Botch & Great Falls - New Century Hall, Manchester (22/3/24)

My first experience with Botch wasn't through seeing them live or hearing them on record. It was through 'Edge Of Quarrel'. If you're not familiar with it, 'Edge Of Quarrel' is a low budget take on 'West Side Story' which sees crusty punks pitched against straightedgers. There was a time when this was the hot topic for hardcore punks and you'd always end up watching it at punk's houses. It is pretty laughable and is in the so bad I enjoyed it category. The 6.6 rating on IMDb is extremely generous but the music in it is fucking great. Trial and Undertow I already knew but it also introduced me to Botch and The Murder City Devils.

This neatly brings me on to tonight's opening act, Great Falls. Great Falls feature Undertow's Demian Johnston on guitar. Undertow are still revered by a number of hardcore kids of a certain age, myself included. They're one of the pioneers of metallic hardcore. Their music hasn't aged at all. However, most importantly, they never sullied their legacy with endless reunions and continuing way past their prime releasing records which increasingly reduce in quality.

A guitar riff rings out, played slowly with plenty of space to breathe whilst Demian yells into the audience without a mic to open Great Falls' set. Despite the size of the venue, this has a DIY feel and takes me back to the hardcore shows of the 90s, which is apt when you consider their heritage. When the rest of the band kick in for the track 'Dragged Home Alive', they play heavy, technical noisy hardcore with complex time changes reminiscent of Deadguy or Kiss It Goodbye (who Demian was also a member of). The second track is more chaotic with riffs which come in waves, reminiscent of tonight's headliners or maybe even Dragbody. The band only met guest vocalist, Lillian Albazi, the previous day even though she appears on the album. You can't always hear her vocals so her presence seems a bit superfluous at times but when the vocals are audible, they add a Swans edge to the noise. Their more repetitive, hypnotic moments are at the beginning and end of the set and they are more Om or Bell Witch influenced in those moments. Overall, this is a committed performance and the bassist in particular really attacks his instrument with conviction. Really, really impressive.

There is a huge air of anticipation for Botch tonight. This is a pretty big venue and most people probably never thought they'd get the opportunity to see them live as they didn't tour that much over here when they were a functioning band and most people discovered them after they'd split anyway. I'm probably in the minority that I have seen them before and I'm nervous rather than excited. I saw them just after they'd released 'We Are The Romans' at a small pub in Leeds and they absolutely blew my mind. I went mainly for the support bands, Canvas and Thirty Seconds Until Armageddon, who were two of the finest heavy hardcore bands the UK had to offer. Botch played much of the set in absolute darkness whilst I was assaulted by waves and waves of noise. When the lights were on, they strobed in time to the music. It was very intense, so much so that I had to sit down at the back at one point. The perfect synthesis of music and show which is why I'm nervous now. Can they replicate that same feeling in a much larger venue?

Opening properly with the jagged, discordant riffs, twisted time signatures and shredded throat vocals of 'Our Friends In The Great White North', it is soon clear that this is still the Botch I remember. The anticipation of the packed hall is converted into genuine electric excitement. People are losing their minds to these songs which previously they've just listened to studio recordings of. 'Mondrian Was A Liar' features more of the light show which I expected, only its impact is slightly lessened because of the size of the venue and the bar lights. It seems even heavier live, which is admirable considering this is something which they're already renowned for. 'Spaim' leading into 'Japam' sees jagged riffs carried along by rumbling bass into a positively rocking groove. There's a big Deadguy influence in various parts. One moment is Nordic Giants style cinematic post rock and it has a similar emotional heft. I can see quite a bit of movement in front of me for the bouncy yet quirky noise rock of 'One Twenty Two'. I was a bit concerned about how they would sound in such a big venue but I needn't have worried because the sound fills the venue amazingly well. Encore 'Afghamistam' is a change of pace with Dave Verellen gently singing amid some orchestral touches and this again has a Nordic Giants feel. The following track 'C. Thomas Howell As The Soul Man' sounds super loud and intense in contrast. Twenty five years on and there may be a bigger audience but this is still the same band. The final track 'Saint Matthew Returns To the Womb' is urgent and dynamic, and is a fitting way to end a fantastic return.

Botch ****

Great Falls ****

Fixer, FAxFO, Eyeteeth, Self Help & Leashed - Damaged Goods, Leeds (15/3/24)

Leashed play raw punk rock which is decent when fast but a bit leaden when they slow it down. The singer has a pretty good voice although I'm less sure about the drummer.

Self Help seem to lack an identity as they're a real mix of styles, from mid paced 90s NYHC chug to oi to super fast, intense hardcore punk ala Drop Dead. The slower styles leave me a bit cold but when they're fast, they rip. There are some weird guitar effects in places which is interesting. They seem to get better as the set progresses with everything being played at an increasing intensity and with greater focus. The sludgy climax to the set is pretty cool too.

Eyeteeth frontman Nate says after the first couple of tracks, 'I hope you liked the first two, we've got twenty more more which sound the fucking same'. He's right, there isn't  much variation in their short sharp bursts of blasting powerviolence with sludge touches, but it is still very good. Nate's vocals are savage, but that is to be expected if you've heard any of his other bands over the years (xCanannx, Rot In Hell, Age Of Kali and On Thin Ice as well as a number of others). 'Chain Whipped' even gets some of the crowd moving with its more crucial mosh parts.

FAxFO are another band which mixes fast and slow but they integrate the parts excellently. They sound like a mix of Siege, Drop Dead and Iron Monkey. There's even a nu-metal style intro and outro at one point but it is played with a punk intensity and is surprisingly really good.

When Fixer are on stage, there's a hell of a lot of unintentional feedback but when they actually play they are tight and powerful. They play a messy brand of crusty punk which sounds like Eyehategod's punkier moments or maybe Buzzov*en.

Fixer ****

FAxFO ****

Eyeteeth ****

Self Help ***

Leashed ***

The Blinders, Stanleys & Denver County Council - New Century Hall (14/3/24)

Denver County Council are a local band with a big sound. Although they're more used to playing small venues, they have a sound which feels like it's made for venues like this, or bigger. They play noughties style indie not unlike The Killers mixed with MGMT, although they are probably more traditionally guitar based. They're positive and uplifting, and the vocals are pretty strong too. I'm also reminded of bands like The Courteeners, particularly on 'Seventeen', which has a fairly catchy chorus. Promising.

Stanleys seem very self assured. They start off with 80s indie somewhere between New Order and Liverpudlian guitar bands like The Icicle Works. 'I'll Try' has a great chorus. Singer Tom has an excellent voice which reminds me a little of Paulo Nuttini and he is very confident in his stage presence. Latest single 'She's Done It Again' is driven by a bassline which sounds like Duran Duran meets 'Echo Beach'. Every song seems to have a really strong chorus. Impressive.

The Blinders open with the incendiary 'Ceremony', a driving beat topped with chaotic angular guitars and vocalist Thomas Haywood's impassioned 'I am the man I think I am' refrain. It's an incredible start. 'Et Tu's catchy chorus is driven by rockabilly guitars, and this is followed by the dark rock of 'Brutus'. 'Always' highlights the Arctic Monkeys similarities but, to be honest, they have never been this vital. Thomas has a voice reminiscent of Alex Turner but he frequently seems to push it to its limits. The driving 'Waterfalls Of Venice' is incredibly powerful. 'Iggy Got Camaro' slows the pace down to allow for a well needed breather, whilst 'I  Can't Breathe Blues' surf guitar line is sang by the crowd. The guitarist and bassist's energy is impressive. In this regard, they are reminiscent of Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes, and musically they are pretty similar too. 'From Nothing To Abundance' has some lovely Ray Manzarek style keys in the mid-section which gives it the feel of a post-punk 'Riders On the Storm'. The glam stomp of 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' is really enjoyable. 'Nocturnal Skies' sees Thomas accompanied just by his own guitar and Johnny's keys, and it is pretty intimate. The brooding 'All I Need' is pretty intense but, to be honest, the whole show is intense. Encore 'L'Etat C'est Moi' starts off very Radiohead before exploding into life. The line 'I've got divine right' is a call to arms, and the track's angular art rock is glorious. The glammy post-punk/new romantic stomp of 'Brave New World' is excellent. It's like a louder and heavier Adam & The Ants. Every influence seems to be amplified into something heavier and fervent. They close with the brooding Joy Division influenced 'Black Glass'. It's such an intense, and therefore exhausting, experience from start to finish.

The Blinders ****

Stanleys ****

Denver County Council ***

Say She She & Nia Wyn - Ritz, Manchester (10/3/24)

Nia Wyn plays smooth 70s style soulfunk. She has a Paloma Faith style edge to her voice so her material is a natural reference point.. 'Leave My Bed' is bluesy soul. 'Guilty' is mature soul in a similar vein to Lianne La Havas. The guitarist is very good and his impassioned solo towards the end of 'Your Team's 60s styled soul is great. 'A Pleasure To Have In Class' is a little poppier, like a modern take on The Shangri-Las. However, it does seem less authentic, like when Rod Stewart turns his hand to soul. Her voice is good enough but I'm not the biggest fan of her style of singing. Not too bad though.

Say She She open with a deliciously funky 'Reeling'' but it's really the vocals which stand out. All those higher pitched backing vocals are done  to perfection. The disco funk of 'C'est Si Bon' is excellent and brings Labelle or Chic to mind. 'Fortune Teller' is more contemporary pop but is excellently executed. 'Never Say Never' features great harmonies and some subtle guitar work which reminds me of Paul Weller. 'Trouble' features some choreographed dance moves even though it isn't really their style. They're all about the vocals, and those voices are peerless. You can tell they're all classically trained, and some of the  vocals border on soprano at times. 'Echo In The Chamber' is an excellent slice of soul funk and it's nice to see that they're socially conscious too. They add a Nile Rodgers edge to a terrific cover of Talking Heads' 'Slippery People'. 'NORMA' is a heavy piece of funk fronted by En Vogue and is extremely good. The girls exit the stage whilst the excellent backing band play a couple of funky instrumentals. This allows the girls to change costumes into something shinier. The psychedelic soul of 'Astral Plane' is fantastic and the crowd reaction is unbelievable. The band say we're the best crowd of the tour and although every band says this, I'm inclined to believe them. 'Forget Me Not' sounds like Labelle covering Donna Summer's 'Love To Love You Baby' and is brilliant. The strange chorus is mesmerising. 'Bleeding Heart' sounds like early Goldfrapp mixed with 'Thriller' era Michael Jackson. How they're not massive is puzzling because they're incredible. It hardly matters though because here they are adored and the closing cover of 'I Believe In Miracles' is greeted by a mass of writhing, dancing bodies. Fantastic.

Say She She ****

Nia Wyn ***

Enslaved, Svalbard & Wayfarer - Club Academy, Manchester (8/3/24)

I had real trouble motivating myself to come out tonight, so as a result I only catch the last song of Wayfarer. Normally, I wouldn't score someone on less than two songs but it is quite a lengthy track so it does give me a decent amount of time to get a good feel of them. The song I catch, 'False Constellation', sounds like a blackened version of Metallica's 'My Friend Of Misery'. It's progressive yet accessible. It's quite atmospheric and brings to mind a heavier Solstafir. What I manage to see is really good.

The sound balance doesn't sound quite right for Svalbard. Serena Cherry's vocals seem too loud and the guitars not loud enough. Liam Phelan's vocals are perfect though. Despite the sound issues, their qualities still shine through. Their mix of metallic hardcore and post-metal is inspired. 'Faking It' has a post-metal groove sandwiched between faster hardcore parts with swirling guitars and blasting beats. Most songs follow this formula but all are very good. 'Click Bait' opens with a downbeat intro and some beautiful clean vocals from Serena, which makes the subsequent blasting all the more impactful. Closing number 'Eternal Spirits' has a mighty doomy riff at its climax. It's been quite a few years since I last saw Svalbard and because of the phenomenal albums they've released in the meantime, I had very high expectations for this and sadly they fall a little short of these. Really good but I'm still a little disappointed.

Enslaved open with 'Kingdom'. Its twisting guitar riff has keys sprinkled over the top before launching into a driving 80s heavy metal riff whilst the croaking vocals add the blackened edge. 'Homebound' features a chugging mid-paced Norse metal verse and a soaring prog chorus. That doesn't really tell the half of it though. These lengthy songs have multiple parts which move between various heavy genres and hold your attention for their entirety. The band's mastery of their craft is staggering. When 'Forest Dweller' gets into its blackened groove, it is vicious. 'Sequence' is insistent, with an epic sounding chorus whilst the progressive mid-section is dreamlike. 'Return To Yggdrasil' manages to balance crushing riffs with epic, hypnotic prog. There's a beautiful 'Painkiller' moment during 'The Dead Stare' whilst the pagan chant centred 'Havenless' is glorious. 'Heimdal's slow, lurching, twisted riffs are excellent and close the regular set. A drum solo is completely unnecessary, especially for an encore, but thankfully it doesn't last too long. 'Isa' is still magic as are the band themselves.

Enslaved ****

Svalbard ****

Wayfarer ****