Live Review : Diablo Swing Orchestra + Ward XVI @ The Bread Shed, Manchester on May 19th 2023

I'll be honest with you, I really don't understand at all why someone would pay an inordinate amount of money to watch one guy (who may or may not be ginger) strum a guitar for a couple of hours. I crave narrative and theatrics in my performances. I want the show I am watching to take me out of the norm and introduce me to strange new worlds. I want immersive theatre rather than drab reality. It is obvious that the members of Ward XVI share that innate need for visual escapism, as they provide a half-hour performance driven by a strong story arc and packed full of more props than the England rugby team.

They may well be a couple of members down and have less available space than they are used to working with, but that doesn't stop them from conjuring up a mind-bogglingly inventive all-consuming experience. For 30 minutes we are transported to their warped and deranged universe. Whilst it is obvious that all the onstage paraphernalia has been lovingly crafted in true Blue Peter style in their collective garages, it does not in any way take away from the optical impact of the show. This is big ambitious staging; it just so happens to be on a titchy platform.

Whilst metal is strewn with wildly theatrical acts, there is still something deliciously unique about Ward XVI. They universe build at such a quantum level that it is frankly breathtaking. Every angle has been considered and there is so much detail to feast on that you're not quite sure where to put your eyes. The other thoroughly unique component is the music. It would be so easy to wed their highly impressive amateur dramatics to a meat and potato classic rock soundtrack. But that would be too easy and pedestrian for a band with such highly convoluted ideas. Instead, they have created a musical maelstrom that borrows from a billion different places. Yes, there is a bedrock of rock here, but they reach out far beyond the confines of our world dragging jazz, polka, and a thousand other influences into the gravitational pull.

Everything has been exquisitely over-thought and that is utter beauty of Ward XVI. They are operating at an intellectual and opulent level that few other fledgling acts can muster. Their short but effective stay culminates with the now customary circus pit, the bastard child of a Jewish wedding and the front row of a hardcore gig. It is that submersion and maintaining of character that means that even the non-initiated are by the end swept away by the spectacle they witnessed. And for those still worshipping at the altars of stripped-back troubadours, God you are missing out.

Metal is a predatory art form. In his hefty history of popular music, Yeah Yeah Yeah, Bob Stanley theorises that all musical movements have a drastically short shelf life because they are immediately usurped by what's coming after them. In his opinion, the only two genres to have made it into adulthood are country and our beloved metal. He believes the reason for their collective longevity is that both have been proactively aggressive in assimilating other genres. Punk, folk, classical, dance, you name it. All have been sucked into metal's mainframe and become part of its vast array of subgenres. The interesting thing about the Diablo Swing Orchestra's version of swing metal is that it is the former component that is dominant and not the latter. There is metal here, but for once it is not the driving force and it seems content with being on many occasions the silent partner in the arrangement.

With eight members and more brass than Lincoln Cathedral, Diablo Swing Orchestra just exude the good time vibe. Their blend of pulsating funky swing and heavy guitar is happiness encapsulated. Daniel Håkansson’s riffs are crunching and corrosive but rather than drive the music they provide a rocksteady bottom that everything else is built upon. They are infectiously euphoric and whether or not you consider them worthy of the tag metal you cannot help but be swept along with the joyous overture. Musically they do not seem to be fussy and everything is thrown into the mix at some point over the marathon 21 song and two-hour-plus set. There is opera, polka, Irish jig and pure unadulterated funk to be found. All presented in a frenzied exuberant fashion.

Whilst there is a lot going on and an awful lot of instrument swapping being partaken in, it never comes across as over-the-top or chaotic. Everything is wonderfully choreographed, and the craziness feels like it's happening within very clear and strict parameters. What is driving it all is the musicality and it is very clear that what purports to be improvised jam are actually meticulously rehearsed endeavours. There are no diva’s here and everyone on stage gets their moment in the spotlight. They feel more like a collective than a band with a designated leader, with the emphasis continually shifting from one member to the other.

They are keen to report that this is their first ever visit to our city and they make a specific point to enquire how many people been dragged along this evening with no idea who they were going to see. They wirily claim this is how they get most of their fans and it is obvious that they are a band designed to fall instantly in love with. Every song, no matter the subject matter and no matter which genre they are Magpie-like proliferating from, is full to the brim with pure unadulterated joy. They work hard at being undefinable by not overstaying their welcome in any particular style. But rather than the question of what genre they are, it is that feeling of unrefined joy that remains with you long after they finally leave the stage.

It's a long time since I've seen eight people so enamoured and buoyant onstage and is a long time since I have seen that enthusiasm transfer with such ease to the crowd in front of them. Ward XIV achieve their escapism through the intricacy of their theatrics, with Diablo Swing Orchestra we reach the same end through the very simple medium of on-stage energy and enthusiasm. No matter how you are feeling and no matter what the day has thrown at you, Diablo Swing Orchestra’s collage of rampant bliss simply makes things better. This wonderful, colourful and exhilarating evening proves once again the sheer beauty and glee of fantastic music played by fantastic musicians.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Diablo Swing Orchestra, Ward XVI