my scene is, and i know how it effects my life and the person i am....you kids might want to learn a little something before you start spouting off facts about what you think you know, because although you think we are the ignorant ones, take a look in the mirror and accept the fact that you just don't know what you're talking about kutz, maybe the scene and who it belongs to is such a hot topic because it's gone to shit in the last few years, with all the violence and shit? this will never be your scene, ever. when anyone on here has surpassed the 10 year show mark. then talk to me about who runs what. were here to stay. nothing will change. you will do nothing about it like i said and neither will anyone else. i do say the word nigger in front of my black friends from time to time. its not that big of a deal. thanks, KUTZ score is for scott, welcome to the party buddy. score is for scott, welcome to the party buddy. "the fact that boy sets fire is riding dick endlessly on how were such homophobes is hilarious. one time during the whole set the word faggot was used, while friends of ours, who are gay and bough tickets were there and somehow it turned into us being a homophobic band." hey everyone Were you at the same show? i don't have the time or energy to respond with something formal, but i gotta say... hi this is kutz from years spent cold. just letting you know that we didnt get owned by anyone. i havent made a post on here yet nor has anyone in years spent cold. if boy sets fire was so tough and proud to say what they had to say why didnt they come out and say it in the 2 hours of time they had between sets. i have never liked boy sets fire or what they preach about and there bullshit, but it never ran through my head to go on stage and talk shit about them. its not what we do and we never have done it. if we have a problem with someone wed be more than happy to confront them about it first hand. if you really think your that hard talking shit on the internet please save yourself the trouble and come beat me up at a show.its never happened and never will happen. HAHAHAHA! upon cruising over the the years spent cold myspace site: i stumbled upon this: It's interesting to me that YSC has been attacking the fact that BSF's musical style has changed on each cd they've released. They seem to think that a change in style symbolizes weakness, I don't understand, progession is bad thing? I guess it would be better if BSF played generic toughguy hardcore throughout their career and didn't mature in anyway. All this shit talking going on between fans of both bands is exactly what's wrong with the scene today. Isn't it ok to disagree without resorting to violence and insults? Looking at the BSF message board sickens me. Nearly every post contains something ignorant like calling someone a "faggot," telling someone to "get AIDS" or my personal favorite "Boy Sets Fire should fall into a puddle of AIDS." I think these comments further prove the point that these tough guy hardcore bands like YSC are promoting a homophobic mentality. What ever happened to acceptance and unity? Perfect review. Props on leaving after BSF. It would have been very anti-climatic don't you think? "yeah years spent cold is really bad, they sold 65 cds and around 50 tshirts score is for boysetsfire keeping it reeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallllllllll How do you know those numbers? You must either be part of the band (most likely) or just flat out lying. yeah years spent cold is really bad, they sold 65 cds and around 50 tshirts Goddamn I love this band. That's an incredible story. I can't fuckin wait for the new album. They inspire me. There I said it. I agree with Rookie being the best song. Cheers to BSF for their no nonsense style of giving no credit to a shitty opening band when no credit is due. fucking good for boy sets fire, that's a great fucking tale right there. shitty hardcore metal toughguy bands can eat it, and that last bit just makes it all the better. The fact that they had a crew and wanted to actually beat up a band like Boy Sets Fire just proves that Years Spent Cold are just as fucking stupid as their name Kudos to BSF for standing up to those guys. Bands always throw in a nice word towards the other bands, even if you know they don't really dig their sound. For Nathan to call out those guys, they must have been pretty big assholes. that sounds awesome Nathan makes a great point/observation. Can't wait for their new record. good review, but i have to disagree on bsf's best song. i prefer "rookie," after the eulogy is jsut the song most people are familiar with. | Features
Previous
Exclusive StreamsNewest Reviews
Punknews.org TeamManaging EditorAdam WhiteNews EditorsKira WisniewskiBrittany Strummer Andrew Waterfield Katy Hardy Matthew Baldwin Armando Olivas John Flynn Video EditorChris MoranSocial Media EditorJustin AugustCopy EditorAmelia ClineReviews EditorJoe PeloneInterviews EditorRichard VerducciPublisherAubin PaulISSN 1710-5366© Copyright 1999-2012 Punknews.org Other Places to Go
Punknews.org Flickr Pool |
The Sidekicks
Useless ID
Gleam Garden
Shit Creek
Caseracer
Sonic Avenues
Burning Bridges
Authority Zero
Classics of Love
The Saddest Landscape
Attack! Vipers!
![Warm Needles Pretty Tambo [7-inch]](http://static.punknews.org/covers/thumb/warm-needles-pretty-tambo-7-inch.jpg)
Warm Needles
![Shahman Who Am I? [7-inch]](http://static.punknews.org/covers/thumb/shahman-who-am-i.jpg)
Shahman
![The Sainte Catherines Dead Dogs [7-Inch]](http://static.punknews.org/covers/thumb/the-sainte-catherines-dead-dogs-7-inch.jpg)
The Sainte Catherines
Mister Heavenly
Run and Punch
![This Is Your Life This Is Your Life [7-inch]](http://static.punknews.org/covers/thumb/this-is-your-life-st-7.jpg)
This Is Your Life
Auntie Christ
