Web: spiritualcramp.com
Contact: caitlin@atomsplitterpr.com
Players: Michael Bingham, vocals; Mike Fenton, bass; Orville Neely, guitar; Nate Punty, guitar; Julian Smith, drums; José Luna, keyboards
If you’ve ever wanted to combine your love of Franz Ferdinand with your love of the Germs, then you’re in luck because San Francisco’s Spiritual Cramp is the perfect blend of distorted classic punk notes and post-punk revival melodies. Taking their name from the Christian Death song of the same title, the group is an explosive powerhouse of passion and noise, currently touring in support of their third album, RUDE. Spiritual Cramp got their start in the East Bay hardcore scene initially as a spinoff of singer Michael Bingham’s first band, Creative Adult. Since then, they have opened for bands like Bad Nerves and Rise Against, and played events like Riot Festival and Reading Festival. The group crash-landed in Seattle on March 18th to get audiences sweaty and screaming at Neumos.
As per the city’s rigid yet complicated liquor laws, the venue opts to place the under-21s closer to the stage and the over-21s further back, a much better system than many of the area’s other venues. Opening band Fentanyl arrogantly proclaimed they couldn’t wait to “get this over with” as they serenaded the crowd with their emo hardcore-influenced style of punk. As more people filtered in for the second opener, a space was left in the middle of the room to account for the pit that was soon to form, the audience knew what was soon to be in store for them. Bass Drum of Death followed shortly, channeling the classic 2010s Burger Records surf punk sound with melancholic guitar and an upbeat, worry-free disposition.
Sprinkles of indie influence permeated the night as the venue chose to play everything from Interpol to The Dandy Warhols between the bands’ sets. Distorted vintage TVs appeared on either end of the stage like pillars, establishing the confines of how far the group’s insanity is permitted to go. After a few moments of tense silence, the band detonated into a whirlwind frenzy of jumping, kicking, and punching into their instruments with extreme force. Hard-hitting tracks off the new album, such as “Go Back Home,” “At My Funeral,” and “Young Offenders” were played in the beginning, establishing them as soon-to-be classics among fans. Michael gyrated, convulsed, and spasmed in every way possible, still managing to express a level of Mick Jagger-esque swag in every movement.
At any given moment, if you weren’t dodging Michael’s kicks, you were probably fielding guitarist Nate Punty’s killer riffs being played inches away from your nose. Spiritual Cramps’ allure in many ways is their ability to be so intense and mosh worthy in some aspects, and so danceable and fun in others. The ghost of electroclash’s past is alive and well in the souls of Jose Luna’s keyboard and Mike Fenton’s bass. Their grungy garage adjacent cover of the Caesars’ “Jerk It Out” highlighted just that, giving the crowd a hefty dose of nostalgia and an opportunity to sing along together. As the night progressed into its latter half, we were treated to hits off the band’s previous albums, such as “Dog In A Cage” and “Better Off.”
The closer the show came to coming to a close, the rowdier the pit grew, as various forms of fake currency were thrown into the crowd, and political statements were yelled out left and right. Michael proudly proclaimed that he “had no enemies” before ripping his sweat soaked shirt off and kicking the final few songs into gear.
