Live Review : Bury Tomorrow + August Burns Red + Novelists @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on October 29th 2022

Novelists were only given six days notice to join this tour following the late withdrawal of Miss May I, and it’s fair to say that it’s a ridiculously short amount of time for any band to logistically and mentally sort themselves for a tour. Unfortunately, frontman Tobias Rische couldn’t make it across so Sam Kubrick, from the band Shields, is standing in on lead vocals this tour. The long-time friend of the band fits in seamlessly, which is not to say it doesn't matter who's singing for them, but rather than the rest of the band are so professional, tight and amazing that they can afford the option of bringing in cover for Tobi and they still deliver a superb set.

Live Review : The Pretty Reckless + The Cruel Knives @ Academy, Manchester on October 27th 2022

I’m pretty sure I was only here five minutes ago… The queue for Academy 1 is ridiculously long, trailing all the way passed the Student Union and adjacent building, and I feel bad for walking straight to box office and in the door. The place is already really packed, and I wonder how everyone is going to fit inside. But no time to worry about that now, as in less than 24 hours I have gone from Knife Bride in Academy 2 to The Cruel Knives in Academy 1.

Live Review : Skid Row + The Treatment + Enuff Z'Nuff @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on October 27th 2022

Well what an exciting slice of music we have to look forward to this evening! It’s a mouth-watering mix of classic and rejuvenated ‘80’s American rock, with a hefty slice of noise from current NWOCR Gods The Treatment sandwiched in-between. It is indeed enough to make you proud that you are of an age to remember when both Skid Row and Enuff Z’Nuff released absolute stonkers of debut albums way back in ’89. Time has thrown varying degrees of mixed fortunes at both bands yet here they still are, still rockin and delivering some serious shit in the form of their latest releases. I am indeed salivating at the prospect.

Live Review : Deep Purple + Blue Öyster Cult @ AO Arena, Manchester on October 26th 2022

I reckon we should have a sweepstake about when we will finally get through the Covid backlog of postponed gigs. My guess is some point in 2027… This gem was meant to have happened back in 2020 and this evening both acts mention that the respective albums it was designed to promote have now long since disappeared into posteriority. But to be brutally honest there is nobody in the entire arena that has pitched up tonight with the sole intention of hearing new music from either of these rock veterans. This is an audience that vividly remembers the classics, knows all the words to the classics, and is here to hear the classics.

Live Review : Wargasm + Scene Queen + Knife Bride @ Academy 2, Manchester on October 26th 2022

My first thoughts on walking up to Academy 2 tonight are they really need to sort out the queuing. Again, there are two shows on tonight and although I have the privilege of walking straight in, so I don’t miss the support bands, I feel sorry for the first act, Knife Bride. They get to perform to a room that is only about a third full because everyone is still stuck outside.

Live Review : The Damn Truth + Scarlet @ The Live Rooms, Chester on October 23rd 2022

Ever had a moment when you hear something on the radio and instantly love it? Well that happened to me with tonight’s headliners. Canadians The Damn Truth recently released a song called ‘This Is Who We Are Now’ (taken from their latest Bob-Rock-produced album “Now Or Nowhere”) and the instant I heard it I was hooked. So when I heard they were coming to Chester, despite not really knowing anything else about them, I had to go along.

Live Review : Mason Hill + South Of Salem + Mad Haven @ The Live Rooms, Chester on October 21st 2022

It’s funny how this job/hobby/whatever goes. Sometimes you get to see bands you love, sometimes ones you’re not so keen on. Sometimes you are in a crowd of thousands, sometimes you watch a great act give their all to two men and a dog. The dreaded coof knocked us all for six and that, coupled with the current cost of living crisis, has apparently been having a devastating effect on ticket sales for live events with many gigs and small festivals having to cancel due to low sales.

Live Review : Corey Taylor + Cherry Bombs @ BEC Arena, Manchester on October 21st 2022

When beloved Slipknot/Stone Sour front man Corey Taylor announced he would be appearing at this weekends For The Love of Horror convention in Manchester, my friend and I immediately started hatching a plan. And just as quickly we abandoned said plan after seeing the price of the guest tickets for the con. We’re single mums, it’s nearly Christmas.

Live Review : Wage War + The Devil Wears Prada + Siamese @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on October 19th 2022

Siamese kick off proceedings with their brand of techy pop-infused metal. They bound onto the stage, owning it like headliners, and the growing crowd take to them immediately. Fans of Normandie and Resolve and the like will love this Danish crew, who have fast become one of my favourite bands. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again, I might even move to Copenhagen to see more of their gigs!

Live Review : Coheed and Cambria + Thrice + Touché Amoré @ Academy, Manchester on October 18th 2022

In this day and age of spiralling costs and reducing disposable income, the co-headline tour offers a fitting way to give the punter more bang for the buck. It also is a cunning ploy to mix disparate fanbases in order to fill larger more lucrative rooms. All three of tonight’s acts are well known and well regarded enough to have their own passionate following.

Live Review : Samantha Fish + Wille and the Bandits @Academy 2, Manchester on October 16th 2022

It’s always nice to watch bands in a busy venue, and by the time I make it into the Academy 2, tonight’s support band Wille and The Bandits are already a good way into their set. Glancing round, it is indeed a near full house and it’s great to see. It’s also great to see these chaps having a blast up on the stage creating a wonderful atmosphere for everyone. Singer and frontman; ironically called Wile, is busy wringing some lovely sounds from his lap steel guitar and the crowd are thoroughly enjoying their powerhouse set.

Live Review : Alexisonfire + Boston Manor + Higher Power @ Academy, Manchester on October 16th 2022

We have the surprise addition of Higher Power as an opening support band tonight, which is great news as I’m a big fan. The lads from Leeds are a hardcore/post-hardcore band with that little extra bit of something. Their delightful and signature mix of alt rock and hardcore also delivers luscious nu-grunge chorus guitars and in Jimmy "J-Town" Wizard’s vocals, so like listening to Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, there is that unique and marmite element.

Live Review : Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls + Pet Needs + Truckstop Honeymoon @ Academy, Manchester on October 11th 2022

Manchester Academy has become somewhat of a second home for me recently. The continued wave of rescheduled tours impacted by the covid pandemic, along with newly announced tours has meant that the city of Manchester has been an absolute hive of live music. Tonight’s offering was iconic singer-songwriter Frank Turner and his band The Sleeping Souls.

The running theme of the night was diversity. There was a hugely diverse crowd, comprising of all corners of society but there was also a diverse selection of Support acts covering all bases.

Live Review : Beyond The Black + Butcher Babies + Ad Infinitum @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on October 11th 2022

Unfortunately tonight’s advertised headliners Amaranthe have had to pull out due to illness, but the other 3 bands on the bill will continue and play extended sets. Refunds were available, but with it being so last-minute the Ritz is still heaving so I guess that a lot of people decided to just make the best of it.

We start with Ad Infinitum, a female-fronted power metal band with clean vocals but a lot of echo on them. There are podiums on stage and they make full use of them for a bit of posing and shape-throwing.

Live Review : Florence Black + Häxan + Crude Virtue @ Rebellion, Manchester on October 10th 2022

There’s a flag being vigorously waved at the moment for the New Wave of Classic Rock, with lots of new, exciting and upcoming bands in there. Tonight at the Rebellion one of those bands firmly at the head of the pack are back in town having recently returned from a string of German stadium dates as guests to Böhse Onkelz. The buzz that Florence Black created led to further dates and now they are on their own UK tour in support of the album “Weight of The World” released 12 months ago to critical acclaim. It’s no wonder then the Rebellion is busy for a Monday night.

Live Review : Liturgy + Dawn Ray'd @ Soup, Manchester on October 11th 2022

For many years Black Metal has been at war with itself about the sanctity and purity of the genre. There are those that believe anything that deviates from the Nordic template of Satanic adoration is heretical and has no place appropriating the mantle of Black Metal. However, there is another camp that believes Black Metal is a style rather than an ideology and like any musical genre it is ripe for evolution. This section believes Black Metal has a power and evocativeness that goes far beyond an obsession with old nick and therefore can be used to soundtrack any manner of subject matter.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Darth Ghoul12 October 2022SoupLiturgy, Dawn Ray'd, Manchester, 2022, Live ReviewComment

Live Review : Godsmack + The Raven Age @ Academy, Manchester on October 9th 2022

Something as simple as geography being a determiner of a band’s success has always been amazing to me. You hear a lot about some of the UK’s biggest bands struggling to “break the states”, which can turn a band that is of monumental stature over here into another run of the mill band clogging up a festival line up poster for some festival in the arse end of Colorado. What does not get mentioned all that much, however, is those gargantuan bands over in the United States, trying to “Break the UK.”

Live Review : Within Destruction + Space Of Variations + Bound In Fear + Earth Caller @ Rebellion, Manchester on October 7th 2022

Australian openers Earth Caller are already known to me thanks to their recruitment of the production genius Misstiq. Having done some additional production and guest work for them she joined the crew and adds that different touch to what was already an intriguing metalcore band. There are large similarities to Bury Tomorrow & Heart of Coward in their sound, especially in new single ‘Alone’, and of course with Misstiq onboard there are plenty of orchestral synths.

Live Review : Hypocrisy + Septicflesh + The Agonist + Horizon Ignited @ Academy 2, Manchester on October 7th 2022

AKA – A Pain Girl goes to a Hypocrisy gig

How was your summer? Mine? Oh nothing special, caught covid and missed Metaldays in its entirety. My 13 year old came to Bloodstock and made me leave the tent before Machine Head started. Neither of them were particularly good experiences, although I did meet a lovely gorgeous doctor though. After a few months of dating I was pretty taken with him, but sadly he drove me home one day and had the Libertines and Fratellis on his Spotify. Yuck. It was never going to work.

Live Review : Monster Truck + Those Damn Crows @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on October 5th 2022

“Manchester are you ready?” scream Those Damn Crows as they hit the stage. “Yes we are!” scream back the crowd! They are open with their now standard ‘Who Did It?’ and the crowd are there with them from note one. They are engaged, involved and of course the band make full use of the little pose boxes at the front of the stage. It’s hard to describe how great the crowd reaction is here tonight, especially when singer Shane does his party piece and runs upstairs to stand precariously on a small wooden shelf at the edge of the balcony.