Ferocious Dog, Newcastle Universities Students Union, 5th November 2021

Bonfire night is in my opinion a night that celebrates a night of failures, a night that saw catholic support fail to take down James I and impose their religious ideology on Britain once more, also a night when either way religion won, therefore a loss for all.  Thus heading off from Teesside to Newcastle to witness a band who have done nothing but win over the time they have been in existence was a no brainer.

So amid the flash bangs that fill the skies on route to the venue at Newcastle Universities Students Union, we are feeling so exited to not only see the band that have just seen the release of what has to be their best album yet (a statement not thrown out there lightly) ‘The Hope’ ,with accolades being thrown around like confetti and chart positions to back that up too, but also to meet up with so many friends old and probably new, who also know the night has the promise of being special.

After a brief chat with the lady who co-ordinates this juggernaut of a band on tour, no mean feat I imagine, and the dropping off of the food drop bag we brought along, a cause that FD have at every single gig, its off to the bar for a little refreshment after a long journey.  Wandering around its not difficult to bump into friends, chat to people who you may not have met before, yet will always give you the time of day, what is always apparent at a Ferocious Dog gig is the camaraderie and inclusiveness, its also easy to pick up on how much the Hell Hounds (the followers/family of FD) support an ethos of looking after each other/others.

First up before the main act is Wolfred or at least two of them anyway, an act that even though they are local, have escaped my ears and eyes, something that is about to be remedied, the venue might only be about half full by this time, but they do get a warm welcome.  This band have an air of passion and vulnerability in their music, songs that move you, vocals that tell the stories within the songs with a strength of conviction, a short but memorable set that left you wondering just how much better they might be as a full outfit.

Main event time, with strains of Port Isaac being played as the intro to the band, your very aware that The Hope Album as the tour name gives away is and should be the main theme of the show, launching from this straight into Haul Away Joe a belter of a full opener, this gets the crowd bouncing around and that’s how they stay right until the last note of the last song.

Pentrich Rising is next up in the set, a song that tells a story that I suggest you go and read up on, this song is among so many others that FD do well, their albums are a potted history of oppression and the fight that needs fighting, but what they also do is sing of life and how short and fragile it can be, the hardships that come with mental illness and trauma, Broken Soldier is one of such songs, Ken Bonsall sings this at this show as he will at all shows, with a cracked yet beautiful vocal, the story is all too close to him for it not to come across in his face, yes it moved me to well up. Other highlights that hit a similar note are 1914 which is sung stunningly by Dan Booth the fiddle player, then the encore is the best track of the album and title The Hope this covers mental health and the depression that comes along like a cloud, a song that deserves so much love and gets it in the form of a crowd circle made up of the Hell Hounds in which they all convey their support for each other (moving is the least I could say about this).

Between these moments that will stay with you forever after witnessing them played live in a way that cannot be conveyed with words alone, are the likes of Sea Shepherd which gives its full support to the charity set up by Paul Watson in particular, who is mentioned within the lyric, a charity that sets out to protect the oceans and all that lives in it (a t-shirt was purchased), Punk Police which hit all the right buttons for myself in particular, they are the very people who punk was for my self, the reason punk exists, to fight against being told what to do!

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If you have never been to a FD live moment before, all I can say is get yourself there and be prepared for love, people climbing on shoulders, a gentle yet mad mosh pit, bass players being carried around the audience whilst still playing, sweaty bodies that have no qualms in giving you a hug or shaking your hand and most of all you’ll leave feeling that this is one of the best live bands your ever likely to see.

So how did The Hope album come out of this gig in my mind?, well this comparison might sound a little over the top to some, it might even be the wrong comparison to make, but it is to my mind a perfect comparison after listening to the album and the witnessing it live, Green Day American Idiot is what I’m saying, an album that propelled them to another level, an album they never looked back from, I witnessed this happen and it strikes me that this is and should be as momentous for FD…

For all of the photo’s from this event, visit my Flickr page HERE

To connect and purchase The Hope album from Ferocious Dog check out the bands WEBPAGE