80s Hardcore

Sound and Fury: The Revival/Photo Essay

Published

June 20, 2016

Wayne Ballard Photography

I saw a lot of things this past weekend in LA: people shitting in crowded intersections, the alarming effects of gentrification, dudes camped out on freeway exits, and of course, the revival of Sound and Fury. For those who don’t know, Sound and Fury was the pinnacle of west coast hardcore festivals for many years and helped to launch the careers of now widely sought after bands like Trash Talk, Ceremony and Title Fight. I speak for many attendees of the fest when I say that some of my fondest memories have been at past Sound and Fury festivals, and to have it brought back to life was the equivalent of getting in a time machine for many in the audience. For all CVLT NATION disciples that decided to watch porn and eat Cheetos instead of having your ears destroyed by the likes of Full of Hell, Nails, Gag, Freedom, Young And In The Way and Ceremony – you fucked up. All the free porn in the world can’t make up for the insanity that prevailed at Sound and Fury.

Highlights of the fest include: Nails permanently damaging everyone’s hearing capabilities; Tony Molina reminding all of us that we suck at guitar; Shipwreck doing generic Boston things; Bracewar becoming the official Sound and Fury champions; and Freedom fooling everyone into thinking it was 1983 again. Along with these moments of hearing impairment, Young And In The Way put on a fucking clinic during one of the aftershows; in fact, I’m positive there were several live goats sacrificed during their set. Of course, Sound and Fury wouldn’t have been the same if Ceremony hadn’t been there. In the months leading up to the fest, there was a lot of speculation as to what the band’s set list would consist of. With a room full of hardcore kids anticipating the best set of the weekend, they did not disappoint. Quite frankly, Ceremony is a band that never disappoints live, and if you’ve never seen them, then I’m convinced that you don’t even go to shows and probably seek out life advice on Tumblr.

Honorable mentions include Guns Up! bringing the mosh; Gag making belly shirts cool again; Full of Hell providing a unique and intimate journey into the abyss; American Nightmare throwing the monitors of the Regent Theatre; and Fury…oh shit, I totally didn’t watch them. If you’re reading through this thinking, “I have no idea what this guy is talking about,” then it sounds like you better mark your calendar for next year’s Sound and Fury, because you missed out. To put it in terms today’s youth can fully comprehend: Sound and Fury was LIT AF. Many fests try and ultimately fail before they can ever reach the level of lit that Sound and Fury achieved. If you’re looking for a fest where you can just drink beer and watch aging punk dads argue about which Black Flag vocalist was best, then Sound and Fury isn’t for you. I can’t express enough gratitude to Riley and Martin for not just organizing a fest featuring some cool bands, but for organizing a gathering where hardcore and punk could thrive without the confines of a barrier and uptight security. Ultimately, Sound and Fury’s revival went off without a hitch and I can’t wait for next year’s madness.