Live Review : Ghost + Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats + Twin Temple @ AO Arena, Manchester on April 9th 2022

The rise of Ghost has been stratospheric. Eleven years ago I saw them open for a In Flames and Trivium double bill. They weren’t the slick flamboyant show-people that they are today, but the foundations were there. Press fast forward, and on the back of the fastest selling album of the year they are starting their campaign for global dominance here in Manchester. The arena is a seething mass of merging tribes. Ghost have attracted a heady mix of grizzled metallers, one-show a year trendies, goth nuns and curious bystanders. What these diverse groups share is a desire to be entertained. Ghost have tapped into that pent up need for escapism and showmanship.

Live Review : Therapy? + Enola Gay @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on April 10th 2022

Two gigs in one weekend? Yes. It’s good and bad now everything is back up and running again, feels like everything is coinciding and not sure I can keep up. However I wasn’t going to miss this gig for anything as I bought my ticket back in 2019 and after 3 or more postponements we are finally here! We arrive early and the place is quiet, much quieter than expected. I do not know if this is due to all the rescheduling or because it’s Sunday night, but by 8pm the place is starting to fill up for tonight’s support band.

Live Review : Skunk Anansie + Gen and the Degenerates + Holocene @ O2 Warehouse, Manchester on April 8th 2022

Taxi traumas... 30 minutes late and with much swearing… it finally turns up and I arrive slightly disorientated and not in the best mood. I grab a drink and can hear Holocene, a singer-songwriter and guitarist aka Sian Kelly sounding great, but sadly she finishes as I am about to watch. Having caught up on YouTube I’m really disappointed to miss her as I’m sure she gave a brilliant performance; powerful vocals (think slightly Taylor Momsen-esque from The Pretty Reckless), melodic guitars, all a bit reminiscent of a chilled version of Garbage.

Live Review : Devil Sold His Soul + Urne + Forlorn @ Rebellion, Manchester on April 8th 2022

It’s been a long nine years since emotive metalcore heroes (emocore if you like), Devil Sold his Soul last headlined in this city (they did remember we exist back in 2017 but that was to support Skith). Well in support of their rather excellent “Loss” (their first album in nine years and number 73 in our 2021 countdown) they are back, and they have brought the rather wonderful Urne (probably ROCKFLESH’s fav new band) with them. However first up are Forlorn. Sadly, this is not the legendary but now defunct Nordic Viking metal forebears, this Forlorn are from various places in the South of the Country (essentially not the North).

Live Review : Dark Tranquility + Ensiferum + Nailed To Obscurity + Brunhilde @ Academy Club, Manchester on April 7th 2022

Another day, another quite astounding metal package tour. Anyone would think that live music got canned for two whole years and that bands are busy trying to make up for lost time? A stacked bill means an early start time and those early doors means that we supposedly miss Brunhilde, then we later learn so did everybody as they don’t show.

Live Review : Fucked Up + Sacred Paws + Tuka @ Gorilla, Manchester on April 5th 2022

“David Comes to Life” is the greatest album that you have never heard of. It is an art punk masterpiece. It takes the most maligned of musical forms, namely the rock opera, and reclaims it. Gone is the bloated pretention and instead we are presented with an intricate and fascinating narrative stretched across eighteen stunningly minimal and melodic punk rock songs. It is punk in its primal three chords beauty. Stripped of all its nihilism and vulgarity, this is punk as a beautiful minimalistic art form. Short, evocative tracks that capture the power and magnitude of rock ‘n roll.

Live Review : Less Than Jake + Skinny Lister + The Toasters + Millie Manders and the Shutup @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on April 3rd 2022

A gig? What on earth?! Yes I’m reviewing a gig for the first time in 2022. I have managed to see Creeper and Paradise Lost so far this year, but now it’s good to be back actually reviewing… though truth be told I probably should not be out at all. Saturday morning I was in hospital at 8am having a chunk of flesh, ROCKFLESH no doubt, removed from my body and come Sunday night I am still feeling tired and sore…

Live Review : FM + Grand Slam @ Academy Club, Manchester on April 2nd 2022

British AOR rock Gods FM are back in town in support of their new album; the recently released “Thirteen”, and with Grand Slam supporting, there promises to be somewhat of a classic and AOR rock party to look forward to, and with a wonderful blend of old and new material from both bands, it was certainly a case of value for money for a Saturday evening in Manchester.

Live Review : Killing Joke + The Imbeciles @ O2 Academy, Liverpool on April 1st 2022

I’ve not reviewed a gig at the Liverpool O2 Academy before, even though I’ve been many a time as a punter, so as we climb the never-ending staircase I feel like I’m taking in everything new and afresh. In fact that’s an experience we’re all still coming across as we venture to more and more gigs following the return to live music with the reduction in restrictions from the pandemic. I honestly didn’t know if I’d get to see Killing Joke live every again in all honesty, so I’m eager and excited to be at a gig for one of my favourite bands ever.

Live Review : Decapitated + Signs Of The Swarm + Harbinger + Where Oceans Burn @ The Bread Shed, Manchester on April 1st 2022

It 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.

Live Review : In Flames + Vexed + Defects @ O2 Academy, Liverpool on March 26th 2022

In Flames may not be the draw in this country that they are over on the continent, but even by their standards this is an intimate run of dates. They have gone for small venues in towns that they don’t usually visit and the faithful have rewarded them by selling out every date. This ‘up close and personal” tour was meant to happen two years ago, but you know what got in the way. Rather than chuck it under the bus, In Flames have honoured their commitment and these shows are on.

Live Review : While She Sleeps + Led By Lanterns + Coping @ Rebellion, Manchester on March 25th 2022

During the pandemic While She Sleeps launched a members subscription service called Sleeps Society via the Patreon platform. The intention was to further the band’s intention to take back the music industry for the bands and fans, and as such the service affords the bands the ability to connect directly with their fans and in turn the fans can contribute, have access to exclusive content, merchandise and in this case the first ever members only gig. Later in the night While She Sleeps frontman Lawrence ‘Loz’ Taylor will proclaim the importance of being part of a metal and punk community, and that WSS was always meant to represent more than a band, it was meant to be a community, and tonight it feels like the culmination of those intentions.

Live Review : Tailgunner + Arkham Witch @ The Outpost, Liverpool on March 25th 2022

Nestled in the back of a Pizza Parlour/Craft Beer style bar, The Outpost is the definition of a hidden gem. I’d been coming to Liverpool for years, walked past it many a time, even worked about 4 or 5 doors down for a little while, but I could never have guessed a place like this existed. It was tiny, it was sweaty but some of the best venues often are.

Opening proceedings were Arkham Witch. I was under the impression that these guys may have been an instrumental act, a long, slow, Sabbath like intro kept the crowd slowly banging their heads before vocalist Simon took to the stage, that’s when it really kicked up a gear.

Live Review : Napalm Death + Raging Speedhorn + Crepitation @ O2 Academy, Liverpool on March 19th 2022

Napalm Death are a national institution, maybe a national treasure. How many other grindcore bands does yer gran not only know the name of but can make a fair stab at describing what they sound like (‘the nice man goes “groahhhhhhhhh” and the songs sound like someone pushing over a trashcan’). Over forty-one years they have built a reputation through hard graft and a no compromise attitude. Their mammoth European trek that was going to keep them occupied for most of the first half of this year was pulled by a promoter unsure how to navigate the different covid regulations still in place across the continent. Instead of being downhearted they declared bugger that for a game of soldiers, asked Raging Speedhorn if they fancied coming out to play and booked a UK tour.

Live Review : Creeper + VUKOVI + James and the Cold Gun @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on March 19th 2022

The O2 Ritz is not quite firing on all cylinders this evening. To say that they are having teething troubles as we head back to normality, would be kind. Due to the tickets from the previous incarnations of the show (it had been postponed on four separate occasions before this evening ultimately successful staging) not scanning, a large proportion of the audience are left queuing outside for a large proportion of the evening. This leads to a massive logjam at the ticket office, which in turn causes our always punctual snapper to miss his regulatory three song quota for opener James and the Cold Gun. Sorry guys you will have to make do with my words to paint the pictures.

Live Review : Marduk + Wiegedood + Vader + Hidden Mothers + Impalement + Risen Dread @ Rebellion and Star And Garter on March 17th 2022

Well apparently all that stuff and nonsense is over with and we are back in business with a capital ACK. How do I know that, I hear you cry? Well last night I did not one, but two shows almost simultaneously, both were big name bands (in our small world), both were packed to the rafters, and both tingled with the charge of expectation and emotion. But two shows, I hear you again cry, how and more importantly why? Well, the why was caused by staff sickness here at ROCKFLESH towers and our tenacious commitment to cover every tour that trundles through the north west. the how is a simple one of staggered start times and my trusty stead (i.e. me push bike).

Live Review : Evil Scarecrow + Lullaby For A Unicorn + Severenth @ The Tivoli, Buckley on March 17th 2022

Unfortunately on this, my first gig back of the year, logistics meant that I didn’t make it to the Tivoli in time for tonight’s first support Severenth. Seems a shame, as friends who live a little nearer and arrived a little earlier told me they were pretty good. They were described to me as modern doomy rock with a bit of a bounce. A bit like Killswitch Engage apparently, and the vocals were very good when not shouted. Oh well, hopefully I’ll catch them again at some point.

Live Review : Kris Barras Band + Florence Black + Ashley Sherlock Band @ Academy 2, Manchester on March 16th 2022

He’s rather a nice chap that Kris Barras fella; on the tour to support their latest album “Death Valley Paradise’, he’s been offering an opening slot to local bands as a way of giving promotion and exposure, and tonight Manchester’s very own Ashley Sherlock Band has the unenviable job of opening the show.

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 : Lorna Shore + Distant + Cabal @ The Academy Club, Manchester on March 2nd 2022

There is a fevered atmosphere of anticipation in the Club Academy tonight. At some point over the last year (not sure actually exactly when) Lorna Shore have become a big thing, a very very big thing indeed. This is their first UK show since their transcendence from deathcore also-rans to the genre’s leading light and you can taste the sizzle of expectation in the air. This show has been bumped up venue sizes three times and still the sold-out sign is on the door. It is quite hard to decipher what has actually clicked with the tattooed masses squeezed in here tonight and my best guess is that it is Lorna’s Shore’s heady mix of intensity and humanity. They swagger and they rage, but they do so with an utterly relatable vulnerability. However, we have two other upcoming acts to contend with first before we reach the delectable main course.