The British hardcore band known as Mongol Horde recently did a whirlwind tour of five nights in the US and one night in Canada. Music Madness was fortunate to catch up with these purveyors of mayhem at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Mass. The house was packed with a mixed crowd. Some folks were fans of hardcore. Many folks were fans of Mongol Horde’s lead singer Frank Turner. A good number were fans of both. Because the band put on such a phenomenal performance, no one left the venue disappointed!
Opening the show was Boston’s own, Rebuilder. Formed in 2013, these punk rockers have opened for the likes of Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, NOFX and many other big names. It’s no wonder so many bands have chosen to have them open shows. This four piece punk band started the show with an inspired performance which got the crowd in a mood for rocking. Rebuilder exuded an energy that the audience fed upon. Bassist Dan Carswell was rarely rooted to the ground as he constantly leaped across the stage, brandishing his Fender bass like a madman. Guitarist Craig Stanton and drummer Brandon Philips were as musically intense as Carswell but considerably less boisterous. Sal Ellington anchored the band with his guitar work and strong vocals. With two EPs and one full length release, their fans are hungry for more. Given their strong performance, it’s no wonder.
Next on the bill was California based Armed For Apocalypse. This sludge metal band delivered a slow, grinding, commanding set. Frontman Nate Burman growled his vocals as he shred heavy riffs on guitar. Nick Harris wailed on his drum kit looking like a dreadlocked version of Animal from the Muppets. Charlie Fletcher traversed the stage as he covered the bottom end with his bass. AFA formed in Chico, California in 2008 have a couple of full length releases and an EP under their belt and we can only hope for more. If you’re a fan of bands such as Melvins and Eyehategod, Armed For Apocalypse is right up your alley. They are constantly on the road so keep your eyes open in 2020 for them to be in a town near you. Catch their show if you know what’s good for you.
Next up was the band everyone came to see, Mongol Horde! The band is the hardcore side project of Frank Turner. Frank first gained notoriety as lead singer of the UK punk band, Million Dead. He later went on to form his own band, Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls. Joining Frank is another alumnus of Million Dead, Mongol Horde’s drummer Ben Dawson. Rounding out the trio is The Sleeping Souls’ Matt Nasir on baritone guitar. Mongol Horde was formed in 2012 and sadly, rarely appears on stage. Because Turner and Nasir are seemingly constantly recording or on tour with The Sleeping Souls, it’s not hard to understand why appearances of “The Horde” are scarce. The band has one self titled album to their name with some digital downloads also available.
The band took the stage with a Mongol Horde-ized version of Santa Clause is Comin’ To Town and things took off from there. Nasir stood stoically throughout the set as he proved he can play guitar as well as he plays keyboards and mandolin with The Sleeping Souls. He was recovering from a bout of pneumonia but powered through the set like the consummate professional that he is. Ben Dawson’s time keeping was rivaled only by his perpetual smile. If there was to be a poster child for a musician having fun at what he was doing, Dawson would be a leading candidate.
The Mongol Horde version of Frank Turner has been dubbed as “Shouty Frank” by his folk punk fans. That moniker casts a sad light on what he does. While it’s not the oft melodic or crooning version of Frank, his vocals are hardly shouts. His vocals were powerful and dynamic. Turner appears to be in his element when not encumbered by a guitar around his neck. He prowled the stage like a caged tiger, matching the big cat on his sleeveless tee. While he didn’t leap on stage as frequently as he does with the Sleeping Souls, he took to the audience a lot more. His crowd surfing exploits were frequent, putting stage hand Craig Jenkins to the test of trying to reel him back in from the audience. One such instance looked like Jenkins was practicing wrestling moves tossing Turner to the stage, all in good fun.
The set was brief in comparison to the sets Turner normally delivers with his Sleeping Souls, but with the harsh treatment his vocal chords undergo, an hour long set seems more than appropriate. The mosh pit was in full swing during the set. It was not a place for the faint of heart fans to be certain. However, the hardcore fans were certainly in their glory! The show at the Sinclair was blessed with great lighting as photos attest to. The sound at the venue was in top form thanks to sound man / tour manager Dougie Murphy. Not a small feat for a hardcore band in a smaller club!
Sadly, this tour was billed as probably the only Mongol Horde tour North America will ever see. Given the reception the tour, especially the show at The Sinclair received, let’s hope another tour will grace the US. If this does happen and they don’t play near you, Music Madness suggests you travel to see this amazingly talented and fun band. It will be well worth the time and expense to partake in a very special event.
Photos by Rich Russo and Collin Heroux
