Shame’s “Cutthroat” Tour Comes to the Basement at Philadelphia's First Unitarian Church
- Samantha Blyn
- Jan 18
- 2 min read
As the First Unitarian Church basement began to fill up, I started to wonder about the logistics of this show: there doesn’t look to be enough room for Josh to throw himself into a somersault mid-song. The stage and the ceiling are too low for Charlie to dive and stand on top of the crowd like he often does. Where’s all that energy going to go?
This would be Josh Finerty and Charlie Steen, bassist and lead singer of South London post-punk band Shame. Currently touring their fourth studio album, Cutthroat, the Church show was the second stop on Shame’s US run. I couldn’t wait for this one. The last time I saw Shame was two years ago, also in Philly, and that show was quite memorable. Standout moments for me were Josh practically launching himself across the stage, bass in hand, still playing, and Charlie hopping over the barricade to stand on top of the audience, less crowd-”surfing” and more crowd-”walking.”
This time, I wasn’t sure how any of that would be possible. The Church is a staple venue in Philly’s punk, hardcore, indie, and DIY scenes, with its colorful alphabet rug, somewhat shallow stage, and fluorescent overhead lighting. When Shame stepped out, it was clear they would be making no adjustments due to the size of the room. Charlie, in his now-signature clerical collar, suspenders, and dark sunglasses, walked out with the confidence of a punk rock showman. The first song, “Axis of Evil” crackled to life with more raw energy than its recorded version, with Eddie Green and Sean Coyle-Smith’s angular guitar parts more noticeable in person. Drummer Charlie Forbes and bassist Josh Finerty established the solid rhythm section, and Steen led the crowd in the first shout-along of the night.
Before Shame, Montreal’s Ribbon Skirt opened the show with a well-paced set of shoegaze-inspired indie rock. Lead singer Tashiina Buswa played guitar, purposefully paced back and forth across the stage, and got down into the crowd, all while delivering powerful vocals. The band had great chemistry with each other and played songs from their debut album and other previous EPs.
“The Shame show” was about half Cutthroat and half other tracks from Shame’s other three albums. The band played with an intensity and urgency that seemed to get the entire room excited for what might come next. Mosh pits were welcome and encouraged, and the crowd wasted no time circling up for Songs of Praise favorite, “Concrete”. Not only did the songs come to life with explosive energy, but so did the band. Near the end of the show, Charlie crowdsurfed a decent distance before being dropped back onstage to close out the set. They didn’t bother leaving the stage to make us wait for the final two songs as an encore. Instead, they continued without that typical break, and ended the show with the fitting lyrics, “So why not do what you wanna do?”
The Cutthroat US Tour continues through February. See Shame’s full schedule here.
