Ben Massey | 14/09/23
So, to try and ease me back into photographing gigs in Leeds I chose to go to a hardcore show. Bad idea? Absolutely not. Yes, I almost got my camera smashed to pieces, but that’s the danger that comes with the job, I guess. And anyway, if things break - it’s because Kaonashi kill it.
This was one of my favourite gigs I’ve been to recently. Not only for the music but for the comedy and charisma that Peter Rono (lead singer) brings to the shows. Always conversing with the audience is a refreshing metal performance. The more shows I go to nowadays, the more I just see conventional (certainly not conversational) rock bands playing songs with a breakdown – but let's get to know each other first if we’re going to have each other’s limbs in our faces.
Before going any further, I have to offer my respect to the first two artists of the night. Leeds-based Killing Me Softly absolutely impressed me. It’s not often I walk away from a gig really vibing with one of the support acts. I’ve been listening to their debut tracks on Cries of a Dying Dawn religiously and I feel the nuance and craft in these tracks more each listen, something I wish I could have appreciated more when I saw them live – but there’ll be another opportunity.
Next on the bill was Cauldron, a band created to cause riots and absolute mayhem at live shows. Despite being a support band, they transformed what was already a small but mighty crowd into the biggest crowd I’ve been surrounded by in a while due to the sheer mass they chucked at us with each strum, note, and scream.
Within the expansion of the rock and metal genres, I think finding your niche is difficult, but Kaonashi bring something completely different to their music. Just listen to and read the lyrics to literally any of their songs. They are so matter-of-the-fact: they just describe life. It’s almost like every song is a panic of words onto paper about the day that’s passed.
The best part of the night was hearing Kaonashi debut their new track Blood Red Camry Dance Party which is a complete switch-up from the majority of their musical catalogue. Hearing a stripped-back song in the middle of a set, as described, is sometimes exactly what the room needs to recalculate its energy. There’s also something really special in hearing a band play a new song for the first time, especially one that showcases an unexpected or unfamiliar side of their abilities.
Even though Kaonashi have left the UK now, if you get the chance to see them at a live show soon, I really recommend it. Stream Blood Red Camry Dance Party here!
Edited by: Roxann Yus
Photography by: Ben Massey