Hardcore has seen a surge of popularity in recent times and there are a variety of different bands fronting the movement which has swamped most parts of the world. The genre has roots engrained in the late 70’s and predominantly the early 80’s and whilst it has thrived as an underground punk genre for most of its active years, hardcore has received a new flash of life over the last 10 years. One increasingly important figure in the game is Baltimore’s Turnstile. Comprising of members from other bands in the scene such as Trapped Under Ice and Angel Du$t, Turnstile have found good success from the get-go with their debut EP Pressure To Succeed. The band take obvious influences from a variety of different genres such as punk, pop-punk, hip-hop and early hardcore. Individuality is key for the band, they don’t feel the need to meet the criteria for ‘norm’ in the scene and will throw out music that they want to make rather than music they feel pressured to put out. Since their first release they have gone on to produce acclaimed albums Nonstop Feeling and Time & Space.
The hardcore scene is known for its gigs. Moshing, stage diving and two-stepping was pretty much introduced by the genre and I can easily tell you for a fact you haven’t seen anything until you’ve witnessed a hardcore gig. It’s chaos quite frankly, but it’s encouraged and it is a staple in the scene and arguably the best bit about hardcore shows. It’s an exertion of energy, a release and an escape from the monotony of everyday life. Turnstile’s show are a perfect example of this. Hardcore is about expression and the band encompass this like its second nature to them. The energy the band exert from the beginning of their set is just unmatchable. You can tell every member of the band transpose to their own individual zones, soaking up the aggressive yet, friendly atmosphere at their shows. Turnstile shows are inclusive and everybody no matter their skin colour, their ethnicity, their religion, their gender or their social class are ever judged and everybody is encouraged to get involved. Hardcore shows can be intimidating, but fans of the band as well as the members themselves encourage people to get involved, never have I seen more females getting involved in the moshing and two-stepping quite like you see at a Turnstile gig.
The band don’t rely on exuberant light shows or over-the-top fancy backdrops to make their gigs aesthetically pleasing, they focus on the music and their energy. Nobody stands still and when tracks like ‘Real Thing’, ‘Keep It Moving’ and ‘Fazed Out’ are played you can see the energy explode. Most of the band end up all over the stage, often in the crowd and seemingly living for the moment. Their shows are a set above most in the alternative scene and in terms of fun, energy and happiness, their gigs are the best I’ve ever witnessed.
