Rather than a case of "Wish you were here!", this evening is brought to you by "Why the hell weren't you here?”. You see Satan are simply astounding and it is an absolute travesty that not more of Manchester's metal fraternity are gathered in the cavernous confines of The Bread Shed to witness it. They manage to be astounding not in a rose-tinted spectacles nostalgia way, where you forgive the ravages of time in the light of being able to see living legends in the flesh.
Read MoreYou know when you are in for a good night when members of the audience are bringing in plastic bags full of foam penises. There ain't no party like a Party Cannon party, and the dedicated followers of Slam are proudly wearing their party hats and tooting their party blowers like their lives depended on it. For the northern leg of the very short “Partied in Half tenth anniversary tour" (as Scots it must pain them to call Manchester the northern leg) they have plumped for a distinctly Northern undercard.
Read MoreI'll be honest with you, I really don't understand at all why someone would pay an inordinate amount of money to watch one guy (who may or may not be ginger) strum a guitar for a couple of hours. I crave narrative and theatrics in my performances. I want the show I am watching to take me out of the norm and introduce me to strange new worlds. I want immersive theatre rather than drab reality. It is obvious that the members of Ward XVI share that innate need for visual escapism, as they provide a half-hour performance driven by a strong story arc and packed full of more props than the England rugby team.
Read MoreTonight it's all about the unbridled power of heavy metal. The pairing of the thrash revivals unsung heroes Warbringer and this week's hottest new band in Britain, Hellripper is genius. And I am not alone in thinking this marriage of convenience is manna from heaven as once again Manchester's metal hordes have swum against the cost-of-living crisis and more than adequately filled the place.
Read MoreI think it's fair to say that we don't get masses of hardcore gigs passing through the North West, so it’s a real treat to have a band with the calibre of Comeback Kid headlining a gig in Manchester. The Bread Shed offers everything you need to make this kind of gig work, with that underground vibe and close-up intimate stage. In fact, as would be hoped at a hardcore gig, there’s no barrier tonight - something our photographer is a bit nervous about it’s plain to see!
Read MoreRosen Bridge are up first in The Bread Shed tonight having made the short trip from North Wales. They immediately crank out their crunching tech-metal akin to Northlane, InVisions and Architects. They’re not as slick and smooth live as on their recordings, but still offer an interesting and entertaining performance. The harsh vocals bite and slam into the front row, but the cleans seem troubled by the dry house sound tonight.
Read MoreIt seems during the dramatic full stop that was lockdown, we seem to have reassessed our relationship with live music and we have realised that we potentially took it for granted. Three years ago, in those heady pre-covid times, I saw Decapitated in a barely quarter full Academy 3 (the smallest of the Academy venues). Tonight, the Bread Shed, a venue around the same size, is sold out, as have been most of the other shows on their elongated trip around the UK. It is if that hiatus has made us realise what is important, which is to actually get out there and support the bands we profess to love. Touring is the only way that acts make money in this new all-streaming no-purchase world and tonight’s capacity crowd shows that the message of see them or lose them is getting through.
Read MoreThe start of Bad Touch’s Better Late than Never tour has apparently been postponed some 5 times over the past 18 months or so, and tonight, it finally gets underway. There’s an added bonus too with local band Shape of Water added to the bill opening the show.
Read MoreClashmute are a last-minute addition to the bill following Ghost Iris having to pull out of the remaining dates of the tour due to a positive COVID-19 test (gutting as I was very much looking forward to seeing those guys perform their new album). They kick off proceedings with their aggressive hardcore-tinged brand of Killswitch Engage style Metal.
Read MoreIn a time where tours are being pulled left right and centre, it is certainly hats off to Batushka and Belphegor for preserving with their co-headline endeavour. Across the continent, venues have changed and host cities have been swapped at last minute, but somehow, they have managed to keep the wheels on this tour. Maybe being in league with Satan is good for something after all? They pull into Manchester after a night in the Heavy Metal capital of Bedford (no me neither) and the Black Metal hordes of the north west are certainly out in droves to meet them. In many ways this line up is a promoter’s dream as Batushka, Belphegor and Diabolical all have their own fiercely loyal fanbases (don’t worry Warhammer and Almost Dead, your time will indeed come) and the presence of not one, but three well stocked Merch tables illustrates that all three are headline material.
Read MoreFirst up are Aleya who impress with their varied take on tech-metalcore. They’re straight into it, with no introduction to the crowd, delivering their brand of Bury Tomorrow style song-process, through Blood Youth new nu-metal heaviness, out to Northlane or Erra influenced tech-metal. In fact, Erra are the closest match to this young band of any potential ‘for fans of’ suggestions. This is a young band finding their feet, but there is definitely something here with these guys.
Read MoreThrough the never-ending stream of information on social media I manage to decipher that the OTEP gig has been moved from The Factory to The Bread Shed. Apparently, the stage has been removed from The Factory – maybe it’s been stolen, abducted by aliens or lost down the back of the sofa. We may never know. Now you might call me old fashioned but I do prefer a gig venue with a stage. So, with the hope that I haven’t being duped by social media fake news, I venture to The Bread Shed.
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