No barrier shows are the best shows. Live music isn’t about separation.
I get why barriers are often essential, safety is paramount at any gig and everyone should feel safe and included at any concert. But that said, some music calls for the chaotic, synergistic, release and connection with the artist that a barrier simply removes. Stray From the Path are the perfect band for a no barrier show.
Not just because their songs are self-igniting mosh bombs, fuelled by righteous political anger, ferocious breakdowns, elastic riffs and boundless energy, or because their performance is as potent and explosive as a well placed Molotov cocktail. But because this band stand for something more than riffs. They stand against fascism, sexism, racism, ageism and all the other hateful characteristics and they stand for including everyone in equal opportunity, love and support.
Stray From The Path shows already have no barriers.
I wish more bands were like this. I wish more shows were like this. I wish more crowds were like this. It was intense, cathartic and vital but it felt like everyone was in it together as they threw themselves together in unison, united against poisonous ideologies and musical mundanity. And everyone was a part of it, and everyone was safe, even with the countless stage divers and the unrelenting aggression of the band’s entire breakneck set.
This set was the perfect reminder of what makes the punk music, or any music with the punk mindset, and the punk community so vital and why it will help change the world. Because shows like this, bands like this, communities like this…you can’t not take them into your heart. I believe in this band.
Also, no barrier shows are the best to photograph, even with the added danger because it frees you of restrictions and throws you into the thick of it. Here are a few of my favourites from the gig.
