05/06/2015
Photographs by Tyson Elder
It’s been a long time since this member of YYJ Rocktographers found himself shoehorned into a cramped, dark, sweaty space. Wait, get your mind out of the gutter. Don’t be creepy. It was an all-ages hardcore show at Intrepid Theatre in Victoria, BC.
Intrepid’s capacity can’t be more than 50 or 60 people. Less when there are flying teenagers moshing around to the bands. The room spilled out into the adjacent lobby for No Liars‘ debut show while the first band, The Dead Are Rising — an amazingly mousey two piece with a huge sound — played.
Despite being only second of four on the bill, you’d think No Liars was the headlining act. It was clear that the crowd was here for them, with the who’s who of the Victoria music community, including several YYJ Rocktographers, members of Acres of Lions, and Northcote, just to name a few.
Several months ago, Noah Edwards proclaimed that he wanted to get back to his roots with some post-punk and hardcore sounds (his instagram handle is @noahshredwards, after all). A sound that escapes the popular beach sounds of Victoria, but is clearly fully embraced by the local music scene.
Having never reviewed a hardcore show, it’s hard to know what to say about it. Some would describe it as “loud,” but that would only describe the monster sound system that dwarfs that of most local rock venues.
Melodic, fast, tight, and refreshing. It would be unfair to compare No Liars to other bands and their influences. The band is striving for a unique and dynamic sound, like most bands, and have already started achieving it with some success. Despite broken guitar straps, snare drums, and many sound issues created by the sound tech, No Liars left the crowd wanting more.
It’s clear that No Liars will be a force to be reckoned with here in Victoria, and that there is a dynamic shift in music and culture happening here.
See more of Tyson Elder’s photographs of No Liars on his Flickr.