By Josh Bicknell
Due to their brutal sound and tongue-in-cheek approach to the genre, PaRtY-CaNnOn have earned a reputation as one of the most entertaining acts in the slam metal scene. Their ongoing ÜK ‘Vomitour’ is stirring up silliness like never before, with their recent show at Rebellion featuring a range of hilarious gimmicks, as well as the usual chaotic mosh pits. Supporting are Pintglass and Street Soldier, who are best known for their hard-hitting yet equally absurd takes on hardcore. Their presence on the lineup elevates the ‘Vomitour’ into an unmissable experience for fun-loving metalheads who are eager to blow off some steam while having a damn good time.
The show opened with Street Soldier, who are currently one of the most popular bands in the underground hardcore scene. They took to the stage with their signature Yorkshire swagger, quickly taking advantage of Rebellion’s impressive sound system.
Within a few songs, they had die-hard moshers leaping from one side of the pit to the other, colliding with each other in the process. Featuring more spin kicks than your average karate class, Street Soldier’s pits certainly aren’t for the faint of heart. Their setlist was well balanced, with the band playing some of their first releases alongside their latest single, ‘Walk With Tha Talk’. Despite only being released this month, it was an obvious crowd favourite, with several fans screaming the lyrics in time with vocalist Scott Hall. Overall, Street Soldier brought the heat, warming up fans for what was yet to come.
Up next were Pintglass, who put on one of the most exhilarating live shows that I have witnessed this year. Embracing their working-class roots, they took to the stage donning hard hats and high-vis jackets, with frontmen Barney Warner and Ben Mason bantering with the crowd from start to finish. Brilliantly, Pintglass were offering similar jackets at their merch stand, turning the mosh pit into a demolition site, perfectly matching the humour of the night’s headliner. Above all, their set was memorable, as it was filled with moments.
For example, while their show was consistently high energy, when the intro to ‘Tarzan Of The Boozer’ made its way through the speakers, there wasn’t a single person in the room not jumping up and down. This track was followed by ‘Beer, Gear And Fear’, leading to what must’ve been 20 people diving on and off the stage within a matter of seconds.
After a final bludgeoning, Pintglass closed their set on one of their most popular songs, ‘GTHC,’ walking off stage to the crowd chanting ‘Geeza’ over and over again. Their live show can only be described as an experience and is well worth heading down early for.
After Pintglass made their exit, concertgoers took a moment to rehydrate, but before long it was time for PaRtY-CaNnOn to hit the stage. Shrouded in red light, they opened their set with ‘We Prefer The Term Living Impaired,’ while launching several colourful beach balls into the crowd. This quickly progressed into their first funhouse-themed gimmick of the night, when a mysterious mascot rushed onto the stage and began drenching the crowd with an enormous water gun. When combined with their frenetic instrumentals and screeching vocals, it’s clear to see why PaRtY-CaNnOn have chosen to market their slam as “IQ-lowering.”
As their set progressed, partygoers continued to have a blast, with Rebellion’s excellent sound system once again elevating everyone’s experience. Since their breakout EP, ‘Partied in Half,’ the band has consistently leveraged samples from popular culture in their music. Before the show, I was concerned that this aspect of their sound may be lost in the live mix; however, much to the delight of fans, the venue’s speakers had been geared up to blast samples at the same volume as their instrumentals.
Approaching the end of their set, the night’s headliner continued weaving silliness into slam, successfully putting a creative spin on the night’s pits. I recall a moment where bassist Chris Ryan called for a circle pit. However, as with all things PaRtY-CaNnOn, there was a twist. A limbo stick made its way to the crowd, and moshers were encouraged to duck underneath it while running in a circle. It was almost impossible to make out a winner but was certainly hilarious to watch.
To conclude their set, PaRtY-CaNnOn opened up one final mosh pit. Before the crowd could begin shoving one another, they were instructed to crouch down and begin doing pushups. This phenomenon is known as the ‘push-up pit,’ and it’s one of PaRtY-CaNnOn’s favourite tricks to pull. As their closing track ‘Human Slime’ echoed around the room, fans willingly took to the beer-stained floor and began doing pushups with questionable form. After the song concluded and fans had posed with the band for a group photo, half the venue rushed for the toilets in desperate need of a handwash.
Overall, PaRtY-CaNnOn have proven that metalheads shouldn’t always take themselves so seriously thanks to their action-packed live show, and with every band on the lineup bringing something unique and exciting to the table, the ‘Vomitour’ feels impossible to forget.
- PaRtY-CaNnOn will take their ‘Vomitour’ to the island of Ireland for three dates in February:
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