On Saturday May 7, 2016, Bane played their last Philadephia show.  It was a bittersweet night.  Sing alongs, tears, and stage dives were had.  However, even though this was the last time for many to see Bane in the City of Brotherly Love, they didn’t go quietly.  Opening the show was local straight edge band Uzi Kids who started the night off right.  New England’s Cruel Hand followed suit with their high energy performance in which the crowd started getting increasingly chaotic.  Maximum Penalty brought their New York hardcore sound while BoySetsFire almost stole the show with a very crazy, but comedic performance.

Uzi Kids – https://uzikids.bandcamp.com/releases

Cruel Hand – https://cruelhand.com/

Maximum Penalty – https://www.facebook.com/MAXIMUM-PENALTY-148585099044/

BoySetsFire – http://www.boysetsfire.net/

For 20 years Bane has been touring and releasing music on constant rotation.  No one ever thought this good thing would end.  Bands usually “take a break” or stop touring but still release music here and there.  Bane however seem serious that this is the last time anyone will see or hear Bane.  Singer Aaron Bedard has gone on to say he doesn’t want to perform with less energy as he gets older.  Yet, judging by this show I don’t think that would ever be possible.  I will be 29 this month and I won’t sit here and say I’ve been following Bane all 20 years.  No, I will say I’ve been following Bane close to 10 years.  Bane came into my life from an Equal Vision Records compilation I received from a mailorder.  However, it wasn’t until I attended a This Is Hardcore show at Starlight Ballroom that Bane’s music came to life to me.  This was my first hardcore show, and the bands before Bane had a lot of “hate mosh”.  However, when Bane got on stage the energy shifted.  The music was still aggressive, but Bane promoted a more hopeful, respect each other type of show.  For someone being exposed to hardcore music live for the first time, Bane stuck out to me.  Mind you, most of my listening habits at this time, and still are, is pop-punk and ska.  From then on Bane became my gateway to hardcore music.  I wouldn’t see Bane again until their show at Kung Fu Necktie and now.  The last time ever.  Joe Hardcore made a moving speech before their set and from then on it was like a full out war.  Beach balls, water balloons, silly string, and stage dives were constant while Bane played with so much intensity.  No one held back.  I never got to see a band perform one last time like this and there was just something magical with the night.  Words can’t describe it let, you just had to be there.  Everyone knew this was the last time seeing Bane in Philadelphia, but even though everyone felt sad in the inside they didn’t show it.  Everyone just celebrated what this band meant to them after all these years.  Once the show ended Bane had one last New York show and then their hometown shows and that will be it.  As of now Bane will be no more, but like anything else that ends we shouldn’t stay in the past hoping for another chance.  We should just always remember the memories we made when Bane was our soundtrack to our life moments and the words in the songs.  Those are the things that will live forever.  Thank you Bane, “this is my final backward glance.”