By DJ Astrocreep, Josh Bicknell and Jason Walker
We are back, it’s summer, in Manchester, and back at the Victoria Warehouse. Jase’s yearly pilgrimage since absconding from the UK sees him returning to my previous stomping grounds for a weekend of great music, many pints and top tier vibes.
Of course I’m here for doors and ready to get stuck into the first band of the weekend, Rozemary. A new band to my knowledge and I’m buzzed to see how they get things going! Opening up with the Whistle Baby meme song got some giggles before cutting it off with some pretty spicy mathcore noise, this is not what I was expecting when reading their bio but lets have some of that! Elements of Rolo Tomassi, Dillinger and Architects all come through showing that it’s not just disjointed noisy stuff, there’s some genuinely great melodic work woven in too. Getting the first pit of the day going this early is no small feat but Rozemary got RADAR this year off on the right foot.
I’ve dipped out for a bit to interview Michael of Volumes for a while which was a lovely albeit brief chat. Following this I spent some time properly taking in the sights of the festival throughout the music market. There’s so much going on it’s a bit hard to keep proper track but I need to incest my time somewhere and somehow and I think it’s good to really get a feel for the festival itself beyond just the bands.
DJ Astrocreep is in place as Ghost Iris open up the main stage and a small group are starting the pits early even as the first song starts ringing out. They are making some fine music, continuing the Scandinavian tradition of excellent tech metal, with some heavy riffing accentuating the growls as they smash through their 30 minutes There is plenty of movement from the crowd as they wind through their set, showing quite what a good job they are doing of getting everything started. The numbers are about as busy as last year at its peak, which is a good sign, especially this early on day 1. A great opening to the Kerrang stage.
Ghost Iris Radar Festival 2026
Josh rushes to catch Bound in Fear bringing the focus back to the main stage with their sheer heaviness that could be heard all the way from the end of the Volumes masterclass. Armed with what looked like a five-string baritone bass, their sound had a deep, oppressive weight that could be felt throughout the room. Frontman Ben Mason, also known for Pintglass and set to have a big day between the two bands, shifted into a far darker and more intense presence here, showcasing his range as a vocalist. The set balanced crushing breakdowns with a sense of groove, and the crowd responded with bouncy pits and steady movement throughout.
Pintglass‘ Trade School masterclass was one of the most entertaining and genuinely fun moments of the day. Fully committing to their tradesman identity, they turned it into a series of chaotic, interactive games. It started with a piece of drywall being put up and audience members invited to knock it down, immediately setting the tone. This was followed by the tape measure game, where participants took turns extending it further and further until it inevitably flopped, deciding the loser. The standout moment came with a blindfolded challenge to install a shelf straight, which played out like a chaotic version of pin the tail on the donkey and had both the crowd and participants fully engaged. Although the ending was missed by those of us rushing to catch Graphic Nature, the band even handed out certificates to those who completed the Trade School. It was a ridiculous idea executed perfectly, and easily one of the highlights of the day.
Pintglass Masterclass
Next up for Jase today is CLT DRP, incensed feminine rage through the lens of high energy electro punk. Genuinely it amazes me every single time I see just how much noise three people can generate. Groovy drums, a guitarist with an insane amount of pedals filling huge amounts of the sonic experience and vocals that feel like they’re reaching to grab you by the throat to tell you what’s fucking what. A continuous assault of chest shaking and earsplitting noise that seemingly was cut short a bit but reassures me that CLT DRP are still one of the most interesting yet incredibly underrated bands around right now. Spending my whole set down the front and enthusiastically throwing my head around and gnashing teeth singing the words, love it.
Time for my major highlight of today though, Sikth on the main stage, because I clearly haven’t seen enough of them yet and I’ll do it again and again. Every time ridiculously tight and techy, a band that seldom misses a moment to put something complex in. I do sometimes wonder if they’re ever going to get round to releasing some new material but I guess they’ll get round to it eventually. They’ve cracked the live performance formula though, how a band like this manages to pull off this sort of stuff without missing a beat every time is baffling and a proper testament to how solidly rehearsed and comfortable they are with each other. As much as I love Sikth, I do think the setlist is starting to get a little stale at this point as it’s been nearly 10 years since the last album. Top tier show once again but we really need some new material by this point.
Next up is Hacktivist, a band that’s making a proper comeback after several high profile lineup changes. This grimecore outfit have always had an interesting take on the fusion of rap and metal, combining gritty British grime with djenty riffs and sees the second stage area absolutely heaving all the way to the back. Seeing JJ formerly of Borders take up duties as one of the vocalists and Alex Hek take the helm on the guitars will no doubt see their growth push ahead at an ever increasing speed. Admittedly I don’t think the sound is quite being projected on the PA stack a bit further back so the overall feel of the music drops off a bit but looking around I’d guess I’m probably the only person actually bothered by that. Still though, Hacktivist sounds every bit as fresh to me now as they did back in 2013. I can clearly see from the back that the pits are going full send and people are crowd surfing over the barrier so this is definitely setting the pace for the rest of today’s sets.
Volumes up next for me before a bit of a breather, no doubt about to amp things up as the precursor to the headliner later today. Given how things went last time I’m expecting another riotous set! These are living proof that djent isn’t dead, it’s grown up, practiced self-care and refined itself beyond measure. The ferocity still burns, probably hotter than it ever did but is far more focused, Volumes are dominating the main stage at RADAR this year and looking around at the now heavily packed room, everyone else here wasn’t going to pass off a chance to see them smash it either. Constantly streaming crowd surfers over the top, a fierce pit in the middle, this is how you do a set at RADAR. All killer no filler, the riffs keep on coming, the crowd keeps on spinning, Volumes have made a triumphant return to RADAR. Considering the circumstances around their slot this year, it’s really driven home how much the people here love Volumes. I’m definitely happier, as is everyone else.
Back to Josh as Pintglass‘ second appearance of the day felt like their strongest showing yet. Opening with ‘The Geeza National Anthem,’ a tongue in cheek twist on the UK national anthem, they immediately set the tone for their set. Built around their identity as a tradesman band, their performance blended humour, chaos, and constant crowd interaction. Tracks like ‘GTHC,’ ‘Beer, Gear and Fear,’ and ‘WORLDWIDE BREAKFAST GANG’ kept the energy high, while ‘STELLA F.C’ and ‘Site Mentality’ had the crowd shouting every word back. The “Geeza” chant, dedicated to Ben’s brother Josh, added a genuine emotional moment that stood out among the chaos. The live debut of ‘Geeza Holiday’ was another highlight, and the near constant stream of crowdsurfers, including the now memorable “cookie monster,” only pushed things further. Closing with ‘Pintglass by Pintglass,’ the set felt chaotic in the best way, and marked a clear step up from previous times seeing them.
Finally for today, Thy Art Is Murder take the reins to draw Day 1 at RADAR festival to a close. The moment they kick things off the first thing that grabs me is just how unbelievably meaty their sound is. Deathcore can often be a bit hit and miss with how it sounds live but their sound is so thick you could chew on it. Sadly I wasn’t able to quite cope enough for the full set as I’ve found myself so exhausted by now that I had to leave early. For what it’s worth, this has been a fantastic surprise considering my last run in with them wasn’t super great. Day 1 over and done for me, RADAR is back big-time!
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