“We have such sights to show you”, said the monstrous Pinhead in the 1987 movie Hellraiser.  And just like Pinhead, so too do South of Salem, roaring into Blackpool, and showing a breathlessly expectant capacity crowd, just why they are such an electrifying and seemingly unstoppable force of nature.   

However, before the main event, up first are The Nocturnal Affair, fellow tour mates with South of Salem on the current Kris Barras tour that played in Manchester a couple of nights ago.  There’s a real buzz around the venue tonight, a feeling that tonight could be something pretty extraordinary indeed.  So, when the doors have only been open for half an hour, and the area in front of the stage is already over half full as fans claim premium spots, it guarantees The Nocturnal Affair a very healthy crowd over whom they can weave their dark spell.  And make no mistake, these Las Vegas denizens are not going to let this opportunity pass by, taking no prisoners and powering through a sublimely shadowy and twisted forty minutes with absolute conviction and assurance. 

A single tight drum hit announces the start of their set (making those who weren’t paying attention jump, me included) followed by a short but ferociously frenzied drum solo before the rest of the band arrive on stage. It’s a bold way to start the set, but absolutely demands your attention and when the first song ‘It’s No Good’ kicks in fully, you’re already both invested and intrigued.  I later find out this is actually a cover of a Depeche Mode song, but The Nocturnal Affair so completely own it, that it’s hard to imagine it being performed by anyone else.  Like much of their catalogue, it’s at once crushingly heavy but counterpointed with gorgeous melodies and impassioned and expressive vocals by singer Brendan Shane, who pulls double duties as occasional keyboard player, adding another layer of subtlety and texture.  In fact, the range of sounds the band coax out of their instruments, all whilst flinging themselves around the stage, makes for an impressive and memorable performance. 

A heady cocktail of darkness and shade, The Nocturnal Affair, certainly made a big impression and judging by the response from the crowd I wasn’t the only one to fall for their shadowy, melancholic charms. But just when we thought it was all deep and doomy, they end their set with possibly the most surprising cover version I’ve heard in many a year, a blistering romp through Haddaway’s 1993 euro-pop dance track, ‘What Is Love?’ It shouldn’t work, it really, really shouldn’t but damn me, it really, really does.  The Nocturnal Affair once again prove you should always check out the support act as you never know when you’re going to come across an unexpected diamond, which is exactly what we did tonight, and it was great to see them get such a warm and well-deserved reception…. 

As South of Salem’s intro plays, the stage is bathed in an eerie green glow as the band enter, and the place goes utterly wild as they are greeted as conquering heroes, with one of the most rapturous welcomes I can remember. ‘Vultures’, from excellent sophomore album “Death of the Party”, opens proceedings and immediately hands are in the air, people are dancing and the energy level goes stratospheric.  Lead singer Joey Draper, stands centre stage, a magnetic presence, commanding and engaging, the maestro conducting the crowd with a silver tongue and a devilish glint in his eyes, whilst the rest of the band flow and bounce around him. They’re almost balletic in their synchrony, it’s a testament to the band’s tireless touring that has given them an almost preternatural awareness and the ability not to injure each other as they leap, spin, high-kick and pinball around the stage.  Equally impressive is their ability to keep so musically tight whilst doing so. The whole front line is in perpetual motion, with Kodi Kaspar on lead guitar never letting up for a moment, whether peeling off another ridiculously cool solo, leaping into the air or leaning over the barrier and machine gunning the crowd with his guitar a la Steve Harris, (as he does during the macabre beauty of a stunning ‘Let Us Prey’).   Standing on small platforms at the front of the stage, means that everyone can see the band, even those in the furthest reaches of the crowd, whilst also making them seem larger than life, almost super-hero like figures (or maybe anti-heroes).  And we need our heroes, these days more than ever; with the old guard getting well, older, we need new stars in the rock n roll firmament to inspire us and fill our lives with the old excitement, joy and craziness that first captured our hearts, and I reckon South of Salem are one of the very few of the current crop of bands who could step up to those exalted heights. 

And speaking of the old legends, in common with Maiden, it’s that commitment to delivering a spectacular, fun and memorable show, leaving you sweaty, giddy, exhausted and with memories that last a lifetime (forty years on, ask me about the Powerslave Tour in ‘84 if you’ve any doubt of the longevity and importance of nights like tonight...) that marks South of Salem as quite simply one of our finest rock bands out there at the moment.  It’s that unholy trifecta of strong visuals, thrilling performance and quality songs coming together into a perfect whole, that separates the good from the great, and tonight South of Salem were truly great, nailing each of those elements with ghoulish panache. 

And whilst performance and aesthetic may be key parts of their appeal, they really are nothing if you haven’t got the songs to back it up, but South of Salem do so in abundance. With a coffinful of excellent numbers laced with more hooks than a Cenobite convention, and sharp clever lyrics, their songs are guaranteed to be haunting your subconscious for days to come.  You can dip into the set anywhere and find an absolute belter; the sinister groove of ‘Made to be Mine’ maybe? A luscious ‘Hellbound Heart’ (a Clive Barker reference, perchance?)? Or a beautifully heartfelt ‘Demons are Forever’? I could go on… 

To say this is a band in the ascendancy feels like a massive understatement; everything about South of Salem feels like it’s falling into place and they’re surely poised to take that next step up to ever greater things. They have the look, the songs, the live chops, the rabidly devoted fanbase (The Coven), and they’ve worked damn hard to get to this point.   This evening, we were lucky to see the band at the height of their powers in such a wonderfully intimate venue; you can bet that once they have achieved the inevitable world domination, we’ll all be saying “do you remember that night at the Waterloo...?” Tonight, was an absolute triumph from start to finish (and now my one to beat for the gig of the year!) 

So, Death of the Party?  Nah, the party’s only just beginning and mark my words, it’s only going to get bigger and wilder… 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
South Of Salem, The Nocturnal Affair