It’s a safe bet that most people reading this mag will have heard of Grand Theft Auto, the game of choice for all aspiring violent criminals. But as loved as that game may be, most people wouldn’t form a band specifically to sing its praises. Enter Grove Street Families: saviours of UK hardcore, square-eyed piss-takers and the best night out you’ll have this year.
“It just started as a joke while we lived together at uni,” recalls guitarist Lewis Lennane-Emm. “We were all in different bands and thought it’d be funny to start a GTA: San Andreas-influenced hardcore band. We recorded the demo for our first song, Cleaning Up The Hood, in our front room, made a Facebook page and put the demo online. We originally kept our identities hidden, so we had people in local clubs talking to us about the band, having no idea we were involved!”
Seemingly startled by how quickly people began to notice their brilliantly straightforward metallic hardcore attack, not to mention their hilarious lyrics, Grove Street Families swiftly transformed from a shared joke to a genuinely exciting prospect with no shortage of opportunities.
“We’ve been incredibly fortunate – the support we’ve received from not only fans but also other bands in the scene has been crazy,” says Lewis. “We’ve travelled to the other end of the country expecting a dead show and instead we’ve had a room full of people shouting back in our faces and going nuts!”
Now touting their rampaging The Las Venturas EP, the GSF bandwagon is speeding inexorably forward. All that remains to be seen is how long this upbeat crew can keep exploiting the world of GTA for their own mischievous, neck-wrecking purposes.
“Pretty much everything we do is inspired by the game!” Lewis notes. “We didn’t realise until we started that a lot of other people still love it, too. So if [GTA developer] Rockstar wanna feature us in the new game, we’re down for that!”
SOUNDS LIKE: Bruising, groovy metallic hardcore with its heart on the mean streets of (fictional) California
FOR FANS OF: Hatebreed, Your Demise, Deez Nuts
LISTEN TO: Rest In Power
