On July 15, we were at the RCA Club in Alvalade for another high-level dance party, marking the debut of the American band Authority Zero. What promised to be a simple night of punk rock turned out to be an intense celebration of energy, attitude and passion for heavy music. With a line-up that brought together the international strength of the Americans Authority Zero and the representative weight of the Portuguese underground, with the bands Suspeitos do Costume and M.E.D.O, the concert was more than memorable - it was cathartic.
M.E.D.O.
At 9 p.m. sharp, the band from Faro took to the stage at the RCA with an audience that was still shy and arriving at the venue, and they didn't shy away from the intensity and energy that M.E.D.O. has become accustomed to. Defending their latest album Medo, Sangue e Suor (Fear, Blood and Sweat), released last year, and inserting all the band's well-known classics from their previous albums Monopólio da Violência (Monopoly of Violence), o Produto somos nós (The Product is Us) and Medocracia (Medocracy), always with direct, fundamental and unmassaged lyrics.
It was a great 30 minutes, with lead singer Ricardo Catarro brutally setting the pace, sending out messages such as "There is no scene without local bands" without filters or concessions, which immediately received the support of the audience and which made perfect sense. The truth is that in thirty minutes M.E.D.O. heated up that already hot Tuesday even more and, as always, represented the scene magnificently.
Usual Suspects
The second band of the night to take to the stage at the RCA Club was Suspeitos do Costume, who came straight from Odemira to Lisbon with the same urgency and intensity that has always defined them. With a slightly fuller house, the band showed that they continue to be an unavoidable reference in the Portuguese underground, with attitude, social criticism and a sound that exquisitely balances weight and melody.
The performance was short, to the point and unabashedly punk. Songs like "Remar contra a maré" (Rowing against the tide) and "Momentos" (Moments) from their most recent album of the same name, released in 2023, set the audience in motion, with wheels and choirs making their presence felt from the very first chords. There was room for more recent songs, such as "Um corpo a quebrar" and "Consciência", where the band reinforces its vision of the unequal, hypocritical and constantly collapsing modern world.
In the middle of the night, Suspeitos reminded us why they continue to be one of the most important punk voices in Portugal. No frills, no posing, just straightforward as it should be.
Authority Zero
After a career spanning more than two decades, the Americans Authority Zero finally set foot on Portuguese soil and they didn't disappoint. The band's debut at the RCA Club in Lisbon, on the night of July 15, 2025, will undoubtedly be remembered and was everything the fans expected: energy, sweat, interaction and a parade of anthems that mix punk rock, reggae, ska and melodic hardcore with the authenticity that only the Arizona band knows how to produce.
From the first chord, it was clear that the quartet was determined to captivate everyone present. Jason DeVore, charismatic and tireless in his delivery, even with one of his feet immobilized, transformed the stage into an extension of his punk soul, connecting with the audience immediately. Between screams, claps and constant mosh pits, songs like "A Passage in Time", "Revolution" and "One More Minute" set the crowd on fire - who responded with genuine enthusiasm, singing the choruses at the top of their lungs.
The set flowed smoothly through various phases of the band's career, with space for the most recent songs from "Ollie Ollie Oxen Free", but without forgetting the classics that defined Authority Zero's unique sound. The transitions between heavy melodic hardcore and ska/punk were masterfully done, proving why they remain relevant and respected within the scene, much due to their strong identity.
In a particularly symbolic moment, Jason thanked those present for decades of support, even from a distance, saying: "We've waited a long time for this moment. And now that it's happened, we'll always want to come back." And from the atmosphere inside the RCA, it's safe to say that Lisbon will always welcome them with open arms.
Artists: Authority Zero
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