The Wedding Present + more across Manchester Academy.
Spiritbox | Static Dress| VEXED
O2 Islington Academy
13th June 2022
Crowd surfing, sweat, screams and mosh pits are only a few of the things that you will witness at a Spiritbox live show, and what a show…
Spiritbox is out and about touring Europe and tonight is their first of two sold-out shows in London – what better venue than the O2 Islington Academy.
Needless to say that I’m excited to see them live as they are the band that every rock and metal fan can’t stop talking about. The queue outside the venue is so long it goes all around the block, and as soon as they open the door people are buzzing to try and catch the best spot; I literally see a few people running super-fast in the hope of the first row.
After a little over an hour’s wait, finally, the first act of the night takes the stage. It is VEXED, a UK alt-metal group with a unique blend of intense death growls and melodic clean vocals. Lead singer, Megan Targett’s voice and talent blows me away. She is proof that we need more female metal singers in the music industry. Targett’s voice is perfectly combined with powerful guitar riffs and captivating lyrics, and she jumps and moves around the stage with a level of energy out of this world.
Everyone in the crowd is head-banging and I see the first people crowd surfing, living the best life.
VEXED are a surprise package; they are so good yet so heavy with an emphasis very much on the metal. They certainly set a high bar to beat from the start, and then end their set with a build-up of crescendo. A band to keep an eye out for…
A quick break and we now have Static Dress, an English hardcore punk band from Leeds, storming onto the stage. The quartet erupt from the shadows like a volcano full of energy and they are not here to waste time. As soon as their set starts, the whole place goes wild and, despite the size of the room, the crowd pushes itself closer and closer to the barrier with a continuous group of people crow surfing and security trying to keep them and us photographers safe.
The room feels pulsating and alive. Static Dress is re-inventing and re-vitalising the way metalcore has been till now; they have kept all the vibrance of it but removed the posturing, adding a good mix of vitality and energy. Lead singer Olli Appleyard keeps jumping around the stage and it’s difficult to keep my eyes on him, and his vocal range and vocal distortions are pretty impressive.
With no time to waste and the crowd stomping their feet because they can’t take it anymore, Canadian heavy metal band Spiritbox makes a statement entrance. Formed in 2017 by husband and wife Courtney LaPlante (vocals) and Michael Stringer (guitar), Spiritbox is named after a device some belief is capable of communicating with the dead. This is a group of artists that are creating something remarkable with their music;
sweating, screaming, head-banging and the crowd singing along from the start till the end of the set. LaPlante’s performance of almost magical notes combined with her fierce growl almost leaves my jaw on the floor. On the opposite side, her kind interaction with the crowd speaks volumes about how incredible she is with her fans.
Fierce intensity, unwavering emotion and technical splendour are all elements that make Spiritbox such a special band, bringing something fresh to the table.
The experimental aspect of their music is a key part of who they are as they are open with their approach and make music that they feel compelled to create.
The whole performance is a full body and senses experience, with pulsating light games, incredible music and the urge to nod your head back and forth. I’m sure that Spiritbox will become bigger and bigger, so watch out for them.
Please note: Use of these images in any form without permission is illegal.
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Follow Spiritbox: website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Follow VEXED: website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Follow Static Dress: website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
All words and photos by Selena Ferro: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | portfolio
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