Test Plan – Shacklewell Arms, London, 23rd April 2025 – Now that was worth the curiosity and the walk over to the Shacklewell, the gig guide said there was a free gig, and well, a quick check on line to see if they were worth the shoe leather and damn they were powerful! Sorry Rampressure, missed your set, lost in a painting, wanted to see you but sometimes the painting muse says no, next time. Now Test Plan sounded interesting on line, they sounded intense but live is a whole other level of gloriously intense chemistry, a whole other level of glorious noise, the three of them up there sounding massive in that way on a three piece can, they had me from the moment I walked in, don’t know how much I missed but I saw and heard more than enough to know to not be late again, Not enough? More than enough! That drummer is rather impressive, compelling – adjective: compelling – evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way, they all are, this matters, they matter, the whole thing matters, their killing jokes and their headbutts and their scathing concoction of locked on menacing rhythm and bite that really does hit you in the gut in such thrilling way, here’s a #43SecondFilm…
They’re a London based trio, they’re as raw as they are focused and they are seriously focused, they are Rory Dickinson, Mike Fragkiadakis and Max Mason, they talk of cultivating “a ferocious concoction of overloaded dance punk and monochrome noise rock, driven by their gut reaction to all things loud” and well, they’re clearly far more than any of those dance punk noise rock label suggest. Their dynamic is mesmerising, complete strangers have great big shit easting grins on their faces as they nod at each other, the performance, is it a performance? it feels like more than that, does indeed beckon a meeting point where volume and energy collide, this is a delicious onslaught, and that ending, well, here’s another #43SecondFilm, I can’t be dancing around the architecture of these things, ladies and gents we have another excellent band warning for you… (sw)
Here’s more…
And….
THE ORGAN 
2 responses to “ORGAN THING: Test Plan at The Shacklewell Arms, compelling – evoking interest, attention, or admiration in a powerfully irresistible way – this matters, they matter, the whole thing matters, their killing jokes and their headbutts and their scathing concoction of locked on menacing rhythm…”
[…] Rampressure – Managed to miss them opening for the excellent Test Plan last week but they do appear to be rather busy in and around London right now, we note they are at the George […]
[…] Rampressure – Managed to miss them opening for the excellent Test Plan last week but they do appear to be rather busy in and around London right now, we note they are at the George […]