Live Review : Static Dress + Jools + The Throwaway Scene @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester on April 16th 2022

The thing that endlessly fascinates me about the modern music scene is the infinite amounts of crossover and genre splicing. Back in my day (here I go again), there were definitive walls and uncrossable distinctions between different scenes. You had pure versions of the distinct musical categories and you didn’t cross the beams. There is an emerging generation that seems comfortable with bending and distorting all those conventions that we felt were sacrosanct. What that leads to is a much more vibrant and fluid music scene where it is Ok to pull influence from a whole host of different aspects.

Live Review : Funeral For A Friend + Holding Absence + Static Dress @ The Academy, Manchester on March 2nd 2022

Given the age I am, I found rock and metal during the nu-metal era of the late 90s/early 00s. I was a regular little mosh monkey in baggy JNCOs and my band tees. My KoRn tshirt was literally my pride and joy, despite it clearly being a bootleg that my parents got me from a market stall. Aside from my friend Becky, I didn't know many other metal fans and I was forever grateful to her for being a constant support in a world that could actually feel pretty lonely and isolated.

Live Review : Higher Power + Static Dress + Fate + Last Wishes @ Star And Garter, Manchester on November 12th 2021

First on are hardcore thrash merchants Last Wishes. We’re only about five bars into the first song and the roundhouse-kick-brigade are in full force. This guys sound a lot like Madball or Terror, and when they hit their stride remind me of very early Stick To Your Guns. They’re intensity and passion is contagious and the energy in the room remains high throughout their set. They do lose my attention at points with repetition within songs, and the guitar tone is a tad tiring with the nu-metal mid scoop.

Live Review : Download Pilot @ Donington Park on June 18-20th 2021

Ok lets cut to the chase, last weekend’s Download Pilot (or Diddy Download as every bugger and their aunt are calling it) was probably the most pleasant experience I have had in the eighteen years I have been making an annual pilgrimage to Donington Park. Let’s put all the emotion aside of this being the first one back and concentrate on what worked, which frankly was its size.