Live Review : Shining Blackjazz Streaming Show on June 6th 2020

Live streams are evolving. Bands are realising that there is an opportunity to make “event” shows. Shows that stretch the boundaries of what performance actually is. Tonight “gig” is about as far you can possibly get from the usual fare of rock star strumming acoustic versions of their hits in their designer kitchen. It is a taut, claustrophobic and hypnotic experience that discombobulates as much as it entertains. Shining have always trod the left-hand path and have made a career out of being challenging and often contrary. “BlackJazz”, the record being celebrated here tonight, is the last word in free form jazz reimagined as Black Metal. It is a monumental piece of work.

Live Review : Amorphis 30th Anniversary – Stream From The North Side on June 4th 2020

It must be lousy to have a landmark birthday or anniversary in 2020. All those carefully laid plans scuppered by this bugger of a pandemic. This is exactly the situation that Amorphis find themselves in. This year is the 30th anniversary of their formation and they had grand designs of how to mark this momentous occasion. Sadly lockdowns and the fact that none of us are going anywhere quick has put paid to all of that. However, instead of being downhearted they have decided to jump on the live stream bandwagon and perform two special commemorative shows from their home town of Helsinki.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas6 June 2020KaapelitehdasAmorphis, Stream, 2020, Review, Stewart LucasComment

Live Review : Dropkick Murphys Live Stream at Fenway Park, Boston U.S.A. on May 29th 2020

How do you do a socially distanced gig when you have eight members? You play on a sports field! Not a stage set up at the end of a stadium but literally on the field of play. Tonight is by far the most ambitious and large scale live stream event that has been attempted. The Dropkick Murphys are never one to do things by halves and here they are playing on diamond at the Red Sox home …

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas30 May 2020Dropkick Murphys, Bruce Springsteen, Red Sox, Fenway Park, Boston, 2020, StreamComment

Live Review : Insomnium Winter's Gate's Live Stream on May 29th 2020

Ok! We have the man that wrote a whole blog about not doing live streamed gigs doing a live stream (well to be honest two in one night but let’s stick with the first one first). The reason is that it would take something really special to coax me into the streamed show fad and put simply, “Winter’s Gate” is that something special. A single forty minute long melodic death Metal masterpiece ...

Live Review : Tony Wright + Takeaway Thieves from my living room on March 19th 2020

Gigging In The Living (Room) - A New Reality? How Live Music Might Survive Covid-19
Featuring Tony Wright, Takeaway Thieves

Mamama my corona….. yep, that damned virus is really taking hold of the world now, and unfortunately a major side effect of social distancing is that gigs are getting cancelled and venues are having to close their doors all over the place.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Jo Crosby5 April 2020Tony Wright, Terrorvision, Takeaway Thieves, The Waterloo, GoFundMe, 2020, Live Review, Jo CrosbyComment

Live Review : Tragedy + Attic Theory + Mr Ted @ O2 Academy 2, Liverpool on March 12th 2020

When your show is part gig and part theatre, it must be quite hard to find an appropriate support act. Tragedy tonight gave us a couple of local bands, kicking things off with the scouse humour and somewhat weird sound of Mr Ted. I’ll be honest, watching all the man-buns and hipster beards nodding along to their rather strange mishmash of sound made me feel really old. It was a bit avant-garde, a bit, well, odd really.

Live Review : Employed To Serve + Palm Reader + Cruelty @ Academy 3, Manchester on March 11th 2020

There are those who feel that the extreme end of our music all sounds the same. They just see and hear a blanket of over-whelming white noise and don’t get the subtleties and textures. To the unacquainted, all three bands here tonight could be accused of being noise for noise sake, but actually there is far far more to them.

Live Review : Phil X & The Drills + Collateral + Western Sand @ Rebellion, Manchester on March 7th 2020

I’m still buzzing from interviewing Phil X as Ryan and I rock up to Rebellion for tonight’s gig so, rum in hand, I settle down for what I expect to be a good night of rock. I’m not disappointed either.We start the night with Western Sand, a band I’m not familiar with. They play upbeat southern blues, in a ZZ Top kind of style. Their songs are catchy and hummable, and the drumming is superb. There was a standout track, a cover of Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen” that I particularly liked, and although this is not my favourite genre they were really good at what they did and I enjoyed watching them.

Live Review : Testament + Exodus + Death Angel @ Academy, Manchester on March 7th 2020

Last Saturday night, the Unholy Trinity of the Bay Area Thrash Scene descended upon an enthusiastic and energetic Manchester crowd. The event made history as it was part of The Bay Strikes Back Tour, which saw bands Testament, Exodus and Death Angel touring together for the very first time.The gig was sold out and the entire venue was packed to the brim from start to finish, with many people even having to stand outside the main hall – leaving you just enough room in front of you to headbang.

Live Review : Anvil + Ragdoll Sunday + Electus @ The Tivoli, Buckley on March 6th 2020

Anvil. Could a band name actually be more heavy metal than Anvil? A band from Canada that have been going for some 40 years through good times and bad. Some times so bad in fact that someone made a documentary about them. Yeah, this band is special alright. But more about them later, first let’s have a quick look at the two supports.

Live Review : Alcest + Birds In Row + Kælan Mikla @ Gorilla, Manchester on March 5th 2020

Kælan Mikla are an interesting proposition. This Icelandic trio come across as a mismatch of Fever Ray, Bjork and the Perturbator. Its all dark, synthy and haunting. Like the soundtrack of some forgotten eighties Vampire movie. The rapidly filling Gorilla take to them instantly and the audience reaction grows as the sold out crowd file in from the cold Mancunian night.

Live Review : Monuments + Heart Of A Coward + I Built The Sky @ Rebellion, Manchester on March 3rd 2020

I’m delighted that this two-date stop-off in the UK for Monuments is taking in Manchester, especially as they have Heart Of A Coward in tow, with both being in my list of favourite bands of recent times. This is in fact the second to last date of a pretty gruelling tour, including across Europe for the past month. There’s little sign of weariness from any of the acts though, as they bound around the venue checking out each other’s sets and soaking-up the atmosphere. They all seem buzzing to be here for tonight’s gig, and the anticipation from the crowd matches that atmosphere.

Live Review : Beartooth + The Amity Affliction + Higher Power @ The Academy, Manchester on February 28th 2020

Beartooth’s Disease tour has finally landed in Manchester, and it’s an exciting prospect to see them on such a big stage for their own headline show. Add to that the chance to see The Amity Affliction, and the UK’s very own up-and-coming hot property Higher Power, and you’ve got a real treat for a cold and blustery Friday night in February. As I make my way to Academy for tonight’s gig I’m shocked at the length of the queue. I knew the gig was sold out weeks ago, but I’ve never seen such a massive queue for a gig at Academy before – for all those saying Metal and Rock is dead, then tell that to all the mainly young metallers stood freezing in the cold tonight!

Live Review : Terrorvision + Attic Theory @ the Grand Central Hall, Liverpool on February 27th 2020

Last time I went to watch Attic Theory I managed to miss most of them due to parking issues. This time I was there for the whole set but I might as well not have been. it was somewhat spoiled by some serious sound issues. They came on dancing, but despite there being 3 guitars on stage I couldn’t really hear them distinctly, it was just a wall of noise. I moved about the room a bit and it did improve, but not enough I felt for me to be able to get the full Attic Theory experience.

Live Review : Massive Wagons + Anchor Lane + Mad Haven @ The Tivoli, Buckley on February 21st 2020

I’ve not been getting my usual Wagons fix recently, so when the opportunity came up to pop along to their first “breakin outta the studio” tour date, I jumped at it. After all, who doesn’t want to drive down the M56 in a storm so bad it’s got a name, just to see them? Well, me actually. So I brought the Grumpy Husband along to do that bit.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Jo Crosby26 February 2020The TivoliMassive Wagons, Anchor Lane, Mad Haven, The Tivoli, Buckley, 2020, Live ReviewComment

Live Review : Fleshgod Apocalypse + Bloodshot Dawn + Frozen In Shadows + BruteAllies @ Rebellion, Manchester on February 16th 2020

There is a carnival atmosphere in Rebellion tonight. In fact, there is an actual birthday party going on complete with paper hats and badges. The Birthday boy with intent is celebrating the anniversary of his arrival on this planet in style and spends more time on stage than most of the bands. The upbeat playful atmosphere is also because the first half of the undercard is a distinctly Manc affair.BruteAllies and Frozen in Shadows have brought all their friends and families along to join in the fun. It may be 7pm on a Sunday but the place is packed from the off and pits start from the moment that the first note is blasted out.

Live Review : The HU + Fire From The Gods @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on Februaty 12th 2020

There is a school of thought that Metal has transcended being simply a musical form and instead has become an attitude, a state of being, a unifying way of thinking. If that is so, it is then entirely logical that you can be “Metal” without actually playing Metal music. Tonight is very much case in point. To these ears, The Hu play contemporary Mongolian Folk, but the way it is delivered is one hundred percent Metal. The audience is a bizarre mix of open minded metalheads and a smattering aficionados of what, rather patronisingly, used to be known as World Music. The Ritz is also packed, seriously packed. The HU may well be a rather left field addition to our world, but boy have they pulled a crowd.

Live Review : Wheel + The New Death Cult @ Deaf Institute, Manchester on February 10th 2020

There’s something satisfying about a two bands bill, as long as both bands step-up to the task. If you only take one thing from this review, then it’s that both these bands are a fantastic treat live and you’d be a fool not to catch them next chance you get. Got that? Still here though? Then let me continue…

Live Review : Steel Panther + Wayward Sons @ Victoria Warehouse, Manchester on February 9th 2020

If the joke isn’t funny anymore then nobody has told the five thousand people queuing in a storm to get into the venue. This is the night we were warned to stay in, batten down the hatches and hold our children close, yet a sold out crowd has ignored the prophets of doom and ventured out into the night. Even the Man Citeh game was cancelled due to Storm Ciara but Victoria Warehouse didn’t care that there was at least an hour long queue to get into the venue. Seriously if you’re going to frisk everyone and check the contents of their wallets then get more staff on the doors. Perhaps use the security who go around the vicinity bullying punters into paying £10 to park on public land would be a start.

Live Review : Delain + CyHra @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on February 7th 2020

Being an absolute In Flames fanboy I was very enticed by the prospect of CyHra as they contain not one but two former members of, in my humble opinion, Sweden’s greatest gift to metal. However, my anticipation was rather deflated when I discovered that not only had Peter Iwers actually left the band back in 2018 to start brewing beer in the suburbs of Gothenburg (teach me not to read the promotional material), but the legend that is Jesper Strömblad is also AWOL apparently taking an extended sabbatical from live performances. I therefore go into tonight’s show with rather low expectations and then preceded to have them blown to pieces.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Stewart Lucas9 February 2020O2 RitzDelain, Cyhra, O2 Ritz, Manchester, 2020, Live Review, Stewart Lucas, Johann WierzbickiComment