Last week, British hardcore punk outfit IDLES played a highly anticipated and fully sold-out show at Royale Boston. They were joined by Canadian post-punk band Preoccupations for a passionate night of punk and politics.

Despite the early weekday slot, the crowd was packed in tight by the time Preoccupations took to the stage at 8:00pm. Though not necessarily sonically similar to IDLES, it was easy to understand the common-ground between the two bands once they got going: rigorous musicianship, strong briefs, and an unrelenting rhythm and bass section. One highlight from their set was the performance of Drummer Mike Wallace, whose intense playing captivated the audience from beginning to end as he whipped his hair back and forth and pounded out more and more progressive beats. Bassist/vocalist Matt Flegel likewise stood out, singing with a raw and haunting intensity that perfectly complemented his heavy basslines. After just a short half hour set, the band ended with “Select Your Drone,” whipping the crowd into a mesmerizing frenzy as Flegel chanted the lyrics “poverty, chastity, obedience,” over and over, with increasing speed and ferocity each time.

Keeping the crowd in their toes, IDLES went on just after 9:00pm, cutting the lights and jumping straight into the dark and brooding “Colossus.” From there, the band continued to pick up the pace, following with “Heel/Heal” and “Never Fight a Man With a Perm,” leading to mosh into a constant swirl of chaos for the next hour and a half. Other highlights from the set included fan-favorite “I’m Scum,” femist anthem “Mother” (dedicated to singer Joe Talbot’s now deceased mum), and the Tinder-inspired “Date Night.” Before launching into “Samaritans,” Talbot commented that, “freedom of speech is the action of listening, not talking,” and later shared a few other words of wisdom with the thought, “we are not leaders–––we are just musicians that carry your message.” And after an audience member shouted out rallying cries for Bernie (Sanders), Talbot jested that “Bernie’s a good start, but we won’t be happy until they start arming the poor.”

In between thought-provoking remarks and snarky comments, IDLES bared their musical fangs, with Talbot leering, sneering, and growling his way through each song, while the rest of the band thrashed across the stage. Aside from Talbot, the most notable and energetic performances came from guitarists Mark Bowen and Lee Kiernan, who continued to one up each other with longer and wilder stage dives. By the end of the show, the two seemed to be stretching their guitar cables to their limits, as they disappeared deep into the crowd for minutes at a time. After a lively performance of pro-immigrant song “Danny Nedelko,” IDLES ended the night with a rip-roaring performance of Joy as an Act of Resistance. album closer “Rottweiler.” Understanding the power of leaving their audience thirsty for more, the band walked off stage for good after “Rottweiler,” leaving the crowd charged up and ready to start the next revolution.

See below for photos from the show (in order: IDLES and Preoccupations):