Live Review : Creeper + Save Face + The Nightmares @ Academy, Manchester on November 9th 2023

The Nightmares are a band destined to open for a band like Creeper. They fit the bill in every possible way to compliment the mystique and expectation of what a night with Creeper should be like. They are a dark, Gothic synth heavy indie pop band which whilst being a mouthful is the only way I can possibly describe them. Vocally I’m reminded of James Dean Bradfield to the point that it would be a stroke of genius if they changed their name from The Nightmares to The Satanic Street Preachers. They were everything I love in a band. They had a recognisable look, using a lot of blacks and reds to drill home the fact that they are “dark and mysterious” but also added depth to this persona with music that complemented this to perfection. They convincingly conjured up a glimpse into what the world of The Nightmares entails. With a booking at 2000 Trees and a mightily impressive 30 minute set, I’ll be keen to give The Nightmares a proper deep dive as they’re a band I was previously unaccustomed too, but massively sold on during this performance.  

2nd act of the night, Save Face were instead a little bit hot and cold for me. Sure, their songs were catchy, they seemed like a tight nit band full of competent musicians, Infectious energy and a captivating look, but I can’t look past the fact they sound a little bit TOO much like My Chemical Romance. It would be hypocritical of me to criticise this seeing as Creeper are renowned for not being subtle with their influences however the difference is that Creeper are undeniably Creeper whereas Save Face couldn’t seem to conjure up a unique sound for themselves. I fully understand there is a much to love when it comes to  the creative landscapes and bombastic, theatrical sequencing of songs of this ilk, and I know it’s a recipe to get people fully on board with a band like Save Face, but I couldn’t feel that. The ideas were there, there is the talent, and the ability to create concepts that could be used in a variety of ways to create a sound that much like with Creeper, could be deemed, undeniably Save Face. The beauty of music however is that you can’t like everyone you listen to, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if they made many new fans on this night, but Save Face, were just not for me. 

 The rise of Creeper over the past 10 years has been one that has been steady, with nothing in the way of decline but also nothing in the way of showing stratospheric breakout. Through 3 stellar albums, a consistently strong live show and innovative ideas when it comes to forging their “world”, Creeper have become somewhat the underground darlings of the metal world. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone who has a bad word to say about Creeper, apart from the obligatory “they’re too cheesy for me” line. Cheesy is what they aim for, and they sure know how to do it well.  

2023 sees the band put a cover over their twin peaks-esque “American Noir” era introduced by their previous release, “Sex Death and The Infinite Void” and instead sees them dive headfirst into Classic B-Movie Horror territory, with their bloodthirsty, vampire themed third Album, “Sanguivore”. Where “Sex, Death and The Infinite Void” represented not only a shift in image for Creeper, it also saw the band dabbling in finding a new sound. All bases, from Country, to Americana, to brooding, Nick Cave inspired numbers were covered. What this meant was that in the live setting, the albeit fantastic recorded material, didn’t transpose into a concert hall as fluently as some of the bands earlier releases, despite being at such a stellar level of quality. “Sanguivore” on the contrary was made to be performed live, and it shows. 

They set this precedent within the first few seconds of the set, opting to open with the standout track of the album, their 9 minute tribute to Jim Steinman, “Further Than Forever”. For me, this is the finest song that Creeper have released so far. It is a culmination of all of their experimentation with music, drama and atmosphere to create a self contained narrative with a distinct beginning, middle and end. Transposed onto the live stage, it exceeds the already high expectations I had of seeing this song performed. The chorus is just pure euphoria, ripped straight from the depths of the “Bat Out Of Hell'“ cutting room floor and sounded absolutely massive when performed in front of a capacity crowd. The first 10 minutes set the precedent that the new age of Creeper is here, and it isn’t here to mess about.  

As expected, Creeper use the vast majority of “Sanguivore” to make up their 20 song set, with all bar two tracks making the cut. ‘The Ballad of Spook’ and ‘Mercy’ is a dark, crooning number that leaves me begging for a Creeper-style Jukebox Musical, ‘Chapel Gates’ is a throwback to both Creeper’s first 3 Eps and Will Gould’s side-project, Salem, with its heavy reliance on the intense yet unquestionably catchy punk. My only gripe is that they neglected to perform another stand out track from that album, ‘More Than Death’. The emotionally charged album closer has now become a staple on a Creeper LP, and “Sanguivore” closer, More Than Death, is without a doubt the strongest album closer they’ve ever done. I was really looking forward to seeing it played live, but alas, it wasn’t meant to be. 

Having been lucky enough to see Creeper on each of their album cycles, you kind of know what to expect when it comes to the rest of their set. Iconic mainstays made their scheduled appearances, yet still sound as good as they did when they were still finding their place in Creepers live set. I could list off all of the highlights, but quite frankly, each song could be considered the highlight of the night for at least one person in the room as a result of their undeniable consistency as a live band. For me personally, it is “Eternity, In Your Arms” track, ‘Down Below’. Whilst I’ve been a fan of Creeper ever since their self titled EP in 2014, hearing ‘Down Below’ was the moment Creeper elevated themselves from a good band to a GOOD band. The gang vocal chorus has everyone in the room singing along, Will has a chance to show off his dramatic flair and it has become arguably their most iconic track from that first album when you put aside its main standout, ‘Misery’.  

From a performance perspective, I don’t think there is a finer band in this country than Creeper. Vocalist Will Gould (now known as William Von Ghould) is an enigmatic and captivating frontman. He presents himself as this larger than life character, with a natural ability to cycle through multiple persona’s depending on the needs of both the songs and the atmosphere he is intending to create. One minute he can be the conductor of the masses, guiding the crowd through singalongs or calls for circle pits, the next minute he’s the triumphant hero, taking a minute to bask in the glory of what himself and the band have created. The latest material from “Sanguivore” however sees Gould delve deeper into a darker side. At one point during the set, Gould takes a bite out of the neck of an unsuspecting victim before returning to the stage bathed from head to toe in blood, it was absolutely absurd and crossed the line between music and theatre, but it just works. Chances are, if there is a character needed to convey atmosphere or emotion, Gould can pull it off.  

Overall, The Sacred Blasphemy tour sees Creeper at their most polished and simultaneously at their most Batshit Crazy. The band shows all the signs of wanting to play in larger rooms, for larger crowds with a larger production, and whilst their rise has been a slow but steady one, I sure hope we get an opportunity further down the line to see Creeper at their most theatrical and most entertaining, fit with a stage show these songs were written for.  

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Creeper, Save Face, The Nightmares