LIVE FROM THE PIT - Reality Unfolds - DAY THREE
- Jake Longhurst
- Jan 21
- 5 min read
Well it always had to happen. The last day of a festival eventually rolls around, no matter what you do to pretend it won't. Luckily, when that festival is Reality Unfolds, it's not so bad because it's just a bloody brilliant day full of awesome live music! There was a healthy range of styles on display which kept it fresh and distinct from the first two days, and frankly we're already discussing who we'd like to see play at 2026's edition of this brilliant festival.
Opening the day was actually the curtain call of a little band named Grey Market, who are fronted by Theo, the brains behind Reality Unfolds. They played a half hour set with some amazing covers, eccentric moments, wonderful originals, a new song that won't ever be properly recorded, and most of all bags and bags of heart and soul. From beginning to end, the set felt like it hit everyone in the room right in the centre of the chest, and even at its most violent and careening was still an emotive display. There surely couldn't have been a more powerful way to sign off on Grey Market's time as a band than with so many friends watching them on and loving every second.
From final shows to first shows, Reality Unfolds doesn't mess about. The second band on the bill was Church Of The Rat, who were debuting as a live act, and they sounded very much like a British answer to Every Time I Die and Better Lovers. Whilst the crowd wasn't so rampant for their set as you might expect from a hardcore band, that can very easily be attributed to their debutant status, and in mere months they're sure to have people diving all over the stage, accompanied by their roiling riffs and sneering snarls.
Next up was Uncertainty, a Bristol based queer hardcore band who piled as many riffs and gruff guttural yells into their slot as physically possible. They were the first act of the day to really get some movement going, and finished their set with some serious pit action. Stage divers and crowd throwers were the order of the day, but the commando crawlers were back in fine form, and of course crowdkilling was still kept in great business by the unruly fans of this unruly (and brilliant), part balaclava'd, band.
Flesh Creep jumped up to play next and instantly stood out amongst the rest of the room, simply due to their singer wearing - of all things - a suit. He looked very good in it and the colour was lovely, a nice charcoal grey, and it made for a very pleasant juxtaposition within their aesthetic and sound. Speaking of their sound, they have a savage hardcore sound that fits seamlessly into the musical backdrop of their home, Birmingham, that's comprised of raucous guitars and some incredible drumming that deserves its own paragraph! They played a full set of nasty, abrasive hardcore and an awful lot of fun was had.
Fifth to play was the insane trio of CADY, who's emoviolence/screamo sound stood out immensely on the day for all the right reasons. Being a year and a half down the line from their most recent album, and twelve years into their time as a band, their music has become a wildly brilliant combination of heaviness, emotion, melody, deft beauty and raw anguish that sinks its teeth into you and never lets go. Another drummer shoutout is needed, because the technique and speed displayed was glorious throughout their entire set. Whilst the crowd didn't get moving during their set, no moshing or crowdkilling was needed to appreciate the brilliance of what was on offer.
Sheffield's finest Hidden Mothers took to the stage next, and whilst they've been gathering a very healthy head of steam for some time - and released a spectacular debut album in November - their set at Reality Unfolds was a thing to behold. Right from the off, the ethereal post-hardcore foursome mixed some of the very best of melancholic heaviness with sparkling guitars and pounding drums, but the contrast of the sung, heartfelt moments with the brute force breakdowns gave their set an air of unspoken brilliance that is difficult to put into anything resembling words. All else that needs saying is that we implore you to go and see them live, it will do things to you.
Going from a set to cry at to a set full of people throwing each other, Perp Walk gave us a shot of adrenaline to get the last few hours done with plenty of moshing yet. Their momentous set at Outbreak last year showed them ruling the roost on a big stage, but they haven't forgotten how to kill a small venue and promptly did just that. 'The Gavel' was a particular crowd favourite which was made abundantly clear by the sheer number of arms and legs being flailed with reckless abandon, in true Reality Unfolds fashion, to show the audience's collective appreciation for an excellent set of hardcore tunes.
From one hardcore band to another, we then were greeted by Shooting Daggers and their more downtempo, punky style of hardcore. With a fuzzy sound, plenty of delay on the vocals, and loads of good vibes in tow, the trio played a very well-received set that ran through a lot of their recent debut 'Love & Rage', as well as inciting an audience wide chant of "Free, free Palestine" and standing up for queer people and identities throughout. They were slightly less hectic than Perp Walk and so managed to give everyone a moment of respite, whilst still carrying their message across brilliantly as the day neared its end.
The penultimate band of the weekend was one that could, based purely on the merit of their aggression and stage presence, headline any hardcore festival the world over. Paris' own Sorcerer were the final fix of hardcore on a weekend full of the stuff, but they delivered every ounce we could've asked for and then carried on pouring till the glass was overflowing. The supremely dark and foreboding sound of theirs was amplified tenfold onstage, and the audience reacted in kind to become a baying mass of spinning, whirling dervishes in frenzy. For any fan of spin kicks and stage diving who wasn't sure about booking that romantic weekend to Paris, here's your new reason to get it sorted now.
To cap off a stunning weekend, we look no further than Italian screamo stalwarts Stormo. The aggressive, abrasive nature of their sound mirrors hardcore very heavily, and yet the vocal delivery and rhythmic patterns keep them so distinct from it in a way that absolutely tantalised every onlooker at the New Cross Inn. The pit was kept busy, the band didn't stop moving, and towards the end the air was thick with gratitude and love. After six long years of not playing in the UK, to finally see them back was a real treat, and even more so when it came at the end of such a brilliant weekend.
That's all for this year's gobsmackingly wonderful edition of Reality Unfolds! Thanks for checking out our coverage of this beautiful little corner of the UK heavy music scene, we can't wait to see more shows at the New Cross Inn and run into Theo some more, and we're already checking to see next years dates so we can book them off work. See you there!
Words: Jake Longhurst
Photos: Lizzie Jones
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