Cardiff got another dose of chaos and colour when Mother Vulture headlined Clwb Ifor Bach, supported by two local bands who each brought their own character to the night. The room was roughly half full, maybe a little more once people settled in, but it didn’t take long for the atmosphere to warm up. Rainyday Rainbow opened the evening with a bright, psychedelic-leaning set that instantly added colour to the room. Their sound shifts between dreamy grooves and more upbeat, playful moments, and their laid-back stage presence made it easy for the crowd to settle into the night. One of the standout surprises came near the end of their set, when they brought out what looked like a hardpoint saw and played it as an instrument. The metallic tone it produced cut through the mix in a really unexpected way, giving the song a strange, almost otherworldly edge. It caught the room off guard in the best way and left people smiling. Second on were Revenant, who steered things into heavier territory. Their set leaned into thick riffs, gritty vocals and a strong alt-rock/grunge backbone. They had a noticeable pocket of fans in the room who reacted straight away, and that energy quickly spread across the floor. Revenant play with a confidence that feels grounded and unpretentious - no theatrics, just solid musicianship and a clear sense of identity. They were the perfect bridge between the warm haze of Rainyday Rainbow and the full-tilt chaos waiting to take over. By the time Mother Vulture hit the stage, the mood in the room had shifted - people were ready for something a bit unhinged, and the band didn’t make them wait. Their frontman barely stayed still, pacing and prowling across the stage, leaning out toward the crowd and throwing himself into every moment. He didn’t need any big dramatic gestures; the constant, twitchy energy alone was enough to keep the whole room hooked. With no barrier at Clwb, everything felt more immediate. He spent a lot of time at the very edge of the stage, locking eyes, shouting lines directly toward the front row and dissolving the space between performer and audience. It felt raw, direct and unmistakably like a Mother Vulture show. The rest of the band matched that intensity. Guitars swung low, bodies moved with force, and the drummer hammered through the set with a precision that held the chaos together. Musically it was sharp, loud and relentless. Even people who looked unfamiliar with the band at first were fully drawn in by the middle of the set - heads nodding, bodies moving, and that shared grin you see when a crowd realises they’re witnessing something fun and slightly unhinged. What made the night stand out was how human it felt. No massive crowd, no pressure, no sense of pretense - just three bands giving everything they had because they clearly wanted to be there. Smaller shows like this have their own charm: you can see expressions, hear people react between songs, feel the room shift when a big moment lands. This one had all of that. By the end of the night, people walked out buzzing - some laughing about the saw moment, others still processing the finale, and a few wearing the classic “I didn’t expect that, but I loved it” look. Words and Photos: Klaudia Skalska

Camden’s Electric Ballroom has been the location for many an amazing show - acts across the entire range of musical sound have played there, with pop and punk and heavy metal and hip hop and more all having been represented within its storied walls. Amongst those genres is post-hardcore, and the Michigan band LA DISPUTE are surely one of the most consistent and well-loved bands within the genre. All the way from their debut full-length in 2006, to the release of what’s become arguably their biggest song Such Small Hands on their 2018 effort, and through to the release of last year’s fantastic No One Was Driving The Car, they’ve been at the forefront of the modern post-hardcore sound - mixing it with screamo, punk, and emo across their discography in myriad ways. With all their history, it only made sense for them to be playing an equally historic venue - and so with two brilliant bands joining them on tour in VS SELF and PIJN, the stage was set for a phenomenal night. The first of the three acts to play was PIJN, one of the UK’s best underground bands on the circuit. Playing a gorgeous brand of majority instrumental post-rock, the five-piece positively glowed under their warm orange lighting. Playing all four tracks off of their astounding release From Low Beams Of Hope, the music flowed wonderfully across the entranced audience for the entire duration of their beautiful set. On The Far Side Of Morning was particularly gorgeous, and they finished to a tremendous round of applause that was more than deserved. After the relative tranquillity of PIJN’s set, VS SELF’s style of emo was an injection of energy into the Electric Ballroom dancefloor. With hints of Midwest emo and new-school screamo in their sound, the warm guitar tones and searing vocals were a real treat. With the majority of their setlist coming from their 2020 album Everything Seems Better Now, even their arrival onstage demanded cheers and applause, let alone when they started playing tracks like Mourn or Leave Everything. They were an excellent choice to open for our headliners, bridging the gap from the peaceful openers to the frantic finale with aplomb. As suggested, LA DISPUTE caused uproar for most of their time onstage. With seven songs of their sixteen song set coming from new album No One Was Driving The Car, it was a showcase of the best of their new material mixed in with a horde of hits from across the past twenty years. There were a number of crowd favourites to be found within this new material, such as I Shaved My Head, which went down a treat, and the star of the new album Autofiction Detail - a piece that follows the story of the album with the focus on a man walking through a city filled with neglect and sadness, hoping for a revelation, but never finding one. The spoken word outro was as emotive a live moment as we’ve ever witnessed, with the whole room eerily silent except for the repeating, rhythmic poem that finishes the song. With the crowd loving every second of the show, the one-two punch finish of Andria into Environmental Catastrophe Film was a breathtaking finish that captured gallons of raw emotion and let it fly in one great release. Marking a phenomenal new album from the headliners, the tour package showcased three astounding performances that all had something different about them, and yet were all connected by a thread of deep emotion. An affecting and profoundly emotive night, there’s no doubt it will be remembered for a very long time. Words: Jasmine Longhurst Photos: Jac Thomas

No one knows anarchy like punk-rock Texans DIE SPITZ. As vocalist/guitarist Ellie Livingston struts the stage in her scarlet cowboy boots, she roots the all-consuming doom-laden riffs that lash the crowd with fast, uncontrollable energy. With their latest album, Something To Consume, the band chose carnage over composure, opting for sieging a supermarket in the music video for Throw Yourself To The Sword. Whilst there are no weapons present within the cavernous depths of Manchester’s Gorilla, the energy is red-hot, and the ordinary becomes infatuated with the need to revolt. We push the pit wider with supports AERIAL SALAD. In their hometown, the crowd for Manchester Brit-pop revivalists AERIAL SALAD watches on with much enthusiasm for their supersonic sound. As the three-piece charm with their brutish punk, with that sublime modern edge we saw within MILITARIE GUN and HIGH VIS, they go down well with the nostalgic older crowd. Much like their nineties ruckus, they are the perpetrators of a small but violent push pit, swinging their teenage compadres with a wicked grip. With limbs strewn all over the stage (in a boogie way, and not a horror film way), the band took down the patriarchy and any oppressive authority that stood in their way with gigantic vocals and woozy trilling riffs. Self-described as “audible counter culture”, there was a deep understanding in AERIAL SALAD’s lyrics, evergreen in their OASIS-style sensibilities. With DIE SPITZ, they feel like an odd couple, but they feel they understand each other as two bands that feel not within their own time. In some ways, this is what makes DIE SPITZ so alluring; as they grace the stage, they make the crowded room completely silent. When they begin to play, they seem to have mastered the art of making their riffs sound excruciatingly primal, the same rip-roaring organic feeling that BLACK SABBATH did with the creation of Master Of Reality. Whilst comparisons can be drawn - as easily as four young, talented people from Austin, Texas can be - the deafening hype around the band is clearly demonstrated in their technical capability on stage. Admittedly timid in the first few songs around the devastating Manchester crowd, they grow to become firmly acquainted in the no-barrier venue. It’s a strange crowd, split down the middle almost generationally. There are just as many young faces as the greebo oldies, who make themselves known in the middle of the mosh. Moreso when the many female and queer-presenting people are pulled to the front of the audience when the band plays Riding With My Girls. Without understanding its complex and storied history, it’s refreshing to see that proggy doom metal sound become cool and approachable, especially to a young TURNSTILE t-shirted crowd. In the context of the Baltimore-based band, it feels like Will Yip’s doing, as he had a hand in producing both Something To Consume and Never Enough, released in a matter of months of each other. This only makes the crowd wilder and more unruly, throwing themselves over to the stage in an act of survival. Both the tour manager and the security were working overtime to get everyone on their feet safely. It’s DIE SPITZ that maestros this carnage, launching themselves with instruments in hand just as much as the audience. The riffs, whilst swelteringly simplistic, are sludgy and raw, filling the air with unpredictability. The band members saute around instruments, giving their moments to connect with their crowd. With liquid courage, they break their nerves with a true display of that rockstar mentality. Broken up by their more melancholy work, they demand much-needed breathing room in between the ferocity. In comparison to their livelier sound, it feels like night and day. Grungy serenades feel entirely alien in their set. It’s hard to tell if this was entirely cohesive or needed more material that matched their latest album's energy. This is not to say it wasn’t welcomed, there’s voodoo in the murky vocals that swirls around those low-strung notes. It’s dazzling to watch as the members swap their instruments to make something frantically different. DIE SPITZ, taken from German as “the pointed” or “the sharp”, is on the rise. Spearheading this mesmerising new side to modern punk, they feel like the figureheads of a new revolution. At Donington, later this summer, they’ll certainly find the right crowd. Join them. Words: Amber Brooks Photos: Ace Cheng

Welcome to the frantic shapeshifting science fiction-inspired world of BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME with their latest offering The Blue Nothing. Pioneers of the progressive metal scene BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have been touring the UK and Europe bringing the very best of prog metal with them. The North Carolina natives brought the best of their latest LP ‘The Blue Nothing’ and plenty of classics from the band’s tenure with them across the pond to much avail. Opening up the UK leg of the tour was Berkshire’s very finest in progressive post-hardcore YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY who are playing shows on the back of their 2025 release, Don’t Leave Me Here, Pt. 1. Starting the show, the band brought unrelenting energy from the very first minute. Vocalist Jack Jennings erupted onto the stage, ready to tear up the room. When it comes to YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY every single note feels intricately placed to create a perfect storm of progressive post-hardcore intensity, as both guitarists played crushing riffs with perfect harmony. Just when the perfect moment hits, the ethereal clean vocal segments of their tracks will roar into brutal screams that shake through your whole body. Some bands need to be seen live to fully appreciate the nuance of their sound and YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY are a perfect example of an opening act with a bright future ahead. As they finished their set, the crowd were eager for more. Following on from that was the self-proclaimed “Purveyors of The Big Sad”, IHLO. The British band have been making waves with their 2025 album Legacy and brought the best of it on this tour from the moment they opened their set with the massive sound of Haar. Vocalist and keyboardist Andy Robison was at his very best despite saying he was suffering from a major headache. Illness was not going to stop him delivering a fantastic performance. ‘Wraith’ gave guitarists Rob Mair and Phil Monro a chance to shine with the colossal solos. Playing ‘Cenotaph’ allowed to band to give the crowd a taste of their heavier riffs, getting the headbangers out in full force from the front to the back, both upstairs and downstairs. IHLO really took their time to craft a masterpiece with their newest album Legacy, having released it six years after their debut LP Union. The wait was worth it. Fans of the first album got to enjoy the set closing on the title track which was a perfect way to bring the mood up in anticipation for the headline of the night. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME are huge, but underrated name in the prog metal scene for many years. This tour sees them going from strength to strength. Beginning their set with the monumental Absent Thereafter from the new album The Blue Nothing sent the crowd flying from the very start. The crunching riffs of guitarists Paul Waggoner and Tristan Auman blending perfectly with the intense screams of vocalist Tommy Giles Rogers. The blues rock inspired segment in the middle of the track showed the incredible talent of both guitarists with their solo sections lead back into the heaviness by bassist Dan Briggs with a very funky lick. This 10 minute track was a perfect way to bring the good vibes to start the headlining set. The band then played the over 20 year old track Selkies: The Endless Obsession which went down well with their long time fans. The heavier sound of the older track compared to the more funk inspired elements of new album gave way for a seismic mosh pit to open up that wouldn’t stop until the night was over. The track Sun Of Nothing had the crowd singing the words back at Rogers, which left him with a beaming smile. Finishing up the main part of the set with the title track from the new album,The Blue Nothing, felt like a beautiful emotional triumph for the band, knowing their hard work on the album had paid off. After a brief moment off stage the band came back for a huge encore starting with the 15 minute long Silent Flight Parliament from The Parallax II: Future Sequence that fans were hoping would keep going longer despite the already long runtime of the track. Finishing off the night with the following and closing track from the same album Goodbye To Everything Reprise gave the band a moment to take in the moment of fans showing their gratitude for the music. Over a quarter of a century on from the formation of the band BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME have made themselves a staple of progressive metal and are showing no signs of slowing down. The UK leg of the tour was a huge success and the European leg with MONOSPHERE is shaping up to be just a monumental. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME live shows are more than just a gig, it’s a spiritual journey through the magnificent world that they have created. Words: Alex Long Photos: Alice Kenwright

Formed in Florida in 2017, POOL KIDS’ signature sound of catchy, math rock along with their fantastic lyricism have propelled the band into the spotlight. After releasing their debut record Music To Practice Safe Sex To, receiving a cosign from Hayley Williams of PARAMORE, and releasing their second self-titled LP with a smattering of tours worldwide to follow. The band graced our shores again on the heels of their third album Easier Said Than Done, this time bringing the fantastic SYDNEY SPRAGUE with them. As the room began to fill, and the merch desk developed a crowd before the supporting act, there was a semblance of excitement and jubilation making its rounds across the room. There were groups of friends, couples and a few people who had come solo, and began to discover what anyone who frequents emo shows already knows, it was one of the best places to make friends. The lights began to lower and SYDNEY SPRAGUE took to the stage with her familiar, energetic brand of alt-rock. The band behind her launched into the first single from Peak Experience. Fair Fields was a lovely, acoustic-backed indie triumph that immediately won the crowd over. SYDNEY then immediately jumped the band into As Scared As Can Be with a riff that rivaled some of DRUG CHURCH’s best, this was a very energetic rock song that gave the audience the first pits of the night, a small group of people were jumping and laughing so hard you could feel the first instances of the floor beginning to shake. Quitter is where SYDNEY’s talent really shined through, another acoustic foray, this time with swelling electric guitars, and vocals rich with reverb. The disco ball in The Deaf Institute felt particularly apt during this track, colouring the room with its intoxicating, reflective camouflage. Between bands the room again became abuzz with anticipation, SYDNEY had ended asking the crowd if they were ready for POOL KIDS and the answer was a resounding yes. Just like before the show the merch desk became crowded, the bleachers at the end of the room were full of elder emos resting their backs, the barrier was full of excited fans wanting to be close up to the action. Opening up with Arm’s Length the whole room exploded into a chorus of backing vocals, the floor was again shaking under the vibrance of the fans’ feet and the pit again moving with a ferocity unexpected for a math rock band. Arm’s Length is not only POOL KIDS’ best riff, it is also one of the best songs to come out of the genre in the past twenty years. Andy’s guitar playing was astounding, Caden’s drums were on point, and Christine and Nicolette were absolute commanding forces with the crowd utterly under POOL KIDS thumb. In between songs the audience was informed by the band that it was drummer Caden’s birthday, the tour manager in the meantime had procured a Domino’s pizza from next door, decorated with candles for Caden to make his wish, he blew out his candles with a huge sing-song from the crowd and an overwhelming cheer. Caden then returned to the night's previous diet of White Claw and milk. I Hope You’re Right was next, a more chilled out track, hitting themes of neglect in a relationship. This song had the most voices in the room, at times even drowning out the band, the lights again were keeping the room in a beautiful illuminating glow. That’s Physics, Baby and Leona Street came up next with more wonderful solidarity throughout the room, groups of brand new friends danced together, strangers threw each other around the pit and of course, people bounced and swayed in one spot, smiling and nursing their drinks. Towards the end of the set, guitarist Andy had a quick word about the state of the world right now, the apparent rise of fascism worldwide, the forces that want to keep us divided and hateful. This got a huge crowd reaction, as everyone in the room stood against the notion of hate dividing any of us. The band then spotlighted a member of the audience who had a written note, to the confusion of the crowd at first. The band then announced that the day after the show, an anti-fascism event with local bands and activists was set to take place at the venue. This act more than any other told everyone the exact type of people POOL KIDS are. A lot of acts spoke out against division and hatred, but very few did their best to further unity like POOL KIDS did, especially in a city they are not familiar with. As the night began to draw to a close the audience was given a choice between a song from their first record or their self-titled. The decision was unanimous for the S/T. Christine and Andy requested the lights stay on the disco ball for the final song to play the crowd out for the evening, the room again painted in reflective light, small bits of colour from the entire electromagnetic spectrum painted faces, floors and walls as the final pit got underway, this one much bigger than any previous. POOL KIDS are not only one of the best live acts around right now, but are also one of the greatest math rock/emo acts in the entire world. Their craft, their personalities and their unwillingness to yield to anything less than what they believe is right shone out throughout the night, and they are sure to be one of our favourite bands here at Rage. Words: Spencer Cunningham Photos: Lizzie Jones

Wednesday evenings are the best time to get down to Camden for a meaty line-up and a meatier moshpit, and who else should be commanding this celebration of alternative metal other than the almighty VEXED. Hailing from Hertfordshire, the three-piece, led by the front-woman Megan Targett, together with the guitarist Olly Hall, drummer Willem Mason-Geraghty, and live shows bassist Meyrick de La Fuentes, had already been on tours with bands such as IN DEPTHS and SILENT PLANET, and opened for the metal powerhouse SPIRITBOX on their two headline shows in London in 2022. Taking onto the iconic The Black Heart after six years of waiting once again - and this time successfully, VEXED brought INRETROSPECT and KILA KOSA with them to show London what a proper sold out show at a infamous grass roots venue looks like. Opening the night was one of the newest and definitely most exciting additions to the British metalcore scene, KILA KOSA. Although the venue was not filled when they began, the five-piece kept the energy levels high from the start and did not stop until the end of their - unfortunately short, set. Vocalist Anthony kept delivering brutal screams, as well as clears, supported by the guitarists, who were always up to move around the small stage as much as they could; even if it meant just frantically banging their heads. They played their recent releases Bodies and Pulse, as well as some new stuff, and although the crowd was still warming up, it was obvious the fans enjoyed their set and were ready for more - hopefully KILA KOSA will be back in the capital soon with their own headline show. As the room started getting fuller, INRETROSPECT were preparing for their main support slot. Bringing into the room their groovy blend of metalcore and djent, it was hard to not bop along the whole time, as the songs got stuck in the head very easily. Vocalist Nath often used his clear vocals but was not shy of using fry screams either, the guitarist, together with the bassist kept delivering intricately beautiful riff lines and the drummer was on top of the beats with his crisp drumming, creating a sound that can sometimes be described as a melodic blend of SLIPKNOT, LIMP BIZKIT and LINKIN PARK. Each one of the members delivered a highly engaging performance that resonated throughout the venue, and to no surprise the band received some very nasty moshpits as a thank you from the fans. Both the Northern INRETROSPECT and the Southern KILA KOSA fulfilled their mission to hype up The Black Heart and all that was left was finally the very anticipated headline show from VEXED. In preparations for their set, the band have put on the stage four rhythm lights, that were - to a big surprise of the fans, very bright, resulting into the floor moaning and laughing after each testing. At that point, it was only the light technician’s job to dim the main lights down for the whole floor to go into an absolute frenzy, as VEXED once and for all took over the stage. Meghan dived right into Anti-Fetish with her unforgiving vocals and at that moment everyone present knew the set was going to be one for the books. The sold-out venue kept bursting with energy, understanding and rage as the set progressed further. Bringing out songs like X my <3 (Hope to die), Narcissist and Detonate, the emotions were at stake and only brought further up with Meghan’s chaotic, yet very professional delivery. And the same can absolutely be said about all members of VEXED, as the guitar parts played by Olly were elevating the melody, especially paired up with the bass and drums. At one point of the evening, Meghan tried to get the whole venue down on the floor, yet the breakdown betrayed her doing by starting earlier than anticipated, resulting into few seconds of awkwardness around the room. Nonetheless, these are exactly the moments that can only occur in an intimate venue like The Black Heart. Closing the evening with an encore of the banger that is Hideous, the band showed London that they are more than ready to conquer bigger stages - and hopefully this time, it will take them less than six years, as London is in dire need of more VEXED action. Words and photos: Katerina Stepanikova

In February, TRASH BOAT returned to Bristol and turned a Thursday night into something heavier than routine. At Exchange — low ceilings, no barrier, nowhere to hide — the show felt less like a tour stop and more like a pressure test. Intimacy changes everything. It sharpens the edges. The evening opened in shadow with HAMARTIA. Their set did not explode; it simmered. Textured guitars hung thick in the room, drums landing with deliberate restraint. They played like a band aware of space — allowing tension to build rather than rushing to fill it. In a venue this size, the atmosphere is tangible. You could feel the shift track by track as the crowd leaned closer, conversations thinning out, attention tightening. It was not about spectacle. It was about tone. Then came HAPPYDAZE, and the temperature rose quickly. Where the opener held back, HAPPYDAZE pushed forward. Big hooks, open-chested choruses, a set built for movement. The first pit cracked open halfway through, hesitant at first, then committed. Their energy was kinetic without tipping into chaos — controlled but urgent. By their final song, the room had crossed the line from passive to fully involved. It felt earned. When TRASH BOAT stepped on stage, they wasted no time. No cinematic intro, no elongated build. Just impact. The opening run hit fast and physical, pulling from the sharper end of their catalogue. Older tracks cut through cleanly, igniting instant recognition. Shade felt less like a song and more like a collective reflex — the chorus returned at full volume, voices colliding with the stage monitors. Later, Strangers swelled into something almost choral, the kind of moment that reminds you why certain songs outgrow their recordings. But it was the newer material that added depth to the set. Over the years, TRASH BOAT have moved into darker, denser territory — sonically heavier, emotionally more direct. Live, that evolution carries weight. The guitars sit lower, the pacing more deliberate. Instead of constant acceleration, the band leaned into tension and release, allowing quieter passages to stretch just long enough before snapping back into motion. It created shape. It created contrast. Frontman Tobi Duncan commanded the room without theatrics. His vocal delivery balanced abrasion and control, particularly during the lower, more restrained sections where subtlety mattered. In a venue without a barrier, that proximity magnifies everything — every breath, every crack in tone. Rather than diminishing the performance, it made it feel exposed in the best way. Visually, the production remained stark. Minimal lighting, shadows doing most of the framing. No elaborate backdrops. The focus stayed where it belonged: on the exchange between stage and floor. Fans pressed forward, hands braced against the edge of the platform, occasionally catching a shared lyric at the microphone. There was sweat, there was compression, there was that familiar sense of bodies moving as one mass rather than individuals. What stood out most was pacing. The band resisted the temptation to push every moment to maximum volume. High-intensity tracks were offset by slower, heavier cuts that allowed the room to breathe — briefly — before surging again. It was a sign of a band comfortable in their trajectory, confident enough not to rely solely on speed. By the final stretch, Exchange felt transformed. The air thick, windows fogged, the floor subtly shifting under sustained movement. There was no exaggerated encore ritual. The band closed decisively, thanked the crowd, and stepped away without drama. Three bands. One room. No excess. In a city that does not hand out its approval lightly, the response was clear. This was not about scale. It was about compression — emotion pressed into a tight space until it had nowhere to go but outward. Words and photos: Mia Gailey

Everybody knows that pop-punk had its peak in the early 2000s. The 2010s carried it strong, but now we are in the 2020s - outside of the big-name nostalgic acts that have hung around from the beginning, the genre has steadily dwindled, becoming little more than a place for artists to dip their toes into for some experimentation. At least, that is what most would have you believe; CHERYM and UNINVITED are here to prove otherwise. Independently, for the last few years, they have been instrumental players in the pop-punk revival - and last year found them joining forces for double A-side project The After Party. That is not where the collaboration ends: to kick off March in style, the band embarked on a three-stop, double-headliner tour around the UK - and it was in Glasgow’s Stereo we witnessed the first night of this celebration. If you thought pop-punk was dead, that the party was over, you would be wrong - welcome to the After Party. Openers DAY DRUNK took the stage to a fashionably-late crowd, gig-goers still filtering in one by one, but their energy was strong enough to fill the room regardless. Leah Batty led the charge with raw, powerful vocals in God Knows I Tried, before segueing into a cover of FLEETWOOD MAC’s Dreams that reimagined the song with a grungier, punkish charm. Near the end of the set, she made a joke about the next song, telling us it was about a movie very detrimental to her mental health, and that if anyone guessed it, they would get a pint; the song was Wallflower, and it was fittingly emotional. It was time for their final song - but before that, they took the opportunity to plug an upcoming EP, featuring several unreleased songs they played that night. By this point, the room had filled up substantially, just in time for Cardigan, which had the crowd clapping their hands to the guitar rhythm and drumbeat. It was time for the first headliner to take the stage. The lights dimmed, crowd members’ heads swivelled towards the stage, eyes watching. From the speakers, lines from Mean Girls spilled, overlapping into an introductory audio montage; soon, we were not just meeting the Plastics, we were meeting CHERYM. They ripped right into their set with Listening To My Head and the crowd were captivated. Before long, vocalist/guitarist Hannah Richardson invited a guest to the stage - Jay Eliver from UNINVITED - for their joint song Sofa Bed. Hannah led with her intense stage presence, before handing the spotlight to Jay; the two blended their vocal harmonies, side by side onstage - there was not a single person not singing along. Sticks rattled, drums pounded; Alannagh Doherty shook the room with an intense, heart-thumping solo that granted them thunderous applause to rival the assault on her drumkit. “Are you ready to take up sports with us?” Hannah called, to subsequent cheers. As they sang through Taking Up Sports, a football chant of “ole, ole, ole!” echoed through the venue. The second cover of the night was Boss Bitch by DOJA CAT, but with the naturality of Alannagh’s heart-pounding drums and Hannah’s rapid-fire vocals, it might as well have been their own song. The singer made a short declaration about the next tune; “this song is for the sluts and the sinners and, in quotation marks, ‘all the baby killers’!” With a huge cheer for abortion rights, CHERYM led into Alpha Beta Sigma. Fists flew into the air, gig-goers chanted the lyrics, outright shouted them at points; the line between band and crowd was truly blurred. The band let that fire fizzle so they could introduce the next tune - a secret song, not on the setlist, dedicated to UNINVITED’s Jay; that song was Happy Birthday, and the whole audience joined in. Earlier this year, CHERYM announced their unfortunate breakup, that after several years as a band, they were going their separate ways - onstage, Hannah and Alannagh had some banter about beef being the breakup reason, that people could not believe they just live in different countries. As the vocalist prepped her instrument, the drummer made a playful jab, saying “at least now we know why we're breaking up - because Hannah can't tune her fucking guitar.” Before long, said guitar was ready, and they blasted into It’s Not Me It’s You, capping off their set. When UNINVITED took the stage, the first thing we noticed was Jay’s birthday boy badge, with a cartoon dog on it. That, coupled with their LIMP BIZKIT-style backwards cap and rainbow guitar strap, had the singer leaving an impression on us already, and that was before they said a single word. “This song goes out to all the femmes!” they shouted, and the band ripped into Portrait Of A Femme, a track adorned by Alex Young’s dirty riffage and Fiorenza Cocozza’s punchy drumbeat. The atmosphere was truly electric. Jay led a short sentimental speech about how they never thought they would be here and that there was so much love in the room tonight. “It will always get better, and I stand by that,” they said, segueing into Gonna Get Better. It was time for another speech. Jay made their political stances clear; “Music is political, we have to stand on this stage and use our platform.” They listed off causes. “Free Palestine, Free Congo, Free Sudan, Free Iran - we’re not free until we’re all free.” The crowd agreed immensely, with uproars of support. “Pop-punk is political protest,” the singer declared; from their call to action to the ‘Trans liberation now!’ sticker on their guitar, it was heartening to see such a punk ethos on show. UNINVITED are keeping the punk in pop-punk - and as they picked up their instruments again, we found that meant musically too. The opening of Snake Charmer let us know exactly what to expect; shredding riffs, drumbeat barrages - this was the heaviest song of the night. Jay soon had a favour to ask the crowd. They needed some help for the next song, and had to pick a crowd member to join them on stage. They made a show of searching the floor for someone, before pointing at a seeming-stranger. Heads turned, and they were revealed: Hannah from CHERYM was beckoned onstage. “I’ve never seen you before in my life!” joked Jay, unconvincingly. This was the third cover of the night; they already put the punk into pop-punk, now for the inverse. The intro to Taste by SABRINA CARPENTER rang out as Hannah took up a mic and swayed her way into the chorus, hair whipping back and forth. If they ever make another Punk Goes Pop, we better see UNINVITED ft. HANNAH RICHARDSON on that tracklist. They were soon joined by CHERYM’s Alannagh for a dual-band finale in Liar! (despise you). The two bands twirled and grooved around the stage, finishing the first night of the After Party tour with a bang. It was a bittersweet ending: we were saying goodbye to CHERYM after the many years of pop-rock glory they have had, and watching Hannah and Alannagh move onto pastures anew, knowing that this is not the end for either, just the end for CHERYM. We hope Uninvited will stick around for a long time, bringing their raucous, infectious pop-punk energy to the masses, and to increasingly larger crowds. If there is anything we took from the night, it is that the party is never over - the after party rages on, even when everyone has left the building. Words and photos: Naomi Colliar-Duff

Alt-rock artist GRANDSON hit Manchester Academy on Thursday evening with two clear agendas – to make the room tremble from the sheer volume of the bass, and to unify the crowd in channelling their frustrations against the current state of the world. It is undeniable that across the globe, we as a population are experiencing within real-time a terrifying period of history. Music is an escape – live music, for many individuals, can feel like a brief window of reprieve for the soul-crushing weight of constantly being bombarded with non-stop, awful news. Jordan Benjamin, however, ensures that the crowd cannot turn a blind eye to the injustice that is occurring all over the world, and how it is crucial in shaping GRANDSON’s music. Baltimore-based trio PINKSHIFT brought more than enough adrenaline to begin the night, with their eclectic mix of pop-punk, post-hardcore and 90’s grunge-adjacent sound. Seeing their live performance was akin to watching a real-time emergence of a punk-rock butterfly spreading its wings. Vocalist Ashrita Kumar was a powerhouse on stage, and the band’s live sound diverted into a wonderfully heavier direction than their studio recordings. The moshing for Anita Ride was tentative at first, most likely due to most of the crowd being on the younger side of Gen-Z. However, by the time a wall of death was called upon for Blood, the audience had mustered up their courage to indulge in the culture of the pit. Ashrita’s unrelenting optimism and encouragement to ‘give the universe what you want to be given back’ played a significant hand in the crowd’s shift in energy, as well as calling for an all-girls and LGBTQ+ only pit for nothing (in my head). Their passion for equality shone through within their live performance, such as condemning ICE before bursting into one of their heavier, more aggressive tracks, Authority Problem. By the end of their set, the room was filled with heart-hands and an overwhelming sense of community amongst the audience, having been thoroughly prepared for GRANDSON. If your walk-out tune of choice is Killing in the Name by rap-metal legends RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, it is to be expected that as an artist, this is an extremely high precedent to set for oneself. GRANDSON did not disappoint in this regard. The audio recordings of various individuals describing their identities and fears towards the current political climate provided a haunting prelude to the ensuing set, before exploding into Autonomous Delivery Robot. It was clear from the perspective of someone unfamiliar with GRANDSON that despite the addition of multiple touring musicians, this was a one-man show in the most delightful way. Off the bat, Jordan Benjamin stated that the purpose of his music was to ‘take progressive values and give them guitar riffs’, this was apparent in songs such as BURY YOU and BELLS OF WAR. Nearly every track was shrouded in red lighting, with the audio systems cranked up loud enough to shake the walls of Academy itself from all the way at the back of the venue. This was not just a live show; it was a political protest in the form of alt-rock synths and chugging guitars. It is always a humbling experience to be far older than the majority of other concertgoers within a venue, and it is even more bizarre when you yourself are under twenty. However, this is not to say that the crowd were anything short of enthusiastic – the call and response for Oh No!!! was deafening, and the mosh pits were practically never-ending. The zealous passion that GRANDSON brought was all-consuming, with individuals even waving their crutches and mobility aids in the air for WHO’S THE ENEMY. Jordan Benjamin’s love and appreciation for his fan base was evident throughout the evening, jumping into the crowd for mega-hit Blood // Water and shouting out various marginalised communities in between songs. Whilst for many other artists, it can often feel like their political activism is performative, this was not the case with how genuinely emotional GRANDSON was in vocalising his beliefs. The set hit a gentle lull with a stripped-back, melodic rendition of Heather, a deeply meaningful track dedicated to those in the fan base who have been lost to suicide, proving Jordan’s point of how ‘the other side of the coin with rage is grief’. This show of unification and solidarity made it undeniable to acknowledge that the rightful rage being conveyed in both GRANDSON’s stage presence and intermittent political rants were infectious, no matter what age the crowd was. If anything, it is admirable that Jordan utilises his platform and awareness of having a youthful fan base to instil progressive ideologies within his live shows, ensuring that the future of the scene can continue to be safe and inclusive. Words: Adrian Chapman Photos: Jack Norris

Alter Bridge Daughtry SevenDust Photos: James Smith

Judging by the striking mix of fans gathered outside The Garage in Glasgow, it was almost impossible to tell what kind of night awaited. However, the uncertainty quickly vanished the moment the first riff escaped the walls of the venue, and it became clear we were in for pure, unrelenting carnage. Touring in celebration of their latest release, Heimat, German extreme metal titans HEAVEN SHALL BURN stormed into Glasgow as part of their Heimat Over Europe run. They last graced the city over three years ago, where they were part of an iconic triple-headline tour alongside TRIVIUM and MALEVOLENCE. With support from death metal units FROZEN SOUL and the melodic brutality of THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, the stage was set. Given the headliner's impressive slew of performances over the years, this was shaping up to be essential viewing for any heavy music devotee. Texas may seem an unlikely hotspot for heavy music, yet it gave rise to the devious death metal quintet FROZEN SOUL back in 2018. Taking us through a whiplash journey of their glacial discography, the group launched the crowd into motion, repeatedly summoning circle pits and unrestrained chaos. Within this sonic blizzard, the set took a brief yet poignant turn as frontman Chad Green reflected on the pain that came with losing his younger brother. Cutting through the distortion, he explained, “We do this for the love and the community of metal… and most importantly, because you are our family.” With that, he urged the audience to go hard before diving into Arsenal of War. Despite the sombre message, the crowd honored the command, sustaining a relentlessness all the way to the final notes of Crypt of Ice. THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER have been tearing through the melodic metal scene since 2001, enduring not only the genre's shifting tides but also personal tragedies. Stepping onto the stage came Brian Eschbach, the 2022 replacement of lead vocalist after the death of Trevor Strnad. He appeared in understated, plain clothes, allowing the music to speak for itself. What followed was a blistering onslaught that Strnad himself would have been proud of. In just fourty-five minutes, the band delivered a set that reaffirmed their enduring ferocity. Blasting straight into their most popular track, What A Horrible Night To Have a Curse, the room ignited and immediately dissolved into chaos. The set leaned heavily on tracks from their newest album, Servitude, yet longtime fans were rewarded with older, deeper cuts, stretching as far back as A Vulgar Picture from their 2005 album Miasma, its introduction met with unrelenting excitement. They closed with the punishing pairing of Everything Went Black followed by Utopia Black, and the end arrived with a sudden, almost jarring, finality. The crowd's reaction told its own story; chants of “One more tune!” bounced across the room, as if THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER had headlined rather than deliver a masterclass in how to perform mid-set. The orchestral swell of Ad Arma oozed throughout the room, regenerating the buzz of excitement that had dissipated between acts. As the members of HEAVEN SHALL BURN emerged one-by-one, the unmistakable riffs of War Is The Father Of All detonated, and a circle pit immediately swirled into existence. By the time the band reached Black Tears, their tribute to long-time friends of the band EDGE OF SANITY, vocalist Marcus Bischoff paused to acknowledge the chaos-infused joy emanating throughout the room. “You’re having fun… I can tell you’re enjoying this, ja,” he grinned, before gently urging the crowd forward; a stark contrast when compared with the ferocious growls that had just shaken the room. Ahead of Übermacht, guitarist Maik Weichert shifted the mood with a moment of reflection. Touching on the song's historical roots and briefly taking us back to World War Two, he joked that, “this time, we come in peace,” before recounting the Warsaw Uprising of 1944, and extending the sentiment to express solidarity with Ukrainians amid the ongoing war. The weight of this message settled heavily, and despite the track's punchiness, the pit momentarily fell still. The subdued intensity carried through March of Retribution and into the apparent closer, Tirpitz. As the house lights rose and a generic backing track drifted in, confusion spread across the room, and the disappointing question of “was this the end?” lingered. This was swiftly interrupted with the bands laughter as they paraded back onstage and unleashed The Weapon They Fear. Any uncertainty dissolved into a cathartic release, and the crowd appeared satisfied with an explosive finale as uncompromising as the night itself. Words: Chloe Sodeau Photos: Lizzie Jones

The Callous Daoboys returned to the UK for the release of their newest LP I Don’t Want To See You In Heaven bringing their Mathcore sound to Camden’s Underworld that all but shook the venue to its core. Opening up the night was the five-piece Leeds outfit, LOVE RARELY, that were a masterful blend of genre and energy that did a fantastic job setting the bar. With vocalist CJ’s fluctuation between intense screamo and beautiful melodic singing and guitarist Danny Dewsnap intricate angular riffs, going hand in hand with Lew Taylor’s dissonant playing and sharp on point backing vocals; added to that the funky bass-lines and clinical drums made for an incredible composition. Genre blending is absolutely this band’s best friend as they went from mathcore, to midwest emo, to metalcore all in the same song, this coupled with an energy you can not object, they made for a great opener. Next up were KNIVES, with a lot of buzz on the underground with this band, the atmosphere kicked into action as they walked on. The band wasted no time getting down to brass tacks and calling for stage divers and moshers to erupt as they played, and erupt they did, people flew, the band gave it their all in a cacophony of chaos and music. The band had an incredible sound of pure aggression, taking elements of post punk, hardcore and even some jazz elements to tie it all together with the help from saxophonist Tegan O’Connor and their incredibly effective sax undertones in the songs. It is hard to really put into words how much this band command the stage and the audience, Jay Schottlander has an energy about them that just oozes pent up rage which has an insane after effect on the vocals; the time the band were on stage they had the whole venue jumping, stage diving and intensely mosh around Underworld’s famous front pillar, KNIVES unleashed chaos and it led to an incredible feat of live music. And for the finale for this sold out crowd, the headliner THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS took to the stage; if anyone thought KNIVES’ set was chaos, they clearly left before this final act got on stage, from the outset the energy sky rocketed, the biggest pit of the night opened up as more stage divers took flight. This Georgia mathcore group really made a statement with how a show in underworld should run, picking out all their most intense songs for an hour-long set that was non-stop. The show was miraculous for two reasons, one it was a miracle the roof was not blown off by sound the crowd piling on each-other, and two it was a miracle that vocalist Carson Pace was even able to scream and sing to the level he did, it was completely unnoticeable that they had contracted bronchitis during the tour, seemingly effortless screamo and beautiful clean vocals came from the singer. The show honestly stands out for that fact alone, nothing can stop this band, let’s see how ENTER SHIKARI fans like them when they return to the UK to support them. Words and photos: Ben Blissett