Live Review : No Play Festival on September 7th 2024

No Play Festival 2024 comes at a perfect time—hovering right on the cusp of summer’s end and autumn’s first cool breeze. Held across three venues in Liverpool centre, it provides a fittingly chaotic yet immersive experience, with acts ranging from brutal hardcore to dreamy post-hardcore, all set against the backdrop of dimly lit rooms filled with the buzz of underground music culture.

The main stage is found in the Arts Club, and acts as the beating heart of the festival, embodying a sense of gladiatorial energy with its amphitheatre banking and welcoming dancefloor. Meanwhile, the second venue of EBGBs next door, with its cellar-like atmosphere and brick arches, break the line of sight in ways that both enhance and challenge the sound experience, reminiscent of Lendal Cellars in Leeds. The third venue, Jacadranda, is a small spot round the corner from the other two venues, and on this occasion we couldn’t make it in there even if clashes had allowed. The mix of venues adds variety, creating distinct soundscapes that suit the wide array of bands on offer.

Opening the festival with a burst of fun, Bleach Brain deliver a set of four-chord punk that is both friendly and familiar. This grungy three-piece, with their Hole-inspired shouty vocals, get the small but dedicated crowd moving early, even sparking some enthusiastic two-stepping. Despite being the first act, their energy sets a promising tone for the day.

Malice follow, cranking up the intensity with a sound that buzzes and rips through the venue. Fronted by Josh Davies (formerly of Monasteries) their fast, gnawing vocals and crushing riffs are reminiscent of ten56 and Ingested, with plenty of two-step action to match. The skill on display from Aaron Wright on guitar (also previously Monasteries) is equally a pleasure to behold. The brutal energy is palpable as the Josh delivers rapid-fire lines over insane drum patterns. Rightly Malice earn their place as a festival highlight.

Keeping the momentum going, False Hope lean further into chaotic, graphic hardcore, but with a punk-driven edge in their drumming. Their sound is gritty, raw, and unapologetic—a solid follow-up to Malice's crushing performance. The two-step drums add a punk vibe that contrasts nicely with their deathcore influences.

Local Merseyside deathcore crew Witcheater take the festival into a darker, more brutally atmospheric direction. Starting with doomy tones and deathcore vocals, they shift into high-tempo sections with hardcore drumming that would make Suicide Silence and Carnifex proud. Their specific deathcore sound is a unique blend, with flashes of Emmure's instrumental breakdowns creating an impressive dynamic that keeps the crowd hooked.

Deathbloom, an all-female band stepping in for Fead, bring a dreamy yet heavy post-hardcore sound to the festival. Their lead vocalist's clean, ethereal voice cuts through churning instrumentals, offering a refreshing contrast to the brutal sets from earlier. Blending post-hardcore with dream-pop elements, their live performance has a captivating, almost hypnotic quality.

Manchester hardcore crew Forager come in with a performance that is nothing short of superb. Their mix of hardcore brutality with melodic groove elements, reminiscent of Guilt Trip and Rough Justice, is a hit with the crowd. The vocalist dives over the barrier into the pit, energizing the audience, while the presence of Black Coast's guitarist adds a special touch. Forager's ability to blend heavy aggression with melodic riffs makes them one of the standout acts of the festival.

Boneflower bring an atmospheric, art-metal vibe, blending influences from The Hirsch Effekt and Rolo Tomassi. The Ukrainian band, making their UK debut, play with the precision of the seasoned pros that they are. Their set is dynamic, shifting between atmospheric builds and heavy crescendos, earning praise for their immersive and complex sound.

Cruelty provide a nostalgic thrash vibe, sounding like a thrashier version of Malevolence with that old-school hardcore element. While they have the raw, aggressive energy that hardcore fans love, there's a slight lack of nuance that leaves their performance feeling a bit one-dimensional. Still, for fans of the genre, they deliver a solid, mosh-friendly set.

Durendal deliver a thrash-hardcore fusion that leans into anthemic choruses. Their sound is reminiscent of early Avenged Sevenfold, with shades of Despised Icon thrown-in. They focus on thrash, keeping the energy high but lacking some of the brutal heaviness that fans might expect. The set is solid, filled with tight riffs and sing-along moments, though it doesn’t quite break new ground.

Going Off encapsulate everything great about raw, two-step hardcore. Their frontman, with a tattooed head and intense presence, sings directly to fans at the barrier, making for a highly personal and charged set. Their authenticity and dedication to the hardcore ethos shines through, earning them high marks as one of the most genuine and captivating acts of the day.

Long Goodbye offer an interesting hardcore set. They mix discordant guitars with a fairly standard hardcore sound, but deliver very well exactly what hardcore fans expect: hard-hitting, fast-paced riffs with plenty of breakdowns. While their performance doesn’t steal the spotlight, it keeps the energy going and gets the crowd moving down the front in the EBGBs basement.

Cauldron come in with an arty, experimental take on death metal and hardcore. All the checkpoints are met from an instrumental perspective, but it’s the single-tone, mid-high harsh vocals that define their sound. Unfortunately, today it feels like they’re more dynamic on record than live on this occasion. Their groove-heavy moments point to the potential we all know, but the overall performance doesn’t quite connect with the crowd. The experimental edge feels a bit forced, leaving me a bit lukewarm.

Oversize bring a polished, dreamy post-hardcore sound that draws heavy Turnstile comparisons. The band's vocals stand out as their defining feature—dreamy and refined, adding a layer of professionalism that many other acts lack. Oversize's entire performance is tight and well-executed, making them one of the most impressive post-hardcore bands of the festival.

Grove Street take the stage with a blend of influences from Suicidal Tendencies and Biohazard, infused with a British take on that classic melodic hardcore vibe. Their set is energetic and engaging, bringing a classic hardcore vibe that's both nostalgic and fresh at the same time. You can watch our recent interview HERE.

Mercury offer a sound that merges Thrice-like structures with grunge and dreamy elements. With strong vocals and that deeply grungy sound, they captivate the audience, adding an enjoyable pause in the brutality of the festival lineup at this late stage.

Heriot follow on the main stage, with Debbie Gough unleashing that trademark piercing scream, woven into a violent storm of blast beats and chaotic guitars. Then the tempo collapses, sinking into a grimy, overdriven bassline that echoes a much more mature offering, punctuated by sparse snare hits. The mood shifts, becoming ethereal yet crushingly doomy, laced with deep, southern metal grit in the vein of Pantera. Throughout the set, this wild ride continues, but unfortunately for me they don’t really fit the rhythm or vibe of the day by this point.

The sound engineer’s decision to delay Split Chain’s EBGB headline set due to the main stage running behind frustrates the crowd, and by the time the band begins, many attendees have already left. It’s a real shame because we already know that Split Chain are a fantastic band, known for their Deftones and Loathe-esque sound. Their performance is still strong, with crowd-surfing moments and a deliciously grungy delivery, but it doesn’t feel as raw or natural as some of the other acts we’ve seen throughout the day. There’s plenty more to come from this young band though, and they truly have something special about them for sure.

Closing out the festival in style, SeeYouSpaceCowboy do what they do best—bringing absolute chaos and energy to the stage. Their signature blend of jazz swing and discordant metal punk has the crowd in a frenzy, with two-steppers packing into the room without a care. They’re undeniably alternative, fiercely passionate, and bring a uniquely artistic approach to hardcore. They fuse mathcore, hardcore, alt-punk, and metalcore into a chaotic blend they’ve dubbed Sasscore. 

Lead vocalist Connie Sgarbossa delivers a performance that ranges from raw, sandpaper-like screams that tear through your soul, to eerily calm, deadpan spoken word, and even soaring, haunting cleans. It’s a vocal showcase that’s instantly recognizable and utterly captivating. Fans of The Locust and Converge owe it to themselves to dive in on this band if they don’t already know them. Connie engages with the crowd by leaning over the barrier, adding to the electric atmosphere. The pit is alive, and almost every member of the band contributes to the vocals, creating a dynamic and textured sound that only SYSC can pull off. A guest appearance by Cauldron's singer on the penultimate song adds a special touch to their explosive finale.

No Play Festival 2024 is a rollercoaster of genres and emotions, perfectly blending the energy of summer with the introspective mood of autumn. With its mix of brutal hardcore, dreamy post-hardcore, and experimental art-metal, the festival caters to fans of all extremes. A fantastic day of music at such a well organised festival makes this an unforgettable end-of-festival-season celebration for the UK's hardcore and metal scene.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
SeeYouSpaceCowboy + Split Chain + Heriot + Mercury + Grove Street + Oversize + Cauldron + Long Goodbye + Going Off + Durendal + Cruelty + Boneflower + Forager + Deathbloom + Witcheater + False Hope + Malice + Bleach Brain + Crowd Shots