When speaking to Connor McColl, drummer for the great nothing, just before the show, one thing was clear: Dengfest is, above all else, about community.
On a rainy, overcast day in Preston, eight bands from the latest wave of the UK’s heavy scene arrived at The Ferret, a legendary alternative venue of the north west of England. Organised by Manchester alternative metal band, the great nothing, Dengfest promised to be a showcase of exciting heavy acts from across the musical spectrum.
It was a bold move from the great nothing to organise something so ambitious; the band had performed their debut live show late last year. Speaking to McColl, however, showed an infectious confidence and resolve. Already, before a single band had played, the venue was filling with concertgoers; a good sign at 2pm on a weekday.
This entire event was about one thing: community. In a world of stats, algorithms, and numbers numbers numbers, community is easy to lose sight of; a competition to see who can end up on the latest ‘Fresh Rock Playlist’ for a chance to join the elites of the content creation rat race.
Dengfest, however, was about returning to what the roots of the heavy scene are; a community of creatives and progressives building one another up, and producing great art in the process. Certainly, success is welcomed, but that success can be manifested by creating a community of musicians that both support one another, and push one another to go further with their art than ever before.
And if you could kick a few pits off in the process, all the better.
Proceedings commenced with the local Preston based metal outfit, No Gods No Masters. An outfit at the very start of their career, the band have a three-track EP and a single to their name, accompanied by a surprisingly engaging live-set.
Certainly, their core sound primarily revolves around deathcore and thrash metal stylings, with impressive percussion pummelling away beneath thunderous riffs and vocals that pack an astounding range; both clean and screamed passages are delivered with strength and energy, and the lower register growls that are pulled off are particularly vicious.
The band also, however, weave in unexpected elements, such as off-kilter, blues rock tinged passages with whistling in place of vocals. Some moments of the set bring in bouncing, nu-metal style riffs instead. It’s thoroughly engaging, and the audience respond well; there might not be a pit, but not a single person in the room wasn’t banging their head.
A good reason for that is very simple: the band are very likeable. There’s a good energy on the stage, and the band have a passion that truly translates well in their performance; they’re treating this show as if it’s the biggest show they have ever played, which in turn ensures the audience feel deeply appreciated for attending.
As a last minute fill-in, and with not a single song released at the time, The Matriarchy already had the odds stacked against them. The four-piece, based out of Liverpool, have since gone on to release their debut single, which is well worth your time.
The band take to the stage with some gentle nerves simmering at the edges, but what shines through is a stellar chemistry between them, with each member clearly supporting one another. Their set kicks off with a bluesy, rock and roll sound, layered by vocals alternate between catchy melodies and pure, hard rock grit, featuring some impressive belted passages.
The Matriarchy settle in to their set smoothly, their bassist in particular being a lot of fun to take in, exuding an effortlessly cool energy. The crowd are welcoming, picking up on the metal undertones that creep into the band’s sound on occasion, and that is rewarded with a stellar cover of Rage Against The Machine’s ‘Killing In The Name’.
Transitioning seamlessly and without warning from one of the band’s original tracks, the room simply erupts as that infamous bass line kicks in. It’s an incredible performance, with vocals that rise up from nowhere with a visceral, brutal edge, not only perfectly capturing the original spirit of the track, but delivering it with an urgent originality that makes you take note of this band.
It’s an incredibly clever placement in the set, as this leaves the audience willing and wanting, just before the band round things off with their debut single, ‘Parasite’. Danceable rhythms collide with heavy choruses, before a spoken word passages cascades into a furious breakdown segment. It’s a memorable statement piece, and the audience, limbered up with that RATM cover, engage with it well.
All of this has built up to an incredibly strong debut release period for The Matriarchy. Certainly, they might make a terrible boyfriend, but are well worth keeping an eye on as a four-piece rock band.
Auraboros are a band whose fate has become closely entwined with the great nothing. The metalcore four-piece, based out of Manchester, appeared at the great nothing’s live debut, and their recent single ‘Contemplating’ featured not just production from their frontman Leo Craig, but his production as well.
It’s also important to note that Auraboros produce less of a live performance, and more of a live hurricane. From the get-go, the stage presence of this band is utterly ferocious; vocalist Aisling Killey is a force of nature, whipping the crowd up into a frenzy immediately. The band perform rip things open with ‘Contemplating‘, which the audience seem familiar with, and the guest vocal appearance from Craig is just as visceral as on the studio recording.
Ripping through tracks such as ‘Parasitic’ and ‘If the Boot Fits’, Killey declared that they are a queer band, and for the span of their set, that room in Preston is a ‘queer space’, inviting those who have been otherwise sidelined by the heavy scene for far to long down to the front. The band’s energy is infectious, with filthy breakdowns commanding the attention of the audience.
The band go on to announce an upcoming headline show in Manchester, which will feature the great nothing as support, and there’s no doubt that at least some of those newly introduced to them in Preston will be in attendance. To get a crowd so energised at 5pm on a rainy day in Preston is a sign of a band that the heavy scene needs.
Auraboros end their set with their immense track ‘Sonnet of Multipersonality’, with Killey herself taking to the pit and still managing to deliver a killer vocal performance that maintains energy and vibrance. It is clear that Auraboros are not a band that want to perform; they are a band that NEED to perform. A vital member of the heavy scene.
Approaching the midpoint of the day, Reckoner were tasked with a difficult challenge; a crowd that who had been around long enough for tiredness to begin to creep in, yet not there long enough for the revelling spirits (alcoholic or otherwise) to kick in.
Thankfully, Reckoner have been hard at work perfecting their live set for quite some time now. The midlands-based five-piece, in between putting out a steady flow of singles, have found themselves to be popular names on the local heavy scene, and that’s almost definitely thanks to the energy of seasoned veterans that they possess.
Carrying a raw, 00’s vibe, the band merge heavy breakdowns with vocals that alternate between scrappy, vicious growls, and huge belted passages. Even in the face of an audience at an energetic low, the band maintained their own energy, investing everything into performances of tracks such as their new single, ‘This is Not a Test’.
This perseverence pays off at the climax of the set; ‘Artificial Living’ sees both guitarist and vocalist descend into the crowd, and the audience rewards their boisterous performance with a solid pit. A difficult set like this could have shaken lesser artists, but Reckoner approached with a perfect balance of coolness and enthusiasm, and won over a hesitant audience by the end.
With four acts down, and four to go, the Dengfest festivities were only just beginning, and things would get much, much more rowdy as the night went on. Return tomorrow to read about what Take Breath, Pulse, Cut Short, and the great nothing brought to the stage.
Follow the bands on social media below:
No Gods No Masters
The Matriarchy
Auraboros
Instagram // Spotify // Twitter
Reckoner
Instagram // Spotify // Twitter
Take Breath
Pulse
Instagram // Spotify // Twitter
Cut Short
Instagram // Spotify // Twitter
the great nothing
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