After the time to travel and to get my tickets sorted at the box office, I unfortunately miss the opening two bands of the night but after a quick search of my bag and person, that’s a new one to me, I’m in the venue perfectly in time for Wargasm as they take to the stage with the opener ‘Rage All Over’. Unfortunately as there’s no pit pass tonight my camera bag has to remain the cloak room so I can’t even sneak few shots through the crowd.

Advertised as a duo, but in a live situation a 4 piece, Wargasm seem to be the ultimate marmite band, you either love them or hate them. The first time I heard them (at the Download 2021 pilot), I wasn’t sure what to think but roughly half a year later I absolutely love their sound.

I also was on photography duty for the band’s headline tour that took place towards the end of 2021 in the nearby Rebellion. They have the same effect on me tonight, this evening show demonstrates that whichever stage you stick this energetic band on they will absolutely smash a performance out of it.  In many ways, they have had a similar recent path to the band Bleed From Within, both played Rebellion, had a main stage performances at the Download pilot in 2021 and now seen both bands smashed it on the Victoria Warehouse stage.

The song titled ‘Selma Hayek’ follows and from what I can see a small mosh pit is gathering momentum as the band have so much energy. Sam Matlock (male vocals) calls the crowd out for not having much movement, reminding us all that they are warming them up for Neck Deep.

Milkie Way announces their new song “Scratchcard Feeling”. If Die Antwoord and The Prodigy had a child and raised it on Nu Metal then this would be the best way to describe it. The bass line is heavy, although I can’t see a bass player on stage, the guitar’s are certainly there though, the riffs working well with the male vocals. The band call out the crowd once again for not moshing enough and demand a circle pit for the next number, the crowd willingly oblige this time.

Halfway through the set the two vocalists both pick up a guitar each which further enhances the already incredible live sound that this band have. They ask inquisitively how many of us have heard of them, I’m surprised that only about a quarter of the crowd raise their hands.

Next, Milkie tells us that the only words we need to know for ‘Drilldo’ the next song are Drink, Fuck, Fight and Love". This song has some serious drops, and even features a cheeky little guitar solo by Matlock.

Milkie then asked us would we like a lap dance, we thought she was about to jump into the crowd to perform one before realising it was in fact the name of the next song, a cover from the Hip Hop band N*E*R*D. The set finishes with the song ‘Spit’, by this point Matlock has ditched the guitar but Milkie is still going for it with the same intensity she has put into most of their set.

If the momentum they currently have carries on, I can certainly see Wargasm into a hell of a headliner.

Neck Deep are arguably the most popular pop punk band currently on the UK circuit and could certainly rival any international bands with the fanbase they have gathered over the years. The whole tour was sold out even before the rescheduled dates were announced due to the dreaded C word. I knew exactly what to expect from this show as I have seen them previously on many occasions, most recently at the Download Pilot event.

A few weeks ago the band announced this would be their first tour without the drummer Dani Washington who has stated recently that he needs some time out, the bands drum tech would be behind the kit on this tour, let’s hope Washington is okay and takes the time he needs.

The band open with the track ‘Sonderland,’ the crowd erupt to life and are absolutely loving it.  The sound Neck Deep has isn’t anything out of the ordinary for a band on the heavier end of pop punk, much like A Day To Remember. They haven’t really changed their sound over the years but if it works and the crowd enjoys it, why change it?

Tonight, their stage looks like they have recreated one of their bedrooms, it’s a well known fact they are a band who have worked really hard to get where they are and probably started off practising in their own bedrooms. Surely a node to the past. Apparently, they live only an hour away in nearby Wrexham, the front man tells us how their first ever show was actually in Manchester at Sound Control. This is their first headline show in the quite newish venue but they’ve certainly worked their way to tonight, performing numerous times in the Academy and once in the Apollo.

After some talking, vocalist Ben Barlow asks why there isn’t a huge mosh pit in the middle of the room as the opening guitar riff for ‘Citizens of Earth’ kicks in. This is one of the bands heavier tracks but works so well in their set, the crowd loves it. Milkie from Wargasm joins them while Ben Barlow drops a little “Fuck Putin” in here for good measure with what’s going on at the minute.

To celebrate their 10 years and pull on the nostalgia strings, the band jumps into the first song they ever recorded and released as a band ‘What Did You Expect’. All these years later this is still a brilliant song that comes out well live.

After the old comes the new with a track ‘Sick Joke’ off the band’s latest album. A song about struggling with things such as depression, Ben reminds us all we should just remember that we will get through these bad times and reach good times. Music really helped him with his problems and he hopes the band’s music can help some people.

Continuing with a positive note, the next track goes out to all the lovers in the room, the first verse of the song is actually sung by the crowd tonight. As Ben throttles into the chorus, someone actually throws him some flowers from the crowd. Somewhat stunned, he says he’s confused about what he’s going to do with them currently but at least they smell nice.

After this, they stick on the slower ballad side of their discography, ‘She’s a God’ is a song Ben wrote to his girlfriend who is going to be so embarrassed or pleased as she is currently in the crowd watching the show.

The final part of their slow part of the gig is arguably their biggest hit ‘December’. A majority of  this track Ben stands on the barrier singing with the crowd and manages at the end to thank and compliment the stand in drummer as a life saver.

Finally the set draws to a close with ‘Pushing Daisies’, But before this Ben reiterates his earlier statement about never comparing yourself to others as however well we do in life, everyone ends up in the same place.

During the encore calls, Ben chose to remain on stageand blast us for the weak chants, “…if you really want more you’ll have to do better than that!’. As the lights come back on, we are treated to a two song encore with ‘Gold Steps’ and ‘In Bloom’. Just before ‘In Bloom’ Ben spots someone in the crowd in need of assistance and stops the show. While the person is attended by the paramedics Ben Barlow starts chatting football, he is a Manchester United fan after all and we are literally next door to Old Trafford.

Even though ‘In Bloom’ is the last song of a 19 songs set both the band and crowd are still putting 110 percent into it. Neck Deep will be headlining Slam Dunk Festival this year and if this set is anything to go by, it will certainly be one to not miss. I personally can’t wait. 

Review and photography by Ryan Hickson