Live Review: Pertubator + Health @ academy 2, Manchester on November 16th 2022

A few weeks ago I was looking forward to a tasty double bill of music. A Friday night at Carpenter Brut and a Saturday at the Damnation Festival.

And then childcare issues struck and I spent both nights at home instead.

So being invited to cover the spectacular Perturbator softened that blow a little. That and I have been gallivanting around Norway for the last week. I am still tired from the trip and a little bleary eyed as I am refused entry with Johann and made to join the back of the queue. “Take notes” I mouth to our Satanic Overlord as I am banished from the realm.

HEALTH are already on stage when I get in 14 billion years later. Having already clocked their tshirts with the slogan “Sad music for horny people” I can already tell this is right up my street. There is something oh so familiar in their music, it throws me back to early Nine Inch Nails at moments, but it’s infused with an atmospheric euphoria that soars above the audience and fills the room. This isn’t a standard industrial sound, HEALTH bring something more emotive and passionate to the table.

There are some stand out moments in the set, particularly from the tracks ‘Feel Nothing’ and ‘Stonefist’. The set closes with the Perturbator collaboration on ‘Excess ‘ with the man himself joining the band on stage.

Health at the Academy 2 in Manchester on November 16th 2022 ©Jo

I’ve been really looking forward to seeing Pertubator for an age now, having fallen asleep at Brutal Assault a few years ago when he was on at 3.00 am or some daft time like that. I could argue until I am blue in the face that he belongs with us here in ROCKFLESH, it’s been a year of alternative goodness where I’ve rapped with Pengshui, learnt about serial killers with Skynd and even had an amazing night in the presence of the godfather of industrial himself Gary Numan.

The audience is a delicious cross section of the alternative community. There’s men in make up, steam punks, old ravers, goth girls in platforms, metalheads with their band tees on. And there’s me and I’m pretty sure I’m none of the above right now, repping ROCKFLESH with the tshirt I wear at every gig.

As he opens with ‘Excess’ (the other version, not the one we’ve just heard!) we are treated to what is the most visually stunning light display I have ever seen in Academy 2. Light up pentagrams flood the stage throughout plenty of reach for the lazers moments. There’s even a mosh pit which really gets going a few songs in when Future Club is played, although I’m sure I spy people having dance offs mid pit. I like your style. I’d join in if I didn’t look like an epileptic elephant when I try to dance.

It’s all really good fun feeling the bass notes vibrating in my knees during ‘Humans Are Such Easy Prey ‘. I wish it were a Friday or a Saturday and I didn’t have to get up at 6.45am for work, I could join that dance off, I could drink one of them mega pints and throw some serious glow stick shapes.

The set ends somewhat abruptly. We’re raving one moment, he leaves the stage, pops back for BODY/PRISON (another collab with HEALTH) and then the house lights are suddenly on and the crowd reluctantly shuffles out of the academy with minimal fuss. It happened so quickly there was barely any time to cheer for what an excellent night I’d had.

I understand it’s not to everyones tastes, and maybe it’s not “Rockflesh” as such, but there’s no denying Pertubator is a master at what he does. I’m openly in love with electronic music; you’ll usually find me indulging in d n b and dubstep, and tonight offered me an hour or so of squeaky bleepy bloopy wubby escapism. See my bio if there are any doubts about how much I would love that.