Amplifright
Gloucester Guildhall - 31/10/21
Live review by; DeeDee
Down to Gloucester for this all day event, presented by Gary Paterson’s Amplified Rocks and ourselves at Rock Media UK. Ten bands starting around midday and running to about 10.30pm. It’s a Halloween special and the Guildhall is a wonderful building for this show. We are upstairs in the main hall, with a decent stage, experienced crew and ample facilities. After getting organised it was time to settle down for the opening band.
KITE THIEF - A quintet from Bristol and describing themselves as Candy Metal, Kite Thief got the show underway with ‘Smile And Wave’. My immediate thoughts were alternative pop meets thrash metal, as the riffs on this and the next song ‘Pictures’ were a stirring mixture of dreamy vocals from Elin with heavy thunderous guitars by Max and Josh. ’Sweepstake’ and their first single ‘Pinky Promise’ carried on in the same dark blooded vein, the contrast was unexpected but it worked. New track ‘Hindsight’ was the finale, great music, they do have something different to offer.
Y!KES - Are a colourful lot from Birmingham, psychedelic and slightly off the wall, their sound is one of pop/alternative bounce with a kind of modern style of indie rock. Led by the charismatic Oli Long, who stands tall and blond, with sunglasses and a Jagger type pose, they attract quite a crowd early on. They have been called Shambolic and Anti-pop, which is near the mark. The guitar of Liam Howard does crash into chords without a care and the rhythm of Rob McIntosh on bass and Drummer TJ Weston, bash the tracks out quite unlawfully. However put all that together and you have a young avant-garde combo, with fresh ideas and an innovative approach. Watch their video for ‘Repeat The Objective’ to get an idea of their style. Also the debut EP ‘Everything Pointless Is Correct’ ( EP!C ) is widely available and they have a few gigs in December, if you want to catch them live.
SLACKRR - Coming up from Southampton this trio comprises of Scotty Perry on vocals and guitar, Cait Bowyer on bass and drummer Joe Sammons. They have this method of bringing street punk up to date with a simple and immensely raw approach and ‘Reflections’ is the epitome of this. From the 2019 ’Time Waits For No One’ four tracks ’Nerve’, ‘I Know’, ‘Breathe’ and ‘Lights On’ embed the feel of fast paced and punchy post punk with a pile of catchy lyrics from Scotty. ‘Waves’ has a more classic introduction, before it too gains pace and ‘We Are’ has the drums bashing in all directions. The last number ‘Playing With Fire’ is again simple rawness and the lighter take with more harmonies makes it stand out. This young band has already played a headline slot at the Isle Of Wight festival and seem to be able to pour out new and attractive music with no effort at all.
DEATH IS A GIRL - Is fronted by Joe Green who is probably better known as the former main man of the band Emp!re. Conjuring up a fusion of Funk, Blues and Jazz Rock, they are more deep and mood driven than the previous bands we have seen today. So this is a turning point in the state of play as everything is turned down a notch. I like the concept of what Joe is doing and there are elements of groove in the songs that are a pleasant step away from the normal and more contemporary music of today. Although, I did feel there was too much leaning on the moody and sultry side, I would have loved to have heard more funk and jazz in the set, as that would have been so uplifting for Amplifright and an injection of something different. Nevertheless, it was really cool to watch and the audience showed their appreciation with hands in the air.
PANIC SWITCH - Are relatively local, being from Cheltenham. They first formed back in 2005 but after four years they took a break, so it’s good to see them on stage again today. South West Melodic Thrash, with influences such as Pantera, Trivium and Killswitch Engage, I could see where this performance was heading. After the opener ‘Chuggernaut’ I can see similarities with Testament and Napalm Death in many ways. In fact the guitarist is wearing a Testament T shirt and he plays a stunning flying V. The debut single ‘Lethal Intent’ shows how tight the band are and I’m really enjoying this. ‘Mindless Overdose’ and the excellent ‘Automator Restrictor’ bring down the curtain and yes impressive stuff.
Halfway through the bands and it’s time for a quick break. So convenient to be in the middle of Gloucester with plenty of shops and 24 hour parking at the Quays. So far the selection of bands has been quite intriguing, a mix of styles and genres and I always like to see new bands that are experimental and diverse.
Back into the Guildhall after a short break and I'm just in time for the next band, as we head into the last five here in Gloucester. It’s not exactly packed in the room, but there’s a decent crowd who are really backing the performances and credit to everyone involved in organising this first Amplifright Festival, it’s been very well put together. Anyway the next band are soon ready to go, so I take my seat at the back of the room and look forward to seeing some really good up and coming bands, mixed with a couple of well established acts.
Kill The Ideal - Sadly this is the final show for Kill The Ideal. The band have decided to call time, as bassist Luke needs to be with his new family. So they put everything into this last performance. The EP from February, ‘Against The World’ is represented as is the 2020 EP which is titled ‘Immigrant Song’ and features their cover of the Zeppelin song. It’s quite a nice version, lots of lower chords and the vocals are impressive. There’s a lot of interaction with the Amplifright punters, from frontman Ash and a lot of messing around on stage by the guys, having a laugh, which is nice to see. Shame one the best bands of the day so far, will be no more. Check out their EP’s, which are pretty amazing.
The Dark - I love the abstract concept that L.A born Brandon Ashley has devised with The Dark. A theatrical and morbid theme that is as much about the visual as the music. His band are certainly eye-catching, Caitlin Stokes on Keytar, is absolutely divine and so elegant, while it’s no surprise that striking guitarist Kuro Andrews also has a modelling career. Brandon, with megaphone close to hand, fires up the band with ‘ Where’s Your God’ from the last album ‘Hostile Gospel’. Think Marilyn Manson confronting The Damned and you should get an idea of why The Dark have so much appeal. The new single ‘Mr Macabre’ which, not giving too much away but is immense, gets a play, (you can pre order it now, as it’s due out on November 19th ) and a favourite from 2018 ‘Black Flag’. New bassist Jason Kahl and recent addition, drummer Flow Toulman appear to be excellent replacements, they both slot in so comfortably, you would never guess they were both newcomers. The last single ’Strip Me, Kill Me’ is a decadent piece with all the glamorous horror that Brandon can throw at us. Ending with the catchy and mouth watering ‘Hollywood Grindhouse’ what a suitable choice The Dark are for Amplifright.
South Of Salem - One band that is making huge waves at the moment are this five piece from Bournemouth. Evolving from previous goth and darker bands, they eventually got together in 2018 and the ideas soon began to combine, as to what South Of Salem were aiming for. Difficult to put them in a box, but everyone I’ve spoken to has been awe struck with the amount of energy and the new direction that they are taking contemporary rock music. The last video for the more delicate ’Pretty Little Nightmare’ was, as the band stated, in a Tim Burton style and that does sum up one aspect of SOS, but there is much more. Watching them from down the front tonight, they play much of the album ‘The Sinner Takes It All’ , a monstrous tsunami of a debut that has had many heads turning. ‘Let Us Prey’, ‘The Hate In Me’ and ‘Another Nail In My Coffin’ see guitarists Kodi and Fish and bass player Dee, covering the stage with an air of confidence and jumping on the risers to get the crowd even more elated, they are jaw dropping to watch. Joey Draper takes to the barrier on occasion and as they plough through ‘No Plague Like Home’ and 'Demons Are Forever’ the crowd are singing along already familiar with the lyrics. The last song ‘Cold Day In Hell’ pretty well sums them up: the tormented riffs are aligned with the hard driving vocals and pounding drums by Pip, then the melodic chorus sees everyone joining in again. Yes, they have played some of the bigger festivals this year, but when you realise this is only about their Eleventh gig, it puts it into perspective of how rapid SOS are moving.
Red Method - There is quite a variety of genres on today's bill and now it’s the turn of what must be the most brutal of metal. Acquiring their name from the original vocalist’s need to have regular blood transfusions, (which he called the ‘Red Method’), it’s quite fitting and Red certainly features in many aspects of their artwork. The debut album ‘For The Sick’ came out in February 2020, but the latest release is called ‘Reworks’ both can be found via Depraved Records. Heavy and disturbing they paint a rather dramatic picture on the stage before me. However, despite the initial harshness, the vocals are not as growling or spitting as for example, Barney Greenway ( Napalm Death ), nor does the music just reel off mighty riffs of uncontrollable trash. There is a method and it’s one that shows us the spectacular side of metal. Having not seen them before, I am unprepared for the onslaught that hits me. Even though Red Method aren’t a band I would normally go and see, they do entertain and it’s done with faultless precision. The new single ‘Adriel’ from Reworks is out November 20th and look out for the band on tour.
Reign Of Fury - Forming back in 2006, in nearby Cheltenham, Reign Of Fury are hardened experts of thrash metal. However, they do have a unique blend, from the more classic, right alongside Punk and the NWOBHM. With two original members, rhythm Guitarist Jon Priestley and Drummer Magic Dave Humphries still on board, the sound is rich and smoothly dealt with straight across the set. ‘Infernal Conflict’ from the 2012 debut ‘World Detonation’ starts the show, a racing and pounding riff with subtle edges and some speeding fret work by Jake Elwell. The vocals these days are care of Craig Cairns. ‘Heaven Waits/Hell Takes’ is also off the first album, having a medieval sounding introduction, with lush strings, it’s a lengthy number and has time to change into several demons before it ends. ‘Gates Of Sanity’ is more hounding thrash and comes off the second recording ‘Death Be Thy Shepherd’, the rhythm is perilously strong and relentless from Magic Dave and bassist Chris ‘Muzz’ Muzgrove. A brace from 2019 with ‘Haunt The Murderer’ and ‘The World Belongs To me’ both packed with surreal riffs and screams. They return to the debut for ‘Born To Die’ and the eponymous track ‘World Detonation’ which must be heard to be believed. The Amplifright audience are still plenty in numbers and enjoying seeing these local heroes. They go out with ‘Hypnotise The Masses’ which allows all the band to hammer out without taking any prisoners. Yes, a good performance, I could tell the band had played together for a while and had experience, Jon was outstanding on rhythm guitar and when he took on the vocals, Muzz was also exceptional on vocals, they both had a full and mature delivery. Which brings me to my only gripe, that sadly Craig didn’t really fit in that well. His voice was incredible and he took on the role with everything he had, but I don’t think he’s the right man for this band. That said they were pretty awesome to watch and I think I’ll grab the back catalogue.
What a tremendous, inaugural Amplifright festival. The whole day went smoothly and yes the running order did change once or twice, but it was all done without a hitch. Plenty of facilities on site and in town and very accessible. The line up was incredibly varied, from pop to thrash and so there was something for everyone. It was good to see so many people of Gloucester and the surrounding area supporting this event.
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