Hardcore bands from all around the globe–from Sydney, to California, to Oklahoma, and all the way back to the Valley–gathered at The Nile Theater in Mesa, AZ this past weekend for Within These Walls 2024. This celebration of hardcore music sold out the day of the event, packing the Underground and the Main Stage with blood-pumping aggression headlined by Australian quintet SPEED.
Acts switched between The Underground and Main Stage for the first half of the day featuring bands such as AGONY, DARASUUM, INSIDE YOU, DUHKA, DEATHDOTGOV, FINAL STANCE, PALACE OF MOURNING, CELL, TERRITORY, DESMADRE, and SKIN TICKET. Within the first 3 minutes of AGONY playing their set, I was incidentally hit across the face from someone flailing their limbs around like they were on fire. This would not slow down as the day went on, but I managed to avoid getting a black eye from a stray flying foot or fist.
The remainder of the show was hosted exclusively above ground, featuring WHERE EAGLES DARE, NEVERENDINGGAME, ALPHA & OMEGA, BEYOND REPAIR, MODERN LIFE IS WAR, TOUCHÉ AMORE, and SPEED. Moshing, stagediving, two-stepping, and crowdkilling became more commonplace in the larger and louder room. Fans were singing along several sets in a row as the mic was handed to them multiple times. TOUCHÉ AMORE vocalist JEREMY BOLM took it a step further and ended up joining the crowd as he was still singing during the tail-end of his set.
SPEED began their set with flute for about 30 seconds before cutting straight to ass-beating music. Lead singer JEM SIOW praised Arizona’s hardcore scene several times during the set and reiterated the importance of supporting your local music scene before cutting back to playing songs like “One Blood We Bleed,” “Not That Nice” and “No Love But For Our Own.”
If you have even the faintest curiosity about hardcore music or shows, then I highly recommend attending Within These Walls when it returns on September 20th, 2025.
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