LIVE FROM THE PIT: Freakshow Manchester - Skits, Sonum, Under The Influence, and Rat Bird
- James Smith
- May 31
- 4 min read
An unrelenting Thursday night in Manchester at Star and Garter was taken over by FREAKSHOW Mcr: an underground event run proudly “for freaks, by freaks.” All proceeds went to the Music Venue Trust, a charity that has worked with such bands as IDLES, Enter Shikari and even Nova Twins has been influential in keeping grassroots venues alive and kicking across the UK. However, this specific night provided a stacked lineup of alternative, emo and grungy up-and-comers who each delivered a compelling case for being the future of the scene.
The night’s headliners SKITZ may have closed the night, but their presence could be felt from the start. Hailing from Nottingham, the four-piece are rapidly earning notoriety for their genre defying sound. A raw, low-end heavy punk rock band and no guitar in sight, these bass brutalists like to carve out a sound that is both guttural and screeching. SKITZ have fully weaponised sonic duality to craft sets that are equal parts assault and art. Their recent single ‘Damage is Done’ conveys that their music remains a seething outlet for anger. Whether political, social or personal, their live shows are where that fury really turns not only visible, but visceral.
Before SKITZ took the reins, FREAKSHOW warmed the crowd up with a brutal build-up of bands, each worthy of headlining in their own right.
First to the stage were Rat Bird, an emo four-piece who don’t take themselves too seriously, at least not until the music kicks in. They entered with the unlikely pulse of ‘Boogie Wonderland’, an almost tongue-in-cheek introduction to the auditorial chaos that followed. Puchy percussion contrasted by jagged and violent riffs pushed walls of distortion throughout the venue like a shockwave. Their lyricism? Bleak and bloodletting whilst still radiating pure kinetic soul cleansing energy. By the second track, they had successfully lured the audience closer and closer to the stage. Boots stopping in time, heads swinging violently, and by the time they had closed with a final, fully winded scream, one that would make even Frank Carter wince, the room was completely theirs.

Sonum followed, a Cheshire based grunge trio who formed the band right before the pandemic, but sound like they’ve been grinding it out since the 90s. Their opener ‘Lockdown’ snapped the venue right back to attention with a simple “Hello” before unleashing a true avalanche of noise. The set ran hot and tight where oscillating octaves, blown out solos and breakdowns which twisted like storm drains. Tracks like ‘Home’ and ‘White Lies’ hit the hardest with choruses that dug their nails in and refused to let up for anyone. Their finale, ‘Heroin’, sent the entire room into a frenzy. Blast beats, warped guitar licks and breathless screams all collided and formed a delicious kind of chaos. Sonum don’t just play loud, they sound as if they’re tearing the songs right out of their instruments for unforgettable face-melting perfection. For a three-piece, they command an absurd amount of unmatched energy.

Next came Under The Influence, straight out of Wakefield, they are the answer to true alt-emo. Introducing themselves with a dry “Please come in, we have stuff to tell you,” then exploding into a set of soul-tearing drums, gut-punching vocals and guitars that came to light as outright sonic warfare. Their sound inspiration could only be described as if the bands Pizzatramp and Nosebleed had a child for the sole purpose of carrying on their legacy. At one point, the band even had the crowd sit on the floor, a sudden switch to intimacy that only made the following eruption more jarring. ‘Sesh-head’ was their set closing track that began with a snappy “FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE” and a pit-launching scream that had bodies jumping up off the ground, only to reach the ceiling with the band’s supplied raw energy. It was a full set of drama, pace and undoubtable soul snatching personality that makes you search them up before you’ve even left the venue.

Even by the time SKITZ took the stage, the crowd had already been soaked in sweat and sound. Without a guitar in sight, their twin bass setup was awesomely built up and filled every frequency range. One full of gain and danger, the other, subterranean and booming for the unique, thunderous soundscape that they’re known for. Their genre-defiant hardcore punk carved a new blueprint for what should be expected at these events, and having just released their new single, ‘Damage is Done’ they had no choice but to bring the same level of power that their fans have come to expect from them. Nearing the end of their set, the former wizards had one of their basses’ G string snap, which suites the chaos but this seriously couldn’t stop the goliaths of hardcore as they tore through the finish line with their pure dark punk devotion.

SKITZ closed the night with a high-octane crescendo that left a room of wreckage, wide eyes and, of course, ringing ears. This gig manifested itself as a call to arms for alt-heads and hardcore freaks alike, supplying original and electrifying sounds that fans of the genre described as “The booming underground.”
Words: James Smith
Phots: Samira Dominika Tafija
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