Shame at the Sinclair 9/7/22
After years of Covid-related delays and complications, the acclaimed English post-punk quintet Shame finally returned to Boston on a pleasant evening in early September to support their second album Drunk Tank Pink and tease a few tracks off their untitled upcoming third record. They were highly anticipated, as a line of young adult indie fanatics and middle aged punk enthusiasts formed outside of the Sinclair in Cambridge well before doors opened. Before long eager fans were taking their places within the intimate and comfortable venue.
They Hate Change opened with an engaging and entertaining set that showcased their comfort on stage and ability to work a crowd. The rap duo showed excellent chemistry, bouncing off of each other with ease and perfectly matching the energy of various house- and grime-influenced beats. Though the crowd was clearly here for a post-punk show, it didn’t take long for people to bob their heads and tap their feet. By the end of the set the crowd was yelling and jumping, and both members of They Hate Change were wearing massive grins.
Soon after, the main event took the stage. Shame started with the shorter and slower-paced cut “Alibis (One Cool Jazz)” from their upcoming album, getting the band members settled on stage and churning the crowd in anticipation. A smooth transition to “Alphabet,” the thunderous opening track on Drunk Tank Pink, started, sparked a burst of energy from the audience, who suddenly pushed and shoved and yelled; the moment they had been waiting for was truly in motion.
Shame knows what they’re about. Rapid, driving drums, thumping bass, loud, harsh guitars, and pure energetic vocals are trademarks of their style, and no song encapsulated this better than “6/1.” As soon as its instantly recognizable, repetitive riff started, the front of the crowd reached a whole new level of chaotic pleasure that lasted through the short but oh-so-sweet banger. Another highlight was “One Rizla” from their first album Songs of Praise. It’s very distinct from other songs in Shame’s discography due its sheer catchiness. The same reasons Shame are such a solid, tight band are the same reasons you don’t necessarily expect them to write hits. But, for a moment, Shame could’ve been a pop band playing TD Garden.
From the first minute to the last, lead singer Charlie Steen commanded the stage and embraced his place at center stage. Half-speaking, half-singing, and sometimes yelling, his energy was at the heart of every song. He gripped the mic stand with intensity and leaned towards the crowd to emphasize his words. Twice he climbed down into the crowd and surfed on their excitement and passion. Halfway through the show he took off his Cheers shirt, which was soaked through with sweat. But he wasn’t pure energy; the wit and self-awareness he displays in his lyrics was present in his banter between songs.
Steen did not hog the spotlight, using the intro to “Born In Luton” to get the crowd to cheer for guitarist Sean Coyle-Smith’s playing and songwriting. Coyle-Smith, drummer Charlie Forbes, and bassist Josh Finerty focused their energy on an extremely tight performance, while guitarist Eddie Green relished the chance to run around the stage, jumping up and down at the most pivotal parts of his performance.
As all good things must, the show eventually had to come to an end. “Snow Day” was used as the closer, an initially confusing choice of a mid-album cut that made more and more sense as the song progressed. It was dynamic, chaotic, and stop-start, allowing for multiple points of pits to form and die out, teasing but not quite resolving the underlying tension of the song and indeed the whole evening. Across the 5 and a half minutes, each drop felt more and more substantial. Head-bobbers in the sides and back of the venue felt themselves compelled to join the most energetic folks in moshing. Band members clustered to play off each other, and a group that had been extremely confident performers all evening looked, more than ever, to be in their comfort zone. The final mosh pit of the evening expanded until it seemed to swallow the entire floor, as the audience members on the mezzanine looked on with excitement and anticipation. Shame finally brought it all crashing together in a beautiful final minute of resolution and celebration, ending an excellent evening of post-punk in Cambridge.