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As lightning lit up the sky over the iconic Digbeth area of Birmingham, five bands descended upon the Subside bar, intent on rivalling the roar of the thunder with their own might, led by UK based pop-punk four-piece DOWNCAST on their UK summer tour. This free gig was a must-see endeavour for pop-punk enthusiasts, which is why it was a shame to see the floor of the dim, warmly lit pub somewhat quiet for the first act, alt artist LENNOX, who were certainly a promising sound to

It’s been almost a decade since Californian four-piece AFI has graced the UK with their presence, and sixteen years since they last embarked on a headline tour here. In that time they have released four new albums – including 2025’s synthwave and post-punk tinged Silver Bleeds the Black Sun... – signed two separate record deals and constantly evolved their sound. Now, fans pack into Birmingham’s O2 Institute to see how those sixteen years have worn on them. But first, the sta

Walking into HECK’s last ever (but one) show at Signature Brew Haggerston, the room is packed and full of energy from doors - friendly and familiar faces in all corners. There’s a feeling of enthusiastic anticipation - it’s clear from the vibe that it’s not this crowd's first rodeo with HECK and they know exactly what they have got themselves in for. The gig kicked off with RUENA who, fresh off of her first tour where she cycled cross country from gig to gig, you’d think she

“200 STAB WOUNDS?” A passerby smiles tentatively at the name as excited fans gathered to see the death metal legends, the band gaining such acclaim they've been upgraded to the upper floor of The Dome, London, all the better for people to lose their shit on a night guaranteed to give us whiplash. MUTAGENIC HOST didn't ease us in, they grabbed us by the throat and hauled us around, Swarm thundering out across an already full room. By Genestealer, there's a sizeable pit collidi

Fresh off their appearance at Bloodstock Festival, CASTLE RAT swapped gigantic stages for the smaller, sold out 1865. From the moment the doors opened the anticipation seemed to be building with an almost full crowd from the get-go ready for a theatrical night of music ahead of them. Opening the show were Birmingham based Meatdripper. Bringing the perfect fusion of sludge and doom rock, this band seemed other-worldly and truly set the scene for the night ahead. Han Al-Shemerr

In the centre of London, up a staircase below a neon sign blazing the venue’s name into the sky, is Scala - and for one night only, in the height of summer, it became the home of the most uplifting prog band in music, PROTEST THE HERO. With two bands opening for them, there were mere hours between arriving and the time to finally witness their glorious live show - but first, the supports. OBEYER took to the stage first - with a sound that landed somewhere in the djent/deathco

After a monumental main stage show at Bloodstock Festival, BATTLESNAKE journeyed back to London the next day for a show that pulled from all elements of rock in its lineup to make one epic show you don’t often get Downstairs At The Dome; here’s how that sweaty gig went down. Opening up the night saw Sydney natives LIQUID ZOO set the bar for the energy on the stage. Their high-voltage Garage Rock was really astonishing, though taking from many other genres, they had a really

There is something immediately different about a gig when the support bands are already playing as the doors open. At Manchester Club Academy, the room may have been relatively empty at the start of the evening, but the energy certainly was not. The fans who had made it in early were clearly the die-hards, and every band that followed managed to build on that atmosphere. CUT THROAT were already on stage when the evening got underway, bringing a theatrical and entertaining per