Live Review: Deez Nuts, The Acacia Strain & UnityTX at The New Cross Inn, London (01/02/23)

Originally due to take place on March 1st, 2022, and at The Underworld, the last date of the UK portion of this tour finally took place, 11 months later and at The New Cross Inn.

It’s a sold-out show and anyone who’s ever been to the New Cross Inn during a sold-out show can attest to the manic insanity that takes place when it’s this packed. Hardcore punk band Deez Nuts may be the headliner, but it seems as though a decent chunk of the crowd is here for the support bands, in particular The Acacia Strain.

Before them though, UnityTX, a rap-hardcore-hip-hop band from Dallas, Texas. Sending the masses at the front into a frenzy with immense breakdowns, glistening aggression, and a crossover sound that just fits the venue perfectly. It’s a sweat-drenched showcase, UnityTX giving it their all and impressing just about everyone.

After that, it seems impossible to believe that many would have the energy left to enjoy The Acacia Strain, but their show is even wilder and more chaotic. So intense is it, that halfway through the second song, the guitars die, and the band has to spend 5 minutes trying to get the show back on track.

Happily, they do, the reverb arriving to a hail of cheers, and The Acacia Strain kicking straight back into their metalcore/deathcore intensity. It’s carnage in the pits, seriously, there’s some wild hardcore fist swinging and leg kicking going on. Hey, if that’s your jam…cool.

Most are just having a blast head-banging themselves into oblivion with the tight and toned showcase of heaviness that The Acacia Strain deliver. Everything about their show here screams headliner, not just with their stage prowess (and bear in mind the New Cross Inn is a small one) but with the tracks they showcase too.

The response to their efforts is more energy expended, more heads banged, more pits opened, and more voices lost. They absolutely killed it tonight and it’s no wonder this has a bit of a knock-on effect for Deez Nuts.

None of this is meant as an insult to Deez Nuts. The Australian hardcore punk band are bloody great, and the venue is still pretty packed out. However, there is a notable drop in energy and as their show goes on, more and more people peel off from the back and head on home. That could be because it’s a Wednesday, it’s past 10pm and that massive parts of the UK has come to a halt because of strikes. It could also have something to do with the less vigorous showcase from Deez Nutz.

Muted vocals for the first few tracks don’t help, but happily a crowd chant gets them turned up. Focusing a lot on 2019’s You Got Me Fucked Up, we do get plenty of variety with their show and there’s more of an upbeat tone to things. Extremely satisfying but they clearly struggle to match the intensity of their support.

It was The Acacia Strain’s night in London, that’s for sure.