Speed – “North American Hardcore“ [Documentary Review]

Just over a year ago, Australian Hardcore outfit Speed released their Gang Called Speed EP on Flatspot Records, and their popularity has been rocketing ever since. (Find more on the band here.)

Having just completed another US tour, following previous visits to the US, Europe and Asia, Speed has not only cemented strong bonds with their fans but also connected with their Stateside heroes. A newly released documentary, made by Speed collaborator Jack Rudder, follows the band on their US tour that took place earlier in the year and is available to watch either on their YouTube channel or right here.

It’s a fun and fascinating glimpse into life on the road with a band who are still fresh enough to be truly enthralled and in awe of their newfound popularity and status, being allowed to mix with their American heroes and even appear higher on the bill than those they have admired for so long.

Vocalist Jem enthuses: “As Australian HC kids, we have spent half our lives worshipping what America has to offer. So, to finally perform on American soil and be celebrated in this way… there’s no words to describe that feeling!”

The start of the doc finds them enjoying the best sandwiches in Brooklyn, hanging out with heroes Outburst, King Nine and Raw Parade and performing at Flatspot World. For those unaccustomed to the activity of a hardcore gig, nothing can prepare you for the footage of the moshpit at that opening gig. Sheer energy is a good place to start, as fans literally run across the heads of the crowd. Safety is not an option at a Speed gig.

The onstage photography by Jack Rudder is incredible and appears to become more spectacular as the tour rolls on.

A mass pilgrimage to the birthplace of Flatspot Records shows how important this tour is to the group. Not just a band but hardcore fanboys themselves; they are in awe of their surroundings at every stop.

In Baltimore, they eat Pit Beef and play the Autobar. In Atlanta, the wrecking and stage invasions intensify, and fans are left speechless; this is a successful tour. In Tampa, Florida, Speed play with Day by Day at their Crowbar club, and the crowd is noticeably different. Making wild and violent shapes on their own rather than in a mass, the scenes are almost surreal. The cinematography bumps up a major notch with epic slow-mo shots of the band with the crowd almost balletic in the background. Not what you would expect from a hardcore mini-doc.

More antics are captured as the band move through Chicago and eventually ends their tour over the border in Toronto, and we have just witnessed so much hardcore action in just over 20 short minutes.

Speed appears to be continually on the road and are not losing any momentum. If the sheer joy on show at these gigs is anything to measure their live experience by, then check out future dates. Definitely a band to watch as their career builds into a full-on behemoth.

Director: Jack Rudder
Producer: Jack Rudder
Starring: Speed
Distributed by: Flatspot Records
Release Date: July 19, 2023
Run Time: 22 minutes