Iceage, Shakespeare's

Copenhagen's Iceage are one of the most exciting bands to emerge from the contemporary punk scene in recent years. After the relative success of debut album 'New Brigade', the band are now touring with the follow-up 'You're Nothing'. Lead singer Elias Rønnenfelt has the pretty-boy looks and charisma of Ian Curtis, and unsurprisingly comparisons to Warsaw have been drawn, as well as The Cure, but the band remain firmly rooted in the punk aesthetic despite their new-wave influences. 

Gathered just slightly off the beaten track in Kelham Island's The Shakespeare pub, the crowd is bizarre mix of speccy music journos, skinheads in Throbbing Gristle t-shirts and Shakespeare regulars who have stumbled upon the gig by accident.

Support from 'Puce Mary' is more like a pretentious art-school installation than a warm-up act. I look behind me and am met by faces of those pretending to appreciate the fine art of playing feedback from a cassette walk man mixed with the sound of someone violently puking their guts up, with some arbitrary knob-twiddling here and there. The resulting concoction is a virulent wall of sound, which in its own way is at once mesmerising and baffling. Still, it fits in with the juxtaposition between traditional venue and new-age performance, and gives the old pub a bit of atmosphere.

There are two guys up front who seem to have memorised the Iceage back catalogue; it seems the band have already gathered a bit of a cult following. Their live shows are becoming infamous, with the crowd being treated less like fans and more like potential victims to be attacked (both musically and physically), and tonight is no exception. After a slow start the crowd soon get going, with band members, instruments and equipment flying around the tiny function room. The atmosphere is intense, the dark room lit by a few single light bulbs, and it feels as if the balance between a performance and a full blown riot could swing towards a skirmish at any moment. They whizz through their set with Rønnenfelt barking just the name of each song between each song.

From selling Iceage branded switchblades to donning KKK-style hoods in their video for 'Ecstasy', the band aren't shy of causing a bit of controversy. However, I prefer my controversy with a bit of tongue in cheek, and feel like Iceage are taking themselves too seriously. My sentiments were somewhat shared by the topless man in his 50s, shovelling peanuts down his gluttonous mouth and heckling them to 'get on with it', (although I think he had wandered in by accident). However, this attitude of flirting with extremism, making hollow fashion statements to get fans and critics alike fired up is something which has always gone hand in hand with the hardcore scene. The ideology doesn't detract from their energetic, chaotic live show, teamed with well-honed renditions of brilliant tracks such as 'Ecstasy' or 'Coalition'. The tension between the young singer and the hairy bloke with the beer belly reaches breaking point, with the band storming off, declaring 'Done! We're done!’ Chants from the room drag them back for an encore, and the set ends in spectacular chaos.

While Iceage aren't exactly breaking new ground with their musical style, these young punks are expert showmen, and know exactly how to push a crowd's buttons. The raw anger and energy of their records don't even come close to their live show; they need to be seen in their rawest form to be truly appreciated. Put the pretension and posturing aside and you’re left with a performance which will knock you off your feet (literally in my case, being 5’4” doesn’t do you many favours in the midst of a mosh pit…) 

Wednesday 27th February @ Shakespeares, Sheffield