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.
Read MoreWhen 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.
Read MoreThere 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.
Read MoreI’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.
Read MoreThere was a lot of discussion in the virtual ROCKFLESH office (essentially a messenger thread) about whether we should be covering this show at all. There were those that argued that Goth was separate to our world and those (me) that put forward the alternative opinion that Goth and Metal have had an entwined relationship over the decades and whilst separate genres, do have a symbiotic connection. There has been metalheads that have dabbled in the forbidden (and better dressed) pleasures of goth (including myself) and goths that have crossed the divide over into Metal.
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreAnvil. 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.
Read MoreKælan 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.
Read MoreI’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.
Read MoreBeartooth’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!
Read MoreLast 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.
Read MoreI’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.
Read MoreThere 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.
Read MoreThere 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.
Read MoreThere’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…
Read MoreIf 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.
Read MoreBeing 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.
Read MoreGigs at Club Academy are always interesting, as the venue itself is pretty unusual. It’s the shape of the venue – it’s a club. Sounds obvious, but it does sometimes pose a conundrum to bands who don’t know how to bring the crowd together from various perching points on the stairs/ramps all the way down to the moshpit. No such problems for opening act Maid of Ace who are four sisters from Hastings that make full-on punk-rock. And they’re damn good at it.
Read MoreI love nu metal, and death metal, and metalcore, and grunge, and Tori Amos, and drum and bass.
But what I really really love is Industrial.
And with a queue snaked around the corner of Rebellion on a Monday night at 7.30pm, you just know all the finest and freakiest Manchester has to offer are here for one of THE most exciting industrial bands in the world. There is also one bloke from Kent I discover as I stomp down to the venue. He went drinking with the headliners once. My fangirl heart withers a little in its jealous cage, but I remain cool and composed with this info. I'm fine.
Read MoreDo you know who CKY are? I didn’t. I vaguely remember their logo and had them firmly placed in my head as being part of the post-grunge American punk explosion of the late 90s. Not familiar with their output but doing my homework like a good little reviewer I thought they would be loud, shouty, brash, fast-paced and funny. After all, the drummer is Bam Margera’s brother, so they had to be a little bit Jackass, right?
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