SOUL GLO x Lord Snow x Spoiled: A Night to Remember

In the following paragraphs, I’ll summarize my humble account of one of this year’s best gigs we’ve organized: SOUL GLO ❌ Lord Snow ❌ Spoiled.

The concert took place at a club called Urania Palace, whose owner has been supporting us by providing a space to organize shows. He started helping us out way back in the early days of DIY concerts in Cluj, when he owned a different club called Roland Garros.

The three members of Spoiled from Cyprus arrived in Cluj a couple of days before the show. They came straight from Berlin, where they had attended the amazing Miss The Stars Fest. They had vivid memories of what happened there and were pretty psyched to play alongside two of the acts that were also on that fest’s lineup: SOUL GLO and Lord Snow.

On the day of the gig, the weather in Cluj was quite rainy, almost up until the bands arrived in the evening. Rain has always been somewhat of a bane for people coming to our gigs, so we were really hoping it wouldn’t mess up our evening and that folks would turn up. We were lucky—they did.

Despite this, there was a slight inconvenience that kept us wary. Another event was going on at the venue at the same time, which required us to keep quiet as it was dedicated to musical meditation and participant interaction.

The meditation practice took place in the main room, while the concert was planned for the building’s basement as usual. After arriving and loading in, the bands had a bite of what we had prepared for them. Most of the band members decided to go for a walk until the meditation circle finished their activities.

In the meantime, we hung outside and told people who had started to show up that they also had to patiently wait outside for a while. In the end, that took longer than expected, and we thought people might decide against staying for the gig. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case, as everyone was eagerly awaiting the bands on the bill that night. Some of the folks who came were people we hadn’t met before at our shows, and we were pleasantly surprised.

Spoiled

The delay had gathered quite a big crowd outside, and anticipation was welling up among all of us. As soon as the participants of the meditation circle began leaving the building, we rushed inside—things were about to get real.

After a quick soundcheck, Spoiled opened up the skramz festivities. From the get-go, I was surprised to hear that they sounded quite different from the recordings on their Bandcamp as of this writing.

They blasted away with a more abrasive and cathartic approach. Spoiled impressed me with swift drumwork and vocals delivered in a way that reminded me of early 2000s screamo bands. Their youthful energy seemed boundless, and the crowd was swayed by it. Don’t be deterred by their earlier demos—go see them play if you have the chance. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Hit them up for their newest tape, which was released a few days ago.

SOUL GLO

After Spoiled finished their set, people quickly stepped out for a breath of fresh air or a quick smoke. Everyone was in high spirits, but I don’t think anyone was prepared for what was about to follow.

It was time for SOUL GLO to take the reins. People rushed inside, and right off the bat, the band exploded with a barrage of razor-sharp lyrics delivered at a neck-breaking pace. Self-reflections and social and political commentary on the current state of affairs in the U.S.—regarding racism, social inequality, gender, bigotry, depression—it was all there.

Their way of playing is a more hardcore-tinged approach to screamo, and it suits them perfectly. The crowd went absolutely wild during their set—it was inevitable. The band was relentless, and people felt the urge to dance and climb the ceiling, swaying in all directions. Everyone was having fun, bands included.

The songs were usually short, pissed-off, and exuded an almost kinetic energy. By the time the band finished their set, they had gone through most of their current discography. The crowd cheered them in awe. It was glorious. I can’t overstate SOUL GLO’s importance in the so-called screamo scene today, especially in relation to the struggles people of color experience daily, presented through this very personal point of view.

The band has been around for a few years now, but it was their first time coming to Europe. I’m surely glad this came to be. They will release a brand-new album called THE NIGGA IN ME IS ME next month. Can’t wait to hear it! Keep an eye out on SRA Records’ Bandcamp page for updates.

Lord Snow

As soon as the Philly band’s set came to an end, it was time for people to take another break outside or elsewhere. The eventful evening was about to reach its conclusion: Lord Snow was up next.

I’ve been a longtime fan of the band and had previously seen them play at Fluff Fest in 2015. When I found out they were planning another Euro tour and bringing SOUL GLO along, I jumped at the opportunity to have them play here. Once we discussed and agreed on putting on the gig, I started eagerly counting the days until their visit.

The final set for the evening was about to start. The crowd was back in position, just waiting for the band’s cue. And then it began. Lord Snow played a different game than the previous two bands.

They play screamo in a technical, jazzy manner—something one might not expect given that their songs are so short. But the intensity they unleashed gave an emotional, almost melancholic vibe to the performance. Lyrically, they express their take on society’s ills and mental health issues through video game and pop culture references.

In the crowd, even if the mood was not as spastic as during the previous set, we kept on dancing and enjoying every last moment. But then it was time for the band to finish up. They had gone through their setlist, featuring both older hits and tracks from their latest effort, Shadowmarks all of which were painstakingly reproduced to my greatest delight.

So, basically, that was it—a wild night where everyone contributed in their own way to make it great. I’m grateful we were part of the “Hands Across Europe” tour, and I’m sure that once the opportunity arises again, the bands will visit us.

As a send-off, my recommendation to whoever reads this post is to go check them out live if you have the chance. And if you’ve already done so, why not do it again? Otherwise, just listen to what they have to offer on various online platforms. Support them directly whenever you feel like it.

Words by Mihai. All photos by Szili—thanks a lot!

Oh, and never forget:

— D E F E N D x D I Y x MUSIC! —

To learn more about the LMA Collective and the current DIY punk scene in Romania, don’t forget to read this scene report!