Massive Wagons // Florence Black // Earth To Grace UK Tour – Live Review // The Limelight II // Belfast
So, after catching my breath from last night’s killer show with Myles Kennedy & Cardinal Black next door in the Limelight I am back in Belfast mid-Storm Bert or whatever the fuck it’s called to catch the second killer gig in Belfast this weekend!
Tonight, we have two of the UK’s finest rock bands playing in Belfast, Massive Wagons and Florence Black, and it will be my first time catching both in the flesh, these guys have covered the length and breadth of the UK mainland and beyond for the last number of years carving up a serious reputation as ones to watch, so tonight, having both bands on the same bill means a sold-out Limelight II for these guys, and deservedly so.
It’s never straightforward when you try to gauge how a UK band will fare in Northern Ireland, there is a disconnect between here and the mainland, that may seem obvious but the reality goes beyond the land mass and for touring bands especially a strong UK following does not always translate to a big crowd here in Belfast, I’ve seen Raven Age in their early days okay to 20 people in this very venue.
Tonight however the lad’s reputation proceeds them and the room is rammed at 7:20 for Florence Black hitting the stage. Jesus wept! What a fucking band, what a fucking sound! Absolutely fucking lethal from the off these evils have the room fixated on the stage, their gnarly aggressive balls out rock just pins you to the spot and you’re transfixed on what’s happening on stage! The vocals are glorious against the brutal distortion the guys toss out at will, for a three-piece the sound is gargantuan, the floor is shaking beneath my feet and everyone in the room gets it, head to toe they can feel every thrash of that guitar and pummelling drums through their veins! Belfast is dogging it and cannot get enough of this savage Welsh three-piece. By the time the guys wrap up their set Belfast has had the skin ripped off their faces by the PA and they’ll need the time in changeover to catch their breaths once again!
Photography: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
There’s a lot of hustle and bustle to get the stage cleared for MW, the room is rammed and bodies are being flung everywhere to get them outta the way so the techs can move the gear off stage and out of the building. The excitement in the building is palpable as they gear up for Massive Wagons in 2024. It’s that time of year when sheeple are out partying for Xmas with friends and work colleagues and gigs like this offer the perfect opportunity to combine both, there defo seems to be a party atmosphere in the air tonight and it’s gonna get real very very fast!
8:30 and the band arrive on stage right, the ladies around me on what looks like a staff night out are all very excitable, before you know it the lads learn stage and sweet, baby, Jesus, I was not quite ready for Massive Wagons! Their energy is off the charts, and frontman Barry Mills is like a man possessed, he never stands still! The guys in the band are a ball of energy and Barry just encapsulates that as he bounces, struts and entertains his way through a crazy high-energy and highly addictive set of songs that has the room completely bouncing. The lads released their new studio album ‘Earth To Grace’ in November of this year check out our review here: Earth To Grace are living their best lives right now on the live stage, translating these killer tunes from a glorious recording to how they are meant to be enjoyed, cranked to eleven and in your face live and unleashed on a packed venue.
You can tell the lads enjoy the live experience as their beaming smiles light up the room with every thrash of their guitars, the slam of these drums and the wailing vocals as they scream out ‘You’re An A.S.S.H.O.L.E”! Belfast is lapping it up and is begging for more. The lads have no shortage of quality material to fill their set with and treat the Belfast crowd to a collection of close to twenty tracks, and everyone is met with glee and appreciation. The great thing is that far and wise I can see Massive Wagons merch being worn, so that disconnect, as I mentioned earlier, has been bridged by the guys making a conservative effort in keeping the kids on this side of the pond entertained every chance they can. The guys love what they do, which means that the audience is giving it back ten-fold, every time Barry asks for more Belfast responds in kind, the screaming guitar solos and the punches in the air, this audience is here for a good time, and Massive Wagons have a soundtrack that can only bring a smile to your face and make you wanna shake that tush! Barry’s relentless intensity onstage has the crowd pumped up beyond belief and nobody wants this night to end, while Florence Black dealt the heft, Massive Wagons are setting this room on fire for a whole other reason, Belfast loves this band no wonder the band love playing Belfast, its a match made in heaven.
By the end of a killer set packed with everything from their early releases through to 2024’s ‘Earth To Grace’, Massive Wagons delivered a performance to keep their fans jabbering for another 12 months or so till the lads roll around again. Santa has indeed come early this year, delivering a weekend of sublime rock to the Limelight I & II, it’ll be a weekend I’ll not forget in a while and no doubt the packed-out crowd on both nights will either. I need to go lie down in a dark room now and recover for next weekend.
https://linktr.ee/MassiveWagons
Photography: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
