South London post-punkers, Shame, arrived in Boston for a sweaty night of dancing, running and jumping (off the stage, to be specific). Currently on tour with Been Stellar of NYC, Shame is celebrating the release of their third full-length record, Food for Worms, released this past February on Dead Oceans.
Formed in 2014, Shame released their critically acclaimed debut Songs of Praise in early 2018, cementing their status in the new wave of post-punk bands breaking out of the area. The post-punk revival has been nothing short of a Herculean task, lead by oddball Brits such as blackmidi, Squid, Black Country New Road, Fontaines D.C., and many more. Shame found their niche of “slightly angry post-punk” with the positive reception to their debut and tours with other bands of the niche, like Viagra Boys, whom they toured with last fall.
With as much pent up energy as the bands they draw inspiration from, the band walked on stage with a clear intention: make everyone move their feet. If it wasn’t clear enough from the atmosphere and “come on” gestures from singer Charlie Steen, they made it known to the crowd that “it’s going to get sweaty or else.” Drummer Charlie Forbes counts the band into “Alibis,” as Steen dances on stage and works the crowd before roaring the first line “I don’t see no point in coming back” in the faces of the crowd shouting it right back at him.
Without missing a beat, the group segues into “Alphabet,” the visceral leading track of their sophomore album, Drunk Tank Pink. Bassist Josh Finerty runs back and forth across the stage while guitarists Eddie Smith and Sean Coyle-Smith feedback their amps to the point of risking ear damage. The crowd gets rowdier than before as Steen leans over the edge of the stage, singing each line with more rage than the last. The energy on stage is matched, if not surpassed, by the crowd as each line taunts them to move faster, move harder, and move more.
Fans were treated to a very broad rotation of old and new songs; the band played a near even split between all three albums throughout their workout of a set. By the time you realized the last song was over, Shame was already ahead of it and ensured that the party did not have a second to consider stopping.
The Food for Worms Tour continues through June 4th, before the band returns back to the EU ahead of their next run of shows and festival appearances.
Listen to Shame here!
Catch Shame on tour here!
