Cyndi Lauper - Co-Op Live, Manchester (9/2/25)

Tonight sees the Manchester leg of Cyndi Lauper's farewell tour. After a short video package, Cyndi opens with The B52s-esque 'She Bop'. After a few neat anecdotes where she shouts out Captain Lou Albano, Classy Freddie Blassie, Rowdy Roddy Piper and Andre The Giant (all wrestling legends), we get a cool 'The Goonies 'R' Good Enough' with the video playing on the big screen behind her. A cover of Prince's 'When You Were Mine' is excellent and sees her hitting some operatic high notes. She also sounds fantastic on a driving and powerful 'I Drove All Night', which also has some neat, swirling Hammond organ. This may be the last time she is doing this in Manchester but it isn't all about the music. There are lots of hilarious anecdotes and you get to see a lot more of her personality this way. Softer songs like 'Who Let In The Rain' still have a fair bit of power. The backing singers do a great job on this song too. A percussive jam leads into 'Iko Iko' which sees Cyndi both playing and wearing a washboard. A cover of Wanda Jackson's 'Funnel Of Love' see her journey pretty successfully into country soul territory. An acapella 'Fearless' is captivating. A costume change is shown on the big screen and is accompanied by more anecdotes. A funky 'Change Of Heart' sees her diving back into the '80s material in fine fashion. 'Time After Time' is predictably brilliant. A really good 'Money Changes Everything' closes the regular set. The orchestral tinged pop of 'Shine' sees Cyndi take a walk out into the crowd and her soaring vocals make it an utter triumph. 'True Colors' sees her singing besides a rainbow volcano and is pretty magical. A riotous 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun' closes the show and sees the video screen filled with polka dots courtesy of artist Yayoi Kusama. Cyndi even manages to sneak a cool little ragga rap into the track too which is fun. This may be the last time that we will see her here in Manchester but this is a great way to say goodbye.

Cyndi Lauper ****

Zetra & Moth Slut - Yes Basement, Manchester (8/2/25)

Tonight is sold out and even though I arrive well in time for the support act, it is already pretty busy by the time I get in here. The crowd seems to be made up predominately of goth girls. What this means is that Moth Slut get a terrific reception as soon as they take to the stage as it seems like a good portion of the crowd are already familiar with them. They play synth fuelled goth rock reminiscent of Clan Of Xymox. It's competent enough. The beats are decent and the vocals are suitably deep and dark but it's nothing I haven't heard before. It hardly matters what I think though because they are treated like conquering heroes nonetheless. One track has sharper, more incisive guitar work which reminds me of Billy Idol (or more specifically, Steve Stevens). At their heaviest, they sound like The Sisters Of Mercy, as most goth acts tend to do in one way or another.

The sound is far too quiet as Zetra take to the stage, which robs opener 'Suffer Eternally' of it's potency. The vocals and guitars, in particular, aren't loud enough. Tracks like 'Sacrifice' still show their class but could definitely be more impactful. As with Moth Slut, the crowd still go crazy regardless. The sound is better and louder for a fun 'Starfall' although the crowd are still in danger of drowning them out with their singing. They play their debut album sequentially and in full, and it is probably around 'Shatter The Mountain' where the hypnotic heaviness and gorgeous vocals start to shine. Unfortunately, 'Holy Malice (Annabel)' reverts to to type with the electronic beats overwhelming everything else. The harder edged 'Inseparable', coupled with slightly deeper vocals, fares much better. The anthemic 'Gaia' has the first few rows bouncing around and everyone else at least nodding their heads. The atmospheric and heavy 'Moonfall' is a good way to close the regular set. They return after a sparkly costume change for an encore. 'Satellite' has a much fuller sound and is a great example of their gothic shoegaze. 'Life Melts Away Pt. 2's Sabbathian mid-section is great whilst 'Call Of The Void' has an insistent chorus. The heavier non-album tracks performed during the encore probably have more of an impact than the album tracks which are lighter. Zetra are a band I like a lot and whilst it's great to see them playing sold out shows and getting a great reception, tonight definitely wasn't their finest hour.

Zetra ***

Moth Slut ***

Madball, Going Off, Chain Of Survival & Lethal Minds - Rebellion, Manchester (6/2/25)

Lethal Minds play New York style hardcore. The guitars are pretty sharp and incisive, the bottom end is weighty enough and they aren't overly beatdown orientated (which I generally hate). They're not too bad at all. 'Brain Freeze' gets a pretty decent response from the pit although generally the dancing is terrible. I have the feeling the dancing is only going to get worse too (I'm happily proved wrong on this as when the venue fills up later on, it becomes much more good natured rather than kids just trying to kick each others heads off).

Chain Of Survival have a more straight forward hardcore punk sound, with maybe a touch of crossover thrown in too. 'Scratch That Itch' has a pretty cool chorus but the verse is rather basic. One track has more of a NYHC vibe and is satisfyingly chunky. They are better when they play at a mid-pace as their sound seems a bit thin when they play too fast. They are much more my style but then again, it's nothing I haven't head before. They do have some really good moments though.

Local boys Going Off instantly incite carnage as soon as they take to the stage. Their sound is made for people to go crazy to. This is modern, heavy hardcore made for the dancefloor. There are lots of beatdown parts but the songs are all pretty short so you never lose interest, and the riffs are surprisingly well thought out. The fast parts almost reach grindcore levels of speed and intensity, and are pretty devastating. I like how committed the band are. The drummer plays HARD whilst the guitarist (Nate) and bassist play with conviction, stomping around the stage. Nate has some neat hardcore jumps too. Generally, they mix bouncy NYHC with heavy beatdowns, with various hardcore styles sprinkled on top. More powerful than I expected, Going Off are a bit of a revelation.

Madball are, well, Madball. Full of energy right from the off, their brand of NYHC doesn't really sound like anyone other than them. There is historically a connection with Agnostic Front but Madball's serrated guitars always stood them out. Freddy Cricien is a seasoned frontman and seems in pretty decent spirits. 'Set It Off' does exactly that and sets the place alight. 'Smell The Bacon (What's With You?)' follows and is played more stop/start than on record but is still great. 'Lockdown' powers along fantastically. The 'Set It Off' material still sounds incredible over thirty years after it was originally released. The punky blast that is 'It's My Life' is still fun. A new track sounds great and bodes well for any future release because it sounds like it easily could have been on 'Set It Off'. The breakdown at the end of 'New York City' is utterly crushing. They blast through the start of 'Get Out' twice because Freddy thinks people aren't singing along loudly enough. I sing along even harder the second time around because even though Freddy seems quite affable tonight, I wouldn't really want to upset him. 'Across Your Face' is pretty furious whilst the dance section is as crucial as ever. 'Doc Marten Stomp' is anthemic as hell and shows a heavy Agnostic Front influence (hardly surprising). 'Down By Law' is the signal for a steady stream of stagedivers to take to the stage and is as classic as ever. Madball are great but to be honest, I'm not very objective when it comes to the band or 'Set It Off'.

Madball ****

Going Off ****

Chain Of Survival ***

Lethal Minds ***

Cold Gawd, Soft Blue Shimmer & Pink Cloud - YES Basement, Manchester (2/2/25)

My first impression of Pink Cloud is that he is a rapper but as he takes  to the stage I'm not so sure. He shouts rather than raps over a jangly shoegaze backing track. His shouty vocal style is similar to Sleaford Mods or Soft Play but lacks any kind of flow. The vocals start to grate very quickly. Music-wise I find myself tapping my foot (or more accurately, flexing my knees) but the vocals just destroy everything. I'll be surprised if I watch a worse act this year.

Soft Blue Shimmer play upbeat, jangly shoegaze/indie rock. The vocals are so delicate they're barely there, but they are dreamy. They sound like Juliana Hatfield mixed with Mazzy Star but fronted by Curve's Toni Halliday. On the occasions when the guitarist sings and the band rock out, they sound like Sonic Youth. One song has americana guitar lines weaved through it. The closing track has a driving dynamism reminiscent of Swervedriver musically. Good stuff.

Cold Gawd open their set with just the guitarist singing along to an electro soul backing track before the rest of the band join him for a powerful, almost hardcore take on shoegaze. When the bassist sings, it takes a screamo turn, although this isn't surprising considering he is wearing a Dystopia t-shirt and has a Minor Threat patch on his jeans. The guitarist's vocals could be much louder as they seem too delicate to get through the noise the band makes. They are much heavier and noisier than I expected, and there is a real Fugazi feel to them. They are definitely at the heavier end of shoegaze. Their combination of power and melody also reminds me of Teenage Wrist. One track has a super heavy, doomy feel. There isn't a great deal of variety as many of the tracks follow a similar pattern but they make up for that in power and energy, with all the band attacking their instruments in a pretty aggressive fashion. The penultimate track is really grungy and is excellent. Less subtle than I was expecting but certainly more powerful.

Cold Gawd ****

Soft Blue Shimmer ****

Pink Cloud *

Reaper All Dayer - Rebellion (1/2/25)

Today is an event hosted by Reaper Agency, showcasing some of the best black metal which the UK has to offer.

I miss the opening band, Blasfeme, but arrive during Aklash's set. Aklash look like an '80s metal band (think late '80s Sabbath) and their black metal has melodic, catchy trad metal influences but they also use violin and woodwind for atmospheric folk laden intros, outros and mid-sections. It all works though. It doesn't feel like they are throwing whatever they can into the mix and hoping that some of it sticks, it's quite nuanced. The intros and outros are mournful and lend a My Dying Bride atmosphere to the proceedings. The blasting is in brief stints and is quite measured. One track has a Maiden meets classic thrash vibe and is super. The vocals are high pitched and harsh with some nice cleaner parts. An excellent start to my day.

Cistvaen play progressive, atmospheric black metal. The guitars don't seem loud enough but it does mean you can hear the bass perfectly well, and the bassist plays some impressive Steve Di Giorgio style basslines which add an extra level of technicality. The singer, with his shades, beanie and leather jacket, looks like he could be the frontman of a '90s Floridian death metal band. He also has a good range, covering deathly growls to high pitched, blackened screams, The band only play three songs but although they are quite lengthy, none outstay their welcome, There are some nice melodies which are provided by the guitars. Some parts have an epic Paradise Lost feel although, generally, this is in Saor territory. Quite hypnotic.

The sound is pretty muddy for Master's Call meaning that their trad/speed metal influenced black metal doesn't have the same impact as on record. Their singer has a real presence though. 'All Hope Is Fire' is thunderous yet isn't as sharp or incisive as it could be. The quality of their songcraft still shines through, it's just less than it should be. The blackened thrash of 'Damnation's Black Winds' falls flatter than it should. They have a tremendous amount of power, it just feels directionless today. The driving 'Blood On The Altar' is pretty good and some of the guitar work reminds me of '80s Queensryche. The sound improves for the last couple of numbers and the thrashy closing number, 'The Spire Cranes' is great. The amount of 'coulds' and 'shoulds' which fill my notebook tell their own tale of disappointment though.

The sound is a bit thin for Necro Ritual, particularly when they're playing fast in the second wave of Norwegian black metal influenced parts. When they play slower, it's more hypnotic. The singer sounds great and has charisma and a malevolent presence about him and this manages to tie it all together... just. However, my back has been playing up for most of the day and is spasming quite badly. This affects my enjoyment of the bands and I make the decision to take a break and get something to eat and drink, sit down and take some painkillers and see if that helps me get through the rest of the day.

I only manage to catch the last fifteen minutes of Blood Countess. They play fast, punchy, in your face, old school black metal. They have a much more direct approach than any of the other bands and it is a refreshing contrast. They have solid Cradle Of Filth vibes and although I'm not the biggest fan of that band, I am impressed.

You can probably tell from the name but Abyssal play that kind of discordant, abyssal death metal which Portal specialise in. Again, the sound is muddy but that shouldn't matter as much for this style as everything is meant to swirl around soundwise but there is hardly any definition to anything.  The speakers sound like they are struggling to cope too. It's heavy, smothering and almost overwhelming but I'd just like a little more clarity in the sound.

Nemerous play progressive black metal which sounds like Saor in the slower parts and Wolves In The Throne Room in the faster, blasting parts. The musicianship is strong, particularly the drummer who is a driving presence behind the kit. It feels like there is a Deafheaven influence lurking somewhere in there too. Maybe it's the singer as his screams have a similar tone and he also gives off hardcore kid turned black metaller vibes, especially when he's lurching over the crowd screaming with bug eyed intensity. Some of the tracks are quite epic as you'd expect with this style.

Barshasketh are utterly punishing. They're fast as hell with a tar thick sound. The blasting feels relentless but even when they go into slower passages, which they frequently do, it's no real let up as it's still heavy and you know that they are just building up to the next jump to lightspeed. The drumming is absolutely amazing and drives everything along at pace. The mic fails for one of the slower tracks which they end up playing almost instrumentally (the singer is still screaming but you can't hear him at all) and it sounds much more hypnotic. When the vocals are restored, it is back to being punished again. The overall effect is quite exhilarating.

Barshasketh ****

Nemorous ****

Abyssal ***

Blood Countess ****

Necro Ritual **

Master's Call ***

Cistvaen ****

Aklash ****

Gurriers, Skinner & Ain't - YES Pink Room, Manchester (25/1/25)

Ain't are grungy rock in the vein of a female fronted Superchunk. It's nothing I've not seen before but it's decent enough, and it's a style I always liked anyway.

Skinner open with a quick burst on the bongos before they launch into some uptempo funk. They still have an indie sensibility which is mainly provided by the singer. They remind me of the '80s soul rebel scene mixed with noughties indie rock. They have a good level of energy and this really elevates them. There are plenty of noisy moments too, and they switch back and forth between noisy indie and funk. One track sounds like a less garage punk version of 'Mescaline' by The Sultans Of Ping. In fact, there are some similarities between them and The Sultans, only Skinner are a more current, updated version. The penultimate track is a punk rock thrashabout and the bongos even make an appearance here, which is great because there is a frisson of excitement whenever they play them. Eclectic for sure but very good.

Frankie Valli's 'Can't Take My Eyes Off You' gets everyone in a party mood before Gurriers start. 'Nausea' is a fucking perfect opener. Those air raid siren guitars just create tension and excitement and act as a call to arms for the chaos which will follow. The crowd are fully invested right from the start, and the band never let go of them. 'Close Call' is just as feverish. The downtuned bass groove of 'Des Goblin' is just made to make people move, and the Sabbathian mid-section is stellar. 'Dipping Out' is both thrilling and fierce. Everything they play tonight is incendiary, including 'No More Photos'. 'Prayers' slows the pace down but is no less intense. 'Sign Of The Times' funky post-punk bassline is another floor filler. Things really reach fever pitch with a furious 'Approachable'. An intense 'Come And See' closes the show. This is  the third time I've seen Gurriers in five months, and they never fail to blow the roof off.

Gurriers *****

Skinner ****

Ain't ***

O., The Cardinals & The Orchestra (For Now)

The Orchestra (For Now) aren't quite an orchestra but there are quite a few of them onstage anyway. I'd probably describe them as arty and maudlin, like Pulp's more challenging moments mixed with Nick Cave (quite a few moments remind me of 'The Mercy Seat'). Maybe imagine World/Inferno Friendship Society with less of the goth punk. The vocals switch between spoken and anguished. The songs build in a post rock manner whilst the strings add a prog folk element too. There seems to be so much crammed into each song, like mini symphonies. Really, really interesting.

The Cardinals are pretty standard indie rock. However, the addition of accordion gives them a slight sea shanty vibe and is by far the most interesting thing about them. It still comes across as too formulaic, and not even this unusual element saves them as everything seems slow and boring. The final track has a decent groove which ebbs and flows, and is probably as engaging as they get.

O.'s Joe Henwood starts their set by laying down some dirty grooves on his bass saxophone whilst Tash Keary comes up with some solid beats. The second track has a '90s gangsta rap vibe and the sound just resonates throughout my body. The third track, a new one, is dancefloor heavy and is amazing. Another new track sounds like an underwater rave. The new material lies somewhere between jazz and hard dance music. Tash's drumming is amazing. It's the first time I've been close enough to watch her properly and she is much more technical than I expected but her playing feels very instinctive too. One of the effects Joe uses on his sax makes it sound like an Eastern European stringed instrument. A squealing saxophone skronk is turned into a hardcore punk number whilst the next minute the sax sounds like a flute on the breakbeat infused new track 'Jigglypuff' (I think I heard that correctly but I could just be obsessed by Pokemon). Everything sounds so fresh and inventive. 'Slice' is insanely good whilst the final track is a terrific alien dub. Absolutely fantastic.

O. *****

The Cardinals **

The Orchestra (For Now) ****

Magnum - Academy, Manchester (22/1/25)

Magnum were never my band. I got into metal in 1989 but 1990 was when I got serious about it, buying records which I'd seen on the TV show The Power Hour and religiously buying Kerrang! magazine. I'd probably missed Magnum's peak by this point and they seemed a bit safe compared to the hot new bands I was discovering such as Skid Row, Faith No More and Love/Hate. It probably didn't help that the album which they released at this time was the disappointing 'Goodnight L.A.' which saw them chasing more commercial success. It was much later when I actually gave them a proper listen and realised that albums such as 'On A Storyteller's Night' and 'Vigilante' were really good. Better late than never, eh?

Tonight is part of a short run of shows playing tribute to the band's guitarist, Tony Clarkin, who sadly passed  away last year and it promises to be emotional.

Magnum fans are a different breed. A bunch of diehards who have have never deserted the band, even through the lean times, and they have seen the band many, many times. Before the band come onstage, I hear mutterings all around me; 'playing Magnum before they come onstage is sacrilege', 'I don't think I'll be able to look at the guitarist' and 'the thought of the gig today made me feel sick'. This is a band with a deep connection to their fans and vice versa.

Magnum open with 'How Far Jerusalem', a firm fan favourite but a fairly progressive opener. The more symphonic 'Lost On The Road To Eternity' follows. 'Wild Swan' is a good mix of classic rock, melodic rock and AOR. Bob Catley's vocals are decent and bassist Dennis Ward's backing vocals are great, adding to melodic choruses such as 'When We Were Younger'. The band are tight but it doesn't quite seem to ignite at this point. It just isn't connecting with me. I'm clearly in the minority though as the crowd are loving it. 'Tall Ships' adds a country edge to their polished AOR. 'The Flood's more measured pace and incisive guitars really make it stand out, and this proves to be the turning point for me. 'Les Morts Dansant' is quite moving, and the band seem to have moved up a couple of gears. The dark (well, as dark as they get anyway) and progressive 'Don't Wake The Lion' closes the first set in an excellent fashion. This is a song which confounds the old fashioned image I had of the band as this must have been fairly cutting edge in the eighties, and you can't tell me that it isn't comparable to early '90s Queensryche who were seen as fairly cool in metal terms (at least until grunge).

The second set is packed with the 'hits'. The classic pomp of 'Like An Arrow' is fantastic. The poignant  and still prescient 'Need A Lot Of Love' is great. 'On A Storyteller's Night' is utterly triumphant. The progressive AOR of 'All England's Eyes' is played with a thrilling urgency. 'Vigilante's chorus is still pure gold and the crowd sing along heartily. The more classic metal rooted 'Kingdom Of Madness' closes the second set in an energetic fashion. The crowd are pretty rowdy before the encore. They LOVE this band and people seem to have travelled from far and wide for this show (I did see a Swiss flag flying at some point). It is only right to point out longtime guitar tech Brendon Riley's contribution as he does a great job filling in for Tony. A heartbreaking yet hopeful 'When The World Comes Down' proves a fitting tribute to a great talent.

Magnum ****