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On the last day of the year, Out Of Rage gave to me a wonderful Manchester gig. Headlined by local grunge/post-hardcore band BLYTHE, supported by Wigan’s Shrouded, and openers Tape It Shut providing fast paced political punk rock from Reading. In Manchester’s Northern Quarter, the perennially punk venue Aatma served perfectly for an evening of raucous guitar tone, screaming about the government, and enjoyment of amazing music.
Tape It Shut walked on stage at twenty to seven, opening their set with a spoken word piece before realising a guitar wasn’t plugged in right! With what came to be some fairly trademark humour, they made light of it and blasted into their first song - one thing that linked each and every track they played was an innately political tone, whether overtly calling out the government or more subtle use of lyrical themes. Blasting through a healthy tracklist in about 40 minutes, the band were a jolt of energy and immensely enjoyable to watch! Mixing in queerness, anti government rhetoric, punk rock and fun made their show a brilliant way to start off the event.
Up next were the much more local Shrouded, from neighbouring Wigan rather than leafy Berkshire. With a sound that draws heavily on both Deftones and Royal Blood, they mixed grungy tones with lightning riffs and licks, and incredibly powerful vocals from singer Matt Barber. Largely sticking to the aforementioned sound, they did change tack to a more melancholic song midway through that had a more nuanced sound and showcased their songwriting ability through its restraint. An excellent outing for the Wigan outfit, they impressed everyone and will definitely be ones to watch for the local scene.
Finally we were greeted with the sounds of Manchester’s BLYTHE. If Alice In Chains were female fronted and had a little more post-hardcore influence, then you’d have a pretty good estimate for how BLYTHE sound. Having seen none of the three acts playing on the night I was naturally reserved on how good the show might be, but all three smashed it, and BLYTHE as headliners did a stunning job. With harsh vocals and driving drums, the band powered through a hypnotic set, finishing with their two released singles ‘Aphid’ and ‘Mannequin’ before saying their goodbyes.
The evening had been a smash, and after many drinks and enjoying our New Years Eve, we all went home with the kind of grin you can only get after seeing amazing live music.
Words: Jake Longhurst
Cover photo: Kayleigh Fryer
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