The wacky world of Bilmuri requires a ‘just go with it’ stipulation more than most. The current project of Johnny Franck, former vocalist and guitarist of crabcore butts-of-the-joke Attack Attack!? Sure! Found its steepest rise through a mix of alt-metal and pop-country? Why not? Solidified their stripes in the UK through supporting Sleep Token last year, despite the enormous dissonance in style, persona and—let’s be honest—enjoyability? Go for it!
None of that is ever made to feel like a chore, though. If anything, when the country side really started seeping through on last year’s AMERICAN MOTOR SPORTS—the 14th Bilmuri album since 2016, for the record—it made for one of the most addictive modern rock releases to drop in some time, especially its deluxe reissue 420CC EDITION. And clearly, plenty are in agreement with that sentiment. This is Bilmuri’s debut UK headlining run and most of the dates are already sold out, and not at insignificant capacities, either. There’s evidently something that’s resonated here on a fairly wide, exceptionally quick level, which is always cool to witness for a true singular entity in alternative music’s current landscape.
Said singularity does mean that openers South Arcade aren’t exactly flush with the main event, but who really would be? Besides, as the designated breakout band of 2025, it’s never going to hurt to rack up a few more converts. And they most certainly accomplish that. As pat as it’s become to say about proficient newcomers, South Arcade genuinely do seem ready for the big time they’re craving. There’s a thrumming, dense pop-rock sound relayed with buckets of energy and a deep bench of choruses, with a Y2K aesthetic that’s more about tying it all together, but doesn’t go unnoticed. Vocalist Harmony Cavelle wears it most prominently, with an Avril-esque attitude and the wardrobe of prime Fred Durst to cover all possible bases. It’s not for nothing, either; they break out a nu-metal cover of Justin Timberlake’s SexyBack that, even after about only 10 minutes in their company, feels entirely on-brand. Later, as they cap off with their bounciest note stone cold summer, the whistlestop tour through what makes South Arcade tick is the roaring success you’d expect. They’ve already got a full calendar of festivals right around the corner, so summer (and the foreseeable future afterwards) looks anything but stone-cold.
But to be blunt, as good as they are, they still pale next to Bilmuri. Not in any technical, ‘objective’ sense, but you’d have to be rooted to the ground to not get caught up in the distilled concept of entertainment value. It’s very specific in its aim, too, the kind that’s borderline cartoonishly locked into a concept reliant on modern country music. The pre-show singalong of Nickelback’s Rockstar lays it up; Franck’s frat-boy caricature knocks it down. If you’re expecting anything high-brow and artful, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment by even showing up, frankly. For anyone else, there’s a liveliness of a certain breed that’s unquestionably stylised, but sincere to its core. Franck, in his jersey emblazoned with ‘HOGFORCE1’ on the back and armed with numerous one-liners about wanking and ejaculate, has this beet-red intensity on his face delivering what are effectively pop-country tunes.
On paper, it won’t sound like everyone’s cup of tea, almost certainly. The ‘silliness’ of Bilmuri kind of feels blown out of proportion solely in the written word. But to dismiss it off that as a joke act attaches a stigma that isn’t justified in the slightest. For one, there’s off-the-scale musicianship at play that, if it were needed, legitimises Bilmuri all on its own. The MVP is Gabi Rose, not only retooling country compositions into saxophone lines for a rich new flavour, but stepping onboard for vocals with equal passion to Franck, and even providing some out-of-nowhere flute accompaniment on FLUORIDEINTHEHARDSELTZERWATER. Elsewhere, Reese Maslen gets ample chances to growl and show off some guitar flexery (it’s phenomenal when he and Rose take the lead on BLINDSIDED), and drummer Xavier Ware, while not as tightly integrated into the unit, still has his moments to run wild with some short, crucially well-integrated soloing.
The looseness is what makes this work as well as it does, and the go-big mentally that’s plastered at every turn. Up front, none of them stay in one spot for too long, trading off a ‘main player’ position seemingly whenever they feel like. Maslen’s solos always sound grander and more sweeping when beamed from his raised platform, and there’s never not a bolt of euphoria when Rose hits a huge sax rip, even when it feels like it’s coming on every song, at a point. It’s precisely how an act predicated on making their own fun should behave, honestly. It curates a vibe that’s far outside the norm, even for bands who’d strive to foster something similar, but ultimately become hemmed in by staging or over-meticulous choreography. Thus, when 80/20Skybeef presents an opportunity for each player to cut loose and crow their talents, or when the lead-up to 2016 CAVALIERS (Ohio) opens for a neat little math-pop jam sesh, the fun and excitability are palpable. And naturally, the crowd aren’t excluded from any of it. Apparently there’s a record set for the most crowd-surfers during that latter song, which is good going for how sedate and wistful it is.
In reality, it’s simply the normal reaction to Bilmuri’s music. It sounds fantastic tonight, front to back, with all the clean, pristine finish and enormous sound that’s made this current career leg so captivating. Perhaps you could nitpick and say that the purer metal moments near the start are a little unsupported, but a) there’s so much else going on everywhere else to draw some negative light away, and b) it’s rectified quickly enough to barely be worth mentioning. That amounts to a set that just breaches an hour without a significant dip to speak of. There are moments of total electricity in how they take flight, like EMPTYHANDED and BETTER HELL (Thicc boi); there are softer, emotional braces like TOO LATE and a terrific bit of grab-the-air smoulder on THE END. Regardless of the direction, Franck and co. nail it in such an obvious way. And that’s where Bilmuri is as a project right now—dodging inconceivabilities on the basis of knack and talent, and carving out one of the most joyous rock experiences you’ll possibly have. The ramifications of ‘just go with it’ may never have swung better.
Words by Luke Nuttall
