Rebellion Manchester continues to prove itself a dominant force in the Heavy Rock & Metal scene in Manchester with yet another epic show! This time growing promoter Up From Under were at the helm, with a quartet of trios on show, cemented in more of a Rock ground rather than the usual Extreme Metal bands that dominate this venue.
Unfortunately there were only a handful of people at the start of the show, but if you arrived late you missed out on a bit of a gem with Manchester's Sugarcage. This trio very much had a nostalgic sound that seemed to appreciate mid 90s to early 00s Rock and Metal. I could hear Silverchair, Soundgarden and Stone Temple Pilots in their sound, but definitely some Grungey tones. Sugarcage used the old quiet verses/loud chorus formulas well and weren't afraid to have clean guitar dominate their songs, though they would usually find their way into crunchier, distorted finales.
When Sugarcage began their set, I felt like their energy was a little drained, which I guess is hard to avoid when you are playing to such a small audience. The absence can psychologically make the room look bigger and can play on your conscience during the performance. But in fairness, as their set went on their energy got much bigger and the trio seemed to lose themselves within their sounds. One of the highlights of their set was a song about Star Wars, which even had the lyrics "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away" in there, showing that Sugarcage have an understanding of all things retro. In an emotional display, Sugarcage said farewell to their drummer Rory who was playing his last show. Though Sugarcage may not have the most original sound, they proved that they can do older styles well and since I am a sucker for nostalgia, I really enjoyed every moment of their set. A part of me felt I could have listened to them forever. Their use of lovely melodic clean chords and beautifully crafted vocal tones, especially from frontman Kai, really won me over. I'd love to see these guys play to a packed out crowd one day and see how they compare! 8/10.
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If you have followed my reviews for a while now, you'll know I've reviewed The River Versus a bunch of times over the years, but if you don't know, this Manchester based trio deliver a seriously intense technical Prog Rock onslaught. They have the ELP setup of bassist, keyboardist and drummer. Their sound is very eclectic even for a Prog band, and draws in influences of Jazz, Classical, Post Hardcore and even Mariachi brass!
Thankfully punters continually poured into Rebellion as The River Versus began their set with a fanfare, with each band member contributing two trumpets and one trombone, in an epic and harmonious intro that felt like they were about to introduce a gunslinger duel in a Spaghetti Western film! They then kicked into some of the most impossibly complex playing, with each member weaving in and out of each other in a true display of technical versatility. Their songs are inspired by Norse mythology and the band even wrote and illustrated a comic book to coincide with their music. It's as if these three are constantly drawing from an endless well of sheer talent, and of course when they perform they make the mindboggling bass tapping solos, staccato piano playing and insanely massive drum fills seem effortless! The fact that they can all perform solo vocals and beautiful harmonies whilst hard at work on their instruments is something truly awe inspiring. Aaron, Alec and Jimmy also have a great sense of humour on stage, getting the audience to meow during performances and making each other laugh during some of the more serious parts of their songs.
The River Versus treated the Rebellion audience to a brand new song tonight, that was fast and funky, allowing drummer Aaron to take a lead vocal part, which he pulled off fantastically. This show was particularly exciting as it was my first time seeing them at Rebellion, which often brings out the best sound in any Rock or Metal act. The best part about seeing The River Versus play live though, is watching people in the crowd who have clearly never seen them play before. It's not long until their jaws are on the floor and they are left a drooling mess. Some of the band members in Rock band Silverchild were watching tonight and when they whipped out the trumpets to bookend their show, I heard a scream of "HOLY SHIT!" Yes... The River Versus really are that good! 10/10.
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Following a performance by The River Versus must be one of the scariest things a musician can think of, so there was a lot of pressure on Stoke On Trent based Dirty Rotten Souls. Please bare in mind that Dirty Rotten Souls were not originally scheduled for this show, and stepped in after Ritual King were unable to play. I think their sound would have followed on more coherently from openers Sugarcage, so being sandwiched between two Prog and Funk inspired bands maybe left these guys at a disadvantage.
Dirty Rotten Souls play Bluesy Rock with strokes of modern Indie in there. In particular, their vocalist had a tone reminiscent of Alex Turner of Arctic Monkeys (think the newer stuff). The trio kicked into some ballsy riffage from the start. Their guitar sounds had plenty of dirt and grit, which got people in the crowd banging their heads. "Cocaine Submarine" added in some 70s Classic Rock inspired riffs. The band had some questionable lyrics in some of their songs. New single "You'd Look Better With a Bullet In You" didn't quite match the aggression of its title, and the lyrics about pulling your trousers and knickers up fell completely flat for me. There were some other suspect lyrics across the night (I'm sure I heard a filthy slut in there), that I didn't really get. I think if I'd seen Dirty Rotten Souls perform on a different bill on a more level playing field I would have enjoyed them more, but The River Versus left my brain twitching for more insane Prog Funk Rock and these guys weren't here to fill that void. 6/10.
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After The River Versus left Rebellion's revellers with their minds shattered and exploded into pieces all over the floor, our final trio of the night arrived just in time to sweep any remaining brain fragments up and send them right into the incinerator! Fantasist usually dress sharp in pinstripe suits, but the lovely summery weather called for the Fantasist boys to put on their summer vacation clothes, with all 3 wearing Hawaiian shirts and shorts!
After much anticipation, an amp fuck up got them off to a false start. But they covered well whilst guitarist Ollie quickly setup a new amp by playing a funky bass and drum rendition of the Super Mario Bros Pipe Theme! They soon launched into their set proper, showcasing their virtuoso playing. Soon into the set they played my favourite song of theirs "Goodnight So Long", from their self titled second album. This song is one of their catchiest with a massive melodic chorus showcasing the trios soaring vocal harmonies. Fantasist roared through their original songs sending out glee to the Rebellion crowd with their high energy and warm charm. Like The River Versus before them, their use of vocal harmonies and truly mind-boggling dedication to their instruments was simultaneously mindblowing and effortless...
...Speaking of The River Versus, this show unveiled the worst kept secret in Manchester's music scene (even the setlist on the night pretty much gave this one away). In the middle of Fantasist's set, their sonic brethrens joined them on stage as a Mariachi backing band! The two bands had scrambled to get a small amount of rehearsal time together before the show, but because both bands are so talented, the final result was seamless. Fantasist showcased two new songs from their forthcoming EP, and having TRV back them with their brass instruments was not only a beautiful moment, but it could well go down in Rock history! TRV managed to give Fantasist some Ska vibes, as if these guys didn't put enough of a big grin on your face already! I would like to hear these two bands do a proper collaborative studio EP or something!
Following a fantastic Fantasist feast of fully fledged funky originals, the boys then launched into their inevitable covers section of the show. This is where the gig turns into a full on party! Fantasist have a great ability of honouring the original spirit of the songs, playing them flawlessly, but adding their own Funk sound to them and finding ways to implement their triple vocal attack! "Video Killed the Radio Star" got the whole crowd singing along and dancing, and "Word Up" sent party animals going crazy. The new addition of "Peaches" by The Presidents of the USA was such a fantastic choice that really suits Fantasist's sound, but it was their hilarious version of "Easy Lover" that blew the place apart, proving that some good can come out of Phil Collins after all! 9/10.
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May 28th 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester. Photography by Rich Smith of Digital Bath.
May 28th 2016 @ Rebellion Manchester. Photography by Rich Smith of Digital Bath.
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