The Birmingham show was the last night of the tour, which marked the band's first run of shows since 2018. Looking at photos of the other shows, the turnouts looked pretty good - so I was concerned when the evening's opening act, local band Meet Your Maker, took to the stage at around 6:30pm and there were only around 15 people in attendance. Thankfully, during the evening the place did fill up, but I had expected a better turnout really given how long the band had been away, how cheap the tickets were, and the fact that it was on a Saturday. In some ways, though, the whole night had an old-school feel to it - with a decent but not amazing turnout, £15 tickets, and £20 t-shirts. Despite the small crowd early on, though, the metalcore/hardcore act Meet Your Maker made the best of things - playing for around half an hour and making an impression on those who turned up early. The band's pretty macho sound will never be my thing, and I do not understand the current trend of quite chavvy-looking metal bands that are doing the rounds, but they certainly had their sound down - and a few of the choruses were quite decent. The mix of harsh and clean vocals generally worked well, and there were some chugging riffs throughout which created some early energy - but I did notice quite a reliance on backing tracks for what sounded like lead guitar melodies. They could have been a synth, but they sounded more like a guitar - and it was strange seeing the sole guitarist on stage playing chords when what sounded like more complex leads were coming through the PA. Perhaps they were a member down, they did not make it clear if they were, but I wish that some bands would stop being so reliance on backing tracks for such key elements of their sound. There were clearly a couple of people in attendance who knew the band, so there was a bit of singing going on during the set, and a couple of small-scale mosh pits also broke out during the some of the songs. Clearly a religious band, it was a bit strange towards the end when they stopped for a few moments to talk about Jesus. It was largely done through the lens of mental health, an important topic for sure, but the religious angle came a bit out of left-field - although it did not derail what was largely, in fairness, a powerful set.
The main tour supports were Glamour of the Kill's fellow Yorkshiremen This House We Built. I had heard of the band before, and I think I remember Tyketto's Danny Vaughn singing their praises at one point, but I knew nothing about them - so I was quite surprised to find them to be a 1980s-style hard rock/heavy metal act. There was nothing of the modern metalcore of Glamour of the Kill's sound to be found in This House We Built - but the bluesy riffs, melodic rock choruses, and fast-paced guitar solos were all on point; and it did not take long for me to start enjoying their set. Given my love of all things 1980s, this is perhaps not a surprise, but I was surprised how well the band went down with what was largely a metal crowd. Everyone was pretty on board with This House We Built from the off - and a later cover of John Farnham's You're the Voice had everyone singing along. Frontman Scott Wardell possesses a great melodic rock voice - and he teamed up well with guitarist Andy Jackson, who also sang a couple of songs, to form a mean guitar duo. Big riffs, melodic leads, and plentiful solos filled the band's set - whilst the punchy rhythm section ensured a metallic edge. The band played for around 45 minutes, and they managed to squeeze quite a lot of material into that time. Despite essentially being a hard rock act, there was quite a bit of variety on show. The opening number had a bit of a southern rock feel thanks to some bluesy riffing and Wardell's slide guitar playing - but elsewhere there were melodic metal anthems, borderline AOR choruses, and a soaring ballad that ticked all of the right boxes for me. For a bunch of, and no offence is meant here, largely older guys, who have started out on this current venture pretty recently, I was very much impressed. They all came across as being very down-to-earth and likeable, too, with some classic Yorkshire humour on display throughout - which also likely helped draw the crowd, which was of a decent size by this point, into the set further. I imagine these are all musicians that have been knocking around various rock and metal scenes for a while, with bassist Wayne Dowkes-White looking like a real rockstar duo to his impressive and extensive tattoos, but there is clear chemistry to be found in This House We Built - and there was not really a song played that did not have something to like about it on first listen. They are the sort of songs which are likely to only get better after hearing them some more, then, and I fully intend to give This House We Built a proper listen going forward.
The changeovers during the night were all pretty quick, so it did not seem like it was too long before First Breath of the Reaper could be heard playing over the PA - and Glamour of the Kill were taking to the stage. Given that the venue was small, I decided to get right down to the front - which is not something that I do very often these days. I was just drawn to a spot on the barrier in memory of some of those earliest Glamour of the Kill gigs I attended - and the next hour and 15 minutes was something of a nostalgia trip. Due to the design of the venue, I was actually stood about in line with the speakers - which meant that the live sound mix, for me, was not the best - but I did not really mind. I was enjoying being down at the front again so much that I decided not to move back for a better mix - and I could still hear everything, it was just a bit drum-heavy. The band's 14-song setlist covered all five of their releases - but they rightly focused on material from Vengeance. Six of the new songs were played, with the double salvo of The Forgotten and Grace of God kicking things off. Despite the fact that the crowd could have been bigger, it was clear that basically everyone in attendance were big fans of the band. Even all of the new songs were being sung passionately by those around me. Vengeance is a strong album, so the new songs deserved the reception they got - and it was great that the crowd were not just waiting around until the next oldie. The band were on fire, too, and barely looked like they had aged a day. Davey Richmond (vocals/bass guitar) remains an excellent frontman, whilst guitarist Mike Kingswood shredded his way through the whole set - and took on more of a role vocally during some of the new songs. Sam Brookes (guitar) is the new face in the band, but he riffed away all night supporting Kingswood - and seemed to be having fun on the other side of the stage. I was right in front of Kingswood so I enjoyed all his soloing - and Richmond was often towering over me on his platforms at the front of the stage. The band talked well with the crowd as they often used to, enjoying Tequila shots at one point, but largely the music just came thick fast. Some old favourites such as the anthemic Feeling Alive and the synth-heavy Break were deployed early on, whilst the newer material was spread out nicely throughout. The new material is heavier, and perhaps a little less anthemic, but the songs really came across well on stage. Rampage hit harder live than it does on the album - whilst the new album's title track was a winner thanks to the big wordless vocal hooks during the chorus. The big synths and hooks of oldie A Freak Like Me saw plenty of headbanging, too, whilst Blood Drunk was perhaps a bit of a clue over 10 years ago as to where the band would go with their current sound. The set flew by, and it was not long before the dense ballad Delirium saw Kingswood take the lead vocally whilst the crowd lit up the room with their phones. It was the main set's penultimate number, sadly, with the real oldie Rise from Your Grave rounding things out with plenty of singing. A brief step off stage saw the band called back for a two-song encore - which opened with A Hope in Hell, the first song the band ever wrote. It was played slightly differently, with a more mellow opening, but when it kicked in the place went wild - and this continued on throughout the closing anthem Second Chance which brought a fun and nostalgic evening to a close. The setlist was:
First Breath of the Reaper
The Forgotten
Grace of God
Feeling Alive
Break
Earthquake
Rampage
A Freak Like Me
Vengeance
Blood Drunk
Feed Them to the Pigs
Delirium
Rise from Your Grave
-
A Hope in Hell
Second Chance
Despite playing so many of their new songs, Saturday's gig in Birmingham really took me back to some of those early Glamour of the Kill shows I saw in 2010 and 2011. That vibe was still there, and it made me realise how much the band meant to me back then - and still do today. I was pleased when they reformed last year - but now that I have a new album to enjoy and another gig memory to cherish the reunion feels complete. Given the 8 year gap between the 2018 gig and this past weekend, I really hope that the band do not leave it as long next time - and I am already looking forward to the next tour.
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