Testimonials

As I stood in the crowd and cheered as the song trailed off, a voice erupted from the crowd and screamed exactly what I was thinking; “It was never a phase!” On the second of November, I had the opportunity to attend a show by a cover band called Black Unicorn. This band played music of the pop punk and emo persuasion, with a lineup that included covers of some of the most notable artists and songs of the genres.

These genres of music have been extremely influential and have led to the emergence of a flourishing subculture of alternative music. Emo music is known to have emotional and sensitive lyricism that has strong themes of angst and often speaks of feelings of alienation. It originated in the late 1980s and early 1990s and is considered to be a type of post-punk or post-hardcore music. There is a bit of controversy when it comes to defining an artist as emo and many will argue for different interpretations and different bands but generally artists like My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, and the Used are considered to fit within this criteria. A more inclusive and broad genre takes on the title of pop-punk music. This is a similar, if not overlapping, genre that can be defined by fast tempos, catchy lyricism, and relatability and takes influence from rock, pop, and punk music. This music also focuses on the angst of adolescence and includes many references to the hatred of the typical suburban lifestyle. Pop punk bands include many popular names such as Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Simple Plan, Blink-182 and many others.

 Getting to the show was very easy and from the second I arrived, I could tell that the energy was good and that the show would be as well. This concert took place at a punk bar in Camden Town called the Camden Eye. The main bar was fully covered with stickers and Halloween decorations, a wonderful way to cater to the alternative crowd. It was dimly lit and full of people having drinks and watching the original Addams Family show on the television while a variety of alternative music blasted from the speakers.

I headed to the first floor of the establishment, where the actual show would be taking place and I was greeted with enthusiasm then asked to present my ticket for the show. Tickets for this concert were available online through a platform called Fatsoma and cost a total of seven pounds fourteen. I felt that this was quite reasonable and that it proved to be more than worth it for the experience that I had.

Once in the room, I was filled with excitement and was in awe of the setting. It was an intimate brick room that featured a main central window and two side windows with string lights covering the ceiling. It was adequately lit and provided an up close and personal experience, as there was no separation between the artists’ equipment and the crowd. I think that this was the perfect setting for this event as the closeness evoked a sense of community not only between the members of the audience but between the artists and the audience.

Black Unicorn is an all-male band made up of four members: a bassist, a drummer, an electric guitarist, and a lead singer. This is very typical of the genre as many bands of the emo and pop-punk genre have bands of three to five members. Also fitting into the mold of the genres, this was a completely electric set and all of the music was played live with no backing tracks or pre recorded vocals. I feel that this gave a very raw emotional aspect to the performance and it showcased the true musical skills of the artist.

Before their set, I had the pleasure of meeting the lead singer of Black Unicorn, Oliver, and was able to learn a bit about the band’s history and his own music taste. I learned that the band itself has been established for quite some time and that he has been a member for just under a year.  He had great enthusiasm about the band and about the music in which they played and his energy made it clear to me that he had a passion for the music on a personal level, not just in regard to their setlist. We spoke about popular bands within the genres and even compared our favorite concerts and albums performed by these artists.

I also had the chance to see the setlist before they played and I was immediately excited for what was to come. I am a big fan of the emo and pop punk genres and I felt that the songs they planned to play captured the essence of the scene and would accomplish exactly what I had hoped it would.

The band started the show off very strong and played a classic “banger,” Sum 41’s “Fat Lip.” As someone who was, and still is, simply an emo kid at heart, I was instantly hooked. The energy of the band was immaculate and it was beyond infectious, getting the crowd hyped up and encouraged to go crazy. Every member was full of enthusiasm, the drummer, the bassist, the electric guitarist, and the singer all moved around constantly and were really feeling the music that they were producing. This energy remained constant throughout the whole eighteen-song set. I believe the band did a wonderful job covering such a wide variety of sounds and artists. The instrumentation and vocals had the familiar and recognizable emo/pop-punk tone and properly represented the original artists.

Many of the aforementioned bands were included on the setlist for this show and Black Unicorn did an incredible job of including a variety of popular songs that were full of energy and were accessible even to those who are not entirely familiar with the genre, including popular songs such as Green Day’s “Basketcase,” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” the All American Rejects’ “Dirty Little Secret,” and even “Stacy’s Mom” by Fountains of Wayne. Each of these songs have had commercial success and will therefore be familiar to even non-alternative music listeners. I felt that the songs were expertly chosen to evoke reactions from the crowd and to create a fun environment where the crowd could really let loose.

The crowd at this show was comprised of a wide variety of individuals, from visibly alternative people to those who seemed to be simply “normal” people, varying in ages approximately from people in their early twenties to those in their early forties. The space was packed and I would estimate that there were around thirty people in attendance. There was such a welcoming atmosphere and as mentioned before, I felt as though there was a great sense of community, with the band communicating with us during the show and with the members of the audience communicating with each other. The singer even went as far as joining the crowd at times and even allowed me to sing a few lines of one of the songs that they played. I felt so at home and as though I had found my people. I also greatly enjoyed the fact that the band mentioned that the show was for the emos, punks, rockers, and even for the alternatively curious. There was no discrimination and no alienation and I believe that creating a sense of camaraderie is one of the best things an artist can do when putting on a show.

Not only was the environment diverse and welcoming, it was safe and secure. One of my favorite concert occurrences is the existence of a mosh pit, and despite the demographic for a pit being grown men, I felt very safe and secure. As a small woman I tend to get thrown around and this crowd was kind enough to help keep me on my feet and they were conscious to not hit me with their full body weight. This made my experience all the more enjoyable.

This show was an incredible experience and I am very glad that I had the opportunity to have been in attendance. Overall I think that a Black Unicorn gig is a must see for alternative music enjoyers and anyone who enjoys a live music performance.