High Vis & Narrow Head - New Century Hall, Manchester (15/2/25)

This is undoubtedly the biggest show I've seen High Vis play to date and pleasingly, it is pretty busy. The momentum which they have built up over the last couple of years doesn't seem to be slowing down.

Narrow Head play post-hardcore in the vein of Rival Schools or Quicksand. There's some decent riffs, a nice crunch to the sound and some cool, swirling guitars but then again, it's nothing I've not heard before and it washes over me a little. The vocals are probably typically emo like, say The Hotelier. One track has a heavy grunge feel, like a screamy Alice In Chains. They veer from being boring to being mildly engaging but most of the time they're somewhere in between.

High Vis open with 'Talk For Hours' and it's solid gold chorus. Graham seems up for it right from the get go, pouring himself into the entire performance. He is the quintessential hardcore frontman and his energy is transmitted to the rest of the band and also to the audience. The punchy hardcore of 'Altitude' raises the energy level further. 'Walking Wires' has some lovely jangling Madchester guitars mixed with a post-punk/post-hardcore pulse and bolstered by Graham's impassioned hardcore delivery. New track 'Drop Me Out' keeps up the hardcore intensity. I was worried about how their live show would translate in a much bigger venue but I needn't have worried because it still feels like they are playing venues like Rebellion or Outpost. 'Guided Tour' has some nice Happy Mondays/New FADS/Northside  jangle. '0151' causes quite a pit. Graham says that he would have killed himself years ago if it wasn't for the band and the catharsis he gets from these songs, before unleashing some savage vocals for 'Out Cold'. 'Forgot To Grow' pilfers 'Morning Glory's guitar line and makes it fucking thrilling. The John Squire-esque wigout in the middle of 'Fever Dream' is cool too. The dance flavoured 'Mind's A Lie' adds an extra dimension. 'Trauma Bonds' is one huge, emotional outpouring, not just for Graham but for everyone, especially those who have lost someone. The ever dynamic 'Choose To Lose' is an incendiary way to close out the show. I love High Vis. I've seen them many times but I'd probably say that this is the best time that I've seen them.

High Vis *****