Mouth Culture arrived in Paris carrying a noticeable buzz. They had already made a strong impression opening for You Me At Six at the Bataclan two years ago, and since then the momentum has only grown. This date marked the final night of their European run, and even if the pit never quite reached full scale chaos, the energy coming off the stage more than compensated.
Whenever it feels like rock music has grown complacent or diluted, a younger generation steps in and jolts it back to life. Mouth Culture clearly belong to that wave. Their sound draws heavily from early noughties punk, metal and emo, sharpened with a layer of post hardcore abrasion. The references are obvious, but they wear them with confidence rather than nostalgia.
Frontman Jack Voss is the focal point, a whirlwind presence who seems to run on pure voltage. Somewhere between the feral abandon of Iggy Pop and the modern metalcore intensity of Oli Sykes, he led the band through a tightly wound hour of jumping, screaming and raging. For this older fan more accustomed to comfortable dad rock, it was a welcome jolt, proof that rock and roll still has teeth, and that the next generation is not interested in playing it safe.
