Welcome to the church of Frank Carter as he takes to Brixton Academy

Frank Carter has spent the summer on festival stages around the world, entertaining the masses and bringing people into his world of heartfelt chaos. If you thought he was unstoppable surrounded by horizon, you should see him tonight at Brixton Academy as he plays to the converted. Marching onto the stage like a wrestler with some serious scores to settle, he knows this is The Big One. The merch stand outside is already selling copies of tonight’s show where the band have already promised they’ll be playing every song they’ve ever released. There’s nowhere to hide. Not that Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes are ones to shy away. Frank’s on the crowd for ‘Juggernauts’, up in the balcony for ‘Modern Ruin’ (introducing his Mum to the audience) and dedicating ‘Lullaby' to his daughter, “so you fucking better not let me down,” he warns. When he’s onstage, he stomps about the place, staking out a claim and looking for weak spots. ‘Paradise’, a song about “terrorists and how I think they’re all cowards and scum” is dedicated to victims of attacks at music venues, ‘Fangs’ comes with so much joyous urgency that it’s played twice and the closing ‘I Hate You’ sees sparks rain down and lungs emptied. It’s carnage from front to back but Frank Carter has become much more than an instigator. Songs from ‘Blossom’ pack a punch, rough and ready to get messy but ‘Modern Ruin’ sees him looking for more. ‘Vampires’ is soulful and still, ‘God Is My Friend’ was written “when I wasn’t sure if I wanted to live anymore. It’s a reminder that there’s so much more beauty I haven’t seen yet,” and the softly spoken ‘Bluebelle’ is about his dog. Flickering between Jekyll and Hyde, it’s hard to tell which one is more devastating. Photos: <a href="https://www.patrickgunning.com/index">Patrick Gunning</a>