Star & Garter is a legendary venue: a statement of fact. Having played host to Sleep Token, Loathe, and Holding Absence, this tiny venue next to Piccadilly Station has been the beating heart of heavy music for a while now. On this night, Auraboros would play out their performance of The Absent Show, and gift the world another legendary night of heavy music.
At many smaller concerts such as this, the venue typically doesn’t begin to fill up until much later into the night. However, for this show, the audience turned out in full force before the opening act had even taken to the stage, perhaps thanks to the pure strength of the line-up for this event; each band already possessed a staunch cult following, developed in thanks to the growing close network of heavy musicians and promoters across the north west. The opening act, ‘dreamo girl band‘ Deathbloom, had already made quite the name for themselves on the live circuit, playing alongside the likes of fellow rising stars and cult favourites Mercury, Inflicter, and Muddle.
Perhaps part of what has made Deathbloom such a favoured pick in the scene is the simple fact that they are an acutely weird band in the very best way imaginable; their collision of harsh, droning walls of sound and soft, vulnerable vocals is startlingly unique, and executed brilliantly. Some apparent nerves at the start of the set quickly dissolve as the band realise the audience has easily been won over, plunging through material released on their debut EP, ‘Ophelia Sees‘.
Their vocalist casts a beguiling, hypnotic presence on the stage, with a lackadaisical nature that sees them almost disinterested in competing with the sonic violence that surrounds them. Dressed in a sheep-ear bonnet and a dark coquette outfit, the figure they present as is almost strangely mythological in nature. They dance along to moments of the set that almost seem un-danceable, magically pulling out the grooves that are buried deep within the scorching walls of sound that tackle the listener.
The percussive performance throughout is phenomenal, with the band’s drummer clearly having an understanding of the beauty of peace between moments of brutality. There is a real weight and energy to their performance that is simply undeniable, and despite being situated at the back of the darkened stage, your eyes can’t help but frequently be drawn to their performance.
It’s not all about softness, however. A violent breakdown towards the end of the band’s set sees the performance of some blistering screamed vocals, rising up from nowhere with a haunting, visceral energy to it. Any perception of fragility or tenderness is completely stripped away (as is that aforementioned sheep ear bonnet – allusions to the sacrifice of the lamb perhaps write themselves here), in a pure hurricane of ritualistic sonic brutality.
It’s an unforgettable performance that goes a long way to explaining just why Deathbloom are as popular as they are in the north west grassroots heavy scene. Their presence is mythical, mystical, and unnerving, perfectly performing the anger and rage that can act as the driving force behind the power of femininity. Remember their name, as there is little doubt that they will be tearing up your local venue very soon.
For two of the members of Deathbloom, there is no chance to catch their breath, as they are members of the second band of the night, Lure In. In stark contrast to the artistic essence of Deathbloom, Lure In appear to have a single, dominating mindset to their performance; to put the punk back in hardcore punk.
Vocalist Cameron Wilson avoids taking to the stage entirely, and remains for the entirety of the set within the confines of the audience. Immediately he sets about confronting and squaring-up to listeners in a playful display of hardcore machismo, and that energy is tangibly infectious, as the barrier between artist and audience dissolves completely. Before the first song is over, two-stepping has commenced.
It’s easy to imagine that with Wilson in the audience, the band on stage would provide little to grab your attention, but their playful and mischievous demeanour perfectly plays into the antics that Wilson is getting up to. Whether your attention is focused upon Wilson commanding people to mosh, or the dancing on stage, there is a real sense that Lure In have consumed the room in its entirety.
In a display of brilliantly playful confidence, Wilson states that he won’t be singing at all for the next track, the band’s big single ‘Aren’t You Happy?‘, and passes off the mic to the members of the audience for the entire song. Thankfully, plenty of audience members know every single word, and take it in turns to take part in a game of hardcore karaoke. This is what hardcore punk was built to be about; a community where anyone who respects everyone is welcome to be themselves.
Of course, it can’t all be about the power of friendship, and for the final track of the set, the band encourage a violent, raucous mosh pit, and that is exactly what they recieve, with a sturdy waste bin getting launched across the venue. Thankfully, the litter is retrieved from the floor as soon as the opportunity presents itself; pitting is punk, but recycling is even moreso.
What Lure In represent is a vitally important gateway to the hardcore scene; the heaviness and rawness of the scene is present in their performance, but it is performed with a warmth and humour that ensures you don’t feel like an impostor, but instead a welcomed friend. It’s pure, adrenaline-fuelled fun, and with their sophomore record now on the horizon, there is certain to be plenty of opportunities coming your way to catch this electrifying band on tour.
Just remember to watch out for flying bins.
I’ve already once this year had the privilege of reviewing the great nothing’s live show, with their headline performance at the inaugural all-day event, Dengfest. Auraboros also took to the stage that day in the form of support; the two bands have been intertwined with one another for quite some time now, with vocalist Leo Craig producing and featuring upon Auraboros‘ single, ‘Contemplating‘. However, it was now time to see what the great nothing could do when they are in the passenger seat for once.
What is immediately clear, however, is that regardless of this being a support set, the band have approached this with the same level of ambition and scope as they would do with their headline performances. Opening up with their trademark ‘enter the nothing‘ recorded intro, the band kick off with their set properly with their grungy emo debut single, ‘coming clean‘. Craig’s melodic performance has drastically improved since Dengfest, with a real resonant power and impressive control; this isn’t to say that Craig hasn’t always been an impressive vocalist, but simply that improvements such as this are going to see the band elevated to the next level.
Even down a band member, with guitarist Neil Barrie unfortunately held up by personal commitments, the band dominate the stage with their presence; Craig’s remarkably boundless energy and bassist Elliot Stewart’s perfect form high kicks are backed by the incredible technical proficiency and flair of drummer Connor McColl. This is a band who enjoy their own music, and that sense of self-belief translates perfectly across; the audience begin to understanding that the great nothing aren’t an alternative band, or an emo band, or metal band, but instead, they are simply the great nothing.
Auraboros vocalist Aisling Killey joins Craig during the performance of the unreleased banger that is ‘die cry hate‘, delivering a ferocious performance with some frankly demented screamed vocal passages. The band’s staple cover of ‘Song 2‘, as expected, goes down a storm with the audience, and those who were yet to join in with the moving mass of the room now were utterly compelled to.
As previously mentioned, a major aspect of what makes the great nothing to compelling to involve yourself with is their sense of ambition. The release of their debut EP, ‘no one.‘, had each of the singles involved assigned a different colour. That translates across to their live show, even if the band are performing in grassroots venues. Their lighting rig is set to bathe the venue in different colours depending on the song played; ‘coming clean‘ is a stark blue, whereas the thumping emo anthem ‘dirty dishes‘ is a dusty orange. For the great nothing, it’s more than just playing their tunes with fancy lighting that the venue can provide; it’s an audio-visual conceptual feast for the senses that turns the catalogue of the great nothing into a tangible world that you can enter.
With the (incredibly northern) instruction from Craig to ‘give someone a shove‘, the band launch into ‘the dirt‘, which once again proved itself to the be the highlight of the set. The band’s most popular track, it’s a slick yet gritty alternative metal banger that fits right into the ‘baddiecore’ realm of Sleep Token and Bad Omens, and always receives a strong reception from the audience. As always, Craig takes to the audience before the track’s climactic breakdown, and demands that the audience part in half and run at each other when the beat drops. It never ceases to work, and one can only imagine this moment of ‘the dirt‘ becoming more and more invigorating as the band approach successfully bigger crowds.
Closing off with their progressive anthem ‘no one.‘, the band had clearly not only won over the room, but demonstrated that, even with a member down, the band were the strongest that they have ever been. The musical performances were tighter, the energy and stage presence was even more electrical, and the self-belief and confidence of the band felt more solid that ever before. Even in the position of a supporting act, the great nothing are a ferocious beast of a band that feel guaranteed to break into the club and academy circuit.
If your band needs a support act that will truly get the audience riled up, the are no better choices than the great nothing.
Finally, it was time for the debut headline performance of Auraboros. Tied to the release of their stellar EP, ‘Absent‘, the band permitted Placebo’s cover of ‘Running Up That Hill‘ to play before they took to the stage. It’s the sort of artistic choice that tells you that this isn’t simply going to be a great little headline set, but instead a statement piece from this openly queer band.
Having taken to the stage, the band commence with that aforementioned collaboration with Craig of the great nothing, ‘Contemplating‘. Already a fantastic track in its own right, on stage it is simply a behemoth of a track, with the immense, soaring choruses sounding like they should be impossible for just four people to create. The guest vocal performance from Craig is electrifying, and the chemistry between himself and vocalist Killey is simply awesome; these are two musicians who perfectly encapsulate the importance of, and the spirit of, community within the heavy scene.
Killey states that Auraboros are a queer band, and therefore she wants to see ‘all of my Ls, my Bs, my Ts and my Qs to the front‘, as the show is explicitly for them. Ripping through their already extensive catalogue of tracks, the band put on a ferocious display of queer power; Killey descends into the audience, her trademark venomous screamed vocals filling the air with pure electricity, whilst dual guitarists Rayne Williams and Matt Ashley lay down what can only be described as a pure inferno of filthy chugging guitars.
The band not only rip through bigger numbers in their catalogue, such as ‘Parasite‘ and ‘Sonnet of Multipersonality‘, but even find time for deep cuts such as ‘Snake‘, which Killey insists will only be performed this once. It’s not only a reward for fans of the band to be treated to rare gems such as this, but a moment of musical catharsis for the band; despite their earliest track on Spotify having been released in 2020, Auraboros have existed in some form for 14 years. The Absent Show served as a point of convergence for all of the lines of their history, enabling the band to relive their past one final time, and cast off the moments that no longer form their identity.
A key part of their identity that shall not be cast off, however, is their activism. Between songs, Killey pauses to speak about the state of trans rights within the UK at the moment, with little support coming from either of the two major political parties; this concert took place the day after Labour Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced he would be complying with the total affront to science, the Cass Review. Focusing on organising, unionising, and mobilising, it is clear from her words that Killey views Auraboros as more than just a band; it’s a movement, a conduit for change, and an incredibly important collective within a scene that has long been dominated by white, cis, straight men.
In a positive feedback loop, the band rile up the audience, who in turn gift that energy back to the band. The energy and enthusiasm is relentless, with a constant pit hurtling about in the centre of the room; Craig and McColl of the great nothing are like unruly kids causing trouble throughout, in the best ways imaginable. Even slower moments through the set are still performed with a ferocious power and energy; you truly feel every riff, every word sung, every strike of the percussion. The importance of this set weighs heavy in the air.
As the show begins to reach its final act, Williams pauses proceedings to talk about what the Absent Show means to her. In a harrowing display of vulnerability, Williams discusses her battle with suicidal ideation, which just as of the month prior had threatened to win. She openly admits she never thought she’d get to this night, and that the struggles are still ever present, but also that her bond with her band mates, especially drummer Aaron West, has helped her survive. The bond between these musicians is beyond simple band mates or friends. It is something that mere words would only be an injustice for.
And it is a privilege to watch it.
After playing ‘Absent’ to completion with a performance of ‘Silverdale Blues’, empowered by transfeminine rage, the band round off their set with one final track. They elect to revisit ‘Contemplating’, but this time, gift the vocal duties to members of the audience, in a celebration of everything wonderful that LGBTQ+ individuals bring to the metal scene, and a celebration of their survival not just as a band, but as individuals in a world that seems to grow more hateful every single day.
This concert felt important. To review it as a cis white straight man, I am acutely aware that once again, my voice is playing out atop the voices of queer people. But if I can take my own privilege, and use it to elevate some incredible musicians to your consciousness, then hopefully I will have used my position correctly.
Where Auraboros go from now, who knows. But to the band directly, let me say this: you survived. And that is more important than anything I have to say.
Follow the bands on social media below:
Deathbloom
Lure In
Instagram // Twitter // Spotify
the great nothing
Instagram // Twitter // Spotify
Auraboros
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