Live Review : SOS Festival in Manchester on July 7th 2024

The bar for the day is immediately set very high with Wailing Banshee opening Sunday’s shenanigans.  Blessed (at least for the time being) by the weather gods, this fine young metal troupe pull an appreciative early crowd lured by the sound of their traditional metal approach, the band capitalising on the time they have to maximum effect.  They wear their NWOBH/Maiden influences proudly on their sleeves whilst putting a modern gloss on the genre.  It's the music that many of us grew up with but with an injection of youthful energy that makes it feel as fresh and vital as you remember from decades ago.  The sound mix is excellent showcasing the impressive crystal-clear vocals of Dani Bentham and letting the razor-sharp solos cut through beautifully. Even the return of the rain later in the set can’t dampen their enthusiasm and going off this performance (and judging from the buzz I hear around the event about them as the day progresses) if they continue in this vein, bigger and better things surely beckon. 

Back inside, Scotland’s hard-hitting Crusaders have certainly cleared away any lingering hangovers.  When the bassist wears a shirt bearing the legend “F**k Your Clean Tone” you know this sure as hell ain’t going to be AOR! One of the heavier bands of the weekend, they’re rifftastic and crunchy, all growling vocals and great slabs of guitar.  They also have the first (and possibly only) instrumental of the weekend, a brooding beast of a number that builds and builds to a monstrous crescendo with some seriously impressive tapping skills on display.  This is big, powerful stuff and Crusaders certainly aren’t taking any prisoners but, on this showing, they’re definitely making a lot of friends. 

Next up are King Voodoo who have the rare good luck to be performing when not only the rain has stopped, but the sun is actually shining.  King Voodoo are groovy, melodic and heavy but not always in that order.  The bass player looks like he was catapulted in from Faster Pussycat circa 1989, there’s some serious sounds coming from the yellow Frankenstein-esque guitar; they’re fun, upbeat and have the superpower of being able to get any crowd moving and clapping as they readily do today and really you couldn’t think of a better band with whom to spend a Sunday afternoon. 

Attic Theory are again another band that defies easy categorisation; whilst they obviously can rock out with the best of them, there is also an intelligence and thoughtfulness about their arrangements that, dare I say it, is almost at times prog-like in its complexity, albeit in a very powerful, heavy and modern way. ‘Million Little Things’ for instance, starts with a sumptuous guitar riff and introspective vocal gradually intensifying into an amazingly ferocious guitar part. ‘Papier-Mache’ and ‘Narrow Lines’ equally have startlingly insightful lyrics and a mesmerising, all-consuming sound, that in the live setting is both intoxicating and hypnotic.  Attic Theory live are a delightful contradiction of being at the same time rocking and punchy, but also delicate and subtle whilst carrying an emotional heft that is really quite superb. 

Velour Fog, clad in American sports shirt (I spy a Minnesota Vikings one at least) would desperately love to be the next big thing in rap/funk/rock.  And maybe one day they will, they certainly have the talent and ability. I’m just writing “Faith No More, Red Hot Chilli Peppers influenced” in my notes, and then, as if looking over my shoulder and reading my words, they launch into a rollicking note-perfect cover of ‘Give It Away’. Most recent single ‘Glue’ shows what they are capable of with their own material and that the band have plenty of ideas and despite some technical gremlins that threaten to rob them of some momentum they still manage to put in an enthusiastically spirited performance. 

From the first moment to the last, there’s an unbridled, full-on intensity to Pryma, their on-stage presence a glorious attack of sound and fury.   This is in no small part to the vocal stylings of Gabrielle George; she’s confrontational and dramatic, almost daring you to look away.  It makes for an electrifying spectacle, as she kicks, stalks and jumps around the stage, in a whirlwind of constant movement, inhabiting each song with an almost theatrical sensibility.  But in amongst the fire and angst, there’s also a fascinating stillness at times, which gives light and shadow to the band’s powerful songs.   Pryma as a band are incredibly tight,.providing Gabrielle with the perfect canvas on which to paint her dark visions. We get the thunderous latest single ‘Dead to Me’, all buzzsaw riffing and bloody mindedness and a yet to be recorded number that is moodily magnificent.  Truly memorable. 

Despite, or maybe because of the biblical deluge that greets their set, Molly Karloff take to the stage with a vengeance and play a fantastic, electrifying set, absolutely owning the Viking stage in the process.  Looking every inch a trio of rock gods, Molly Karloff bring a swagger and insouciant charisma to the day’s proceedings.  ‘She Said’’s effects driven, sexy groove and sinuous charm snakes its way around your cerebellum and refuse to let go – you’re guaranteed to be singing it for weeks to come.  For a trio they have a huge expansive sound and despite only being two of them up front manage to fill the stage, by sheer power of their personality and star quality. 

Black Roze delivers a full on, flamboyant tour-de-force of a set, that is both visually and musically striking.  A wonderfully melodramatic and portentous intro opens ‘Devil’s Door’, vocalist Viixen giving an extraordinary vocal, at times slightly reminiscent of Kate Bush in its theatrical approach (if, that is, Kate had a gothic rock side-project).  Black Roze deal in fabulously melodic hard rock, in fact the chugging ‘Kix’ is a wonderful ode to our love of our favourite music with the crowd-engaging refrain of “I get my kicks from rock n roll” and a beautifully cool solo from Baz Roze.  Viixen dons a leather police hat and whip for ‘Give Yourself to Me’ and a steampunk top hat for a cover of the eighties classic ‘Sweet Dreams’ which they manage to make their own, which is quite the feat when you consider the previous versions of the song.  The crowd roar the words back and it proves an inspired choice fitting the Black Roze aesthetic and style perfectly.  Black Roze bring a genuinely entertaining show to SOS and it’s thoroughly captivating in its dark grandiosity. 

Takeaway Thieves do what they do best and light up the stage, going for it like there’s no tomorrow.  Tonight, they are on fire, opener ‘13 Feathers’ setting the template and the band never taking their foot off the pedal from that point on.  This is full throttle, no compromise, rock n roll at its finest; they’re a glorious collection of characters, each an excellent musician in their own right, but together they form a beautifully raucous whole.  Blackpool’s favourite rock n roll renegades fizz with energy and vibrancy, so much so that there’s often so much happening on stage that you don’t know where to look. Excitingly, we get to hear new songs from forthcoming album “Diamond Point” and if they’re anything to go by then that record is going to be a game-changer.  ‘Gypsy’ is a swaggering encapsulation of the band in a nutshell whilst ‘Kicking My Heart Around’ has soon-to-be classic written all over it.  The new songs nestle nicely alongside the old favourites, but show next level song-writing and a natural evolution of the Thieves sound.  The set comes to an end all too soon; one of the highlights of the festival, This is Rock n Roll indeed!  

Having made a long journey to get to SOS and doing so by car as their van is off the road, you could be forgiven for thinking that White Raven Down could be road weary and jaded, but actually nothing could be further from the truth.  The hugely likeable trio are self-proclaimed purveyors of “groovy heavy riffs” and that’s exactly what they hit the crowd with.  Frontman Stu Bailey has such a natural and easy style that he pulls the crowd along with him, taking them along for the ride. This is sublime 21st Century rock, massive riffs, emotive vocals and punishing pinpoint accurate drumming. The fabulously hard-edged ‘Salvation’ shows this to a tee, building and building to a stunning conclusion with its memorable guitar hook and plaintive refrain of “looking for the dawn of another day”, it’s just one example in a set that is absolutely littered with highlights. 

The sound mix is once again excellent as Dan Byrne brings the festival to a close, which is just as well really, as it allows us to fully appreciate the phenomenal vocal range that Dan possesses. Surely a young pretender to the title of Voice of Rock, Dan shows the SOS faithful just why he is widely considered one of the best singers currently treading the boards.  Animated and showing a sparkling stage presence Dan has surrounded himself with a prodigiously talented band that allows those golden vocals to soar.  And soar they most certainly do. ‘Hard to Breathe’ is an object lesson in classy and sophisticated rock and equally the exquisite ‘Easier’ which sees Dan grab an acoustic guitar is similarly delicate but powerful.  There’s also nods to the past with a reworked, storming version of the Revival Black favourite ‘Take You Out’, a beautiful unaccompanied ‘Simple Man’, sumptuous in its elegant simplicity and an emotive ‘Hemispheres’.  Dan’s interactions with the crowd are honest and open and despite being blessed with such a spectacular voice, he remains disarmingly humble.  The set - and the festival - come to breathless end with Revival Black’s ‘Wide Awake’ and Dan’s own ‘Like Animals’.  

It’s a suitably effervescent and uplifting end to what has been another fantastic celebration of some of the best music that the modern rock scene has to offer.  All hail SOS Festival! Same time next year? 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Dan Byrne + White Raven Down + Takeaway Thieves + Black Roze + Molly Karloff + Pryma + Velour Fog + Attic Theory + King Voodoo + Crusaders + Wailing Banshee