Text by: Marcelo Gomes
The new Brazilian tour of the American band Agnostic Front passed through Piracicaba (SP) on Saturday, the 4th, and arrived in the capital of São Paulo on Sunday, the 5th. The classic American band returned to Brazil after 7 years to perform at Fabrique Club, in São Paulo.
One True Reason , a hardcore band from São Paulo, was the first to perform. With 20 years on the road, the quartet took the stage at Fabrique Club at 7 pm. The audience, still arriving at the venue, was able to watch the band perform material from their 3 studio albums and their most recent EP, Reality Is Wound , at a very high volume that was somewhat bothersome but did not overshadow the quality of the quartet, who played for 30 minutes.
With a 20-minute intermission, the 'Do It Yourself' punk spirit was confirmed right from the stage change made by the Agnostic Front shortly before the show. With everything set, at 8 PM the introduction "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" by Ennio Morricone , famously played before Ramones , set the tone for what was to come: the best of New York punk/hardcore. Vinnie Stigma (guitar), Craig Silverman (guitar), Mike Gallo (bass), and Danny Lamagna (drums) took the stage for the instrumental "AF Stomp". Roger Miret (vocals) then appeared, asking for a mosh pit for "The Eliminator". It didn't take long for the mosh pits and chaos to take over the place.
The guys came in strong, followed by "Dead To Me" and "A Mi Manera," with its chorus sung by everyone. Vocalist Roger Miret led the party and constantly asked for mosh pits. He didn't even need to, but he made a point of further inciting the already fired-up crowd. "My Life My Way," "Only In America," and "Old New York" followed, the latter of which Roger dedicated to his city while Stigma raised his guitar bearing his name.
The connection between band and fans only grew stronger with each song. This was evident in what followed. “For My Family”, “Friend Or Foe”, “Victim In Pain”, “Your Mistake”, and “Blind Justice” were breathtaking; it was like fire and gasoline setting the place ablaze. The band had a blast on stage, and the fans celebrated the party, stage diving and keeping the hardcore tradition alive.
The show progressed and Agnostic Front showed no signs of letting up. The vocalist asked the fans to get closer to the stage before playing “Never Walk Alone” and “Peace”. A brief break for vocalist Roger and the charismatic guitarist Stigma took over the vocals on “Pauly The Dog” and “Power” in visceral, spine-tingling versions. Miret returned for the Iron Cross , “Crucified”.
The final part of the show began with Roger thanking everyone for coming and saying it was always good to return to São Paulo. As soon as he mentioned the first verses of "Gotta Go," the fans began chanting the anthem like a mantra. The show reached its peak. If it had stopped there, it would have been enough, but the guys still had a few tricks up their sleeves. They played "Police State," "Addiction," and, to close with a flourish, "Blitzkrieg Bop" by the Ramones, described by Roger Miret as one of the most important songs of the set. The party was complete, the fans were going wild like few I've ever seen.
The show was less than an hour long, but it was so intense that when it ended, the audience was in shock, trying to understand what had happened. The lights took a while to come back on; everyone was still stunned, waiting for the band to return. Celebrating over 40 years of their career, Agnostic Front performed songs from their latest album, Get Loud , as well as other classics in a performance that felt like an unrestrained steamroller. The fans left with their souls cleansed on a night that will go down in history.
