Raging Speedhorn // Kill The Lights // UK & Ireland Tour – Live Review // Voodoo // Belfast
This is a strange one for me. I am back at Voodoo, and not for a M2TM gig? What’s that all about Mark I hear you say, two fucking killer bands that what! UK mentalists Raging Speedhorn and US/UK Metalcore maestros Kill The Lights!
Kill The Lights hit the stage tres early at 7:30pm on a school night in Belfast, and whilst the city centre is eierly quiet, Voodoo is having its ass handed to it by a stellar band. This is my very first time experiencing the band in the flesh and sweet baby Jesus they are hot as shit! I have had the pleasure of interviewing frontman James Clarke just before the band headed out on a US tour, and catching him live gives me a better understanding of what he spoke about in that interview, the preparation for tour, the vocal management, and then putting it all into practise on the live stage
The stage presence is apparent, the delivery impeccable! James’s clean vocals hit the mark every time while Jason ‘Jay’ James on base slams home with some gnarly guttural vocals of his stage right, on the left their guitarist absolutely kills it! The lead work is superb, playing one seriously sexy PRS Dustie Waring Signature. Those tones cut like a knife! His intricate guitar work and continuous phrasing lay down a glorious musical backdrop to what can only be described as a savage and aggressive sound that packs one serious punch.
The guys have a sound all their own, the balance between James and Jason’s vocal interchanges are just glorious to see and hear, Jason is like a man possessed as he delivers his growls with every part of his being, I kinda knew they KTL were going to be something special, but Jesus H Christ they are on another level! With two studio albums currently under their belt, I am confident there is plenty more mileage in KTL and that’s good news for all of us, if you’re lucky to have this current tour pass through your city, take the opportunity to catch them while you can. You can thank me later.
And then Raging Speedhorn came on…. And life was never the same again. The end.
If only I could end it there, fuck me sideways, what am I witnessing? It’s been a while since I saw these crazy motherfuckers in an intimate venue in Belfast and what a treat it is, the last time I caught them in my city was with CKY, and two very different bands you could not imagine, two very different audiences too. And I distinctly remember Raging Speedhorn leaving the stage before the music had stopped through frustration of the lack of energy from the CKY fans, rightly so! Tonight, however, they are in a room packed with people who love their crazy assses top to bottom. The band lays down a thunderous sound while Daniel Cook and Frank Reagan tear Voodoo a new one!
If you ever want to get an idea how to energise a crowd, this is it. These guys are just a sight to behold. They are no spring chickens but are living their best lives to the fullest, laying down the law for all to see. After having just released their latest album, Night Wolf, there is no shortage of material to slam into the heads of the Voodoo faithful. From old classics to the latest material, they all have one thing in common: the angst and passion which is delivered live, and you just can’t buy that. The band are laying down some serious grooves, and Dan and Frank spit out lyrics into the night while hanging off the rafters like it’s all is between them and tearing off the heads of everyone in the front row!
The band plays an absolute rager, from start to finish the energy is off the charts and the Belfast crowd is carried along like a Tsunami has hit them, we may be mid week and the city centre is quiet, but inside Voodoo and unknown to those wandering the empty streets below this is where it’s all happening.
If you can still grab a ticket for a show near you, do it! This one is worth every penny of your hard-earned money, and then some!
RAGING SPEEDHORN’S BRAND-NEW ALBUM “NIGHT WOLF” OUT NOW VIA SPINEFARM
The tracklisting for “Night Wolf” is:
1. Blood Red Sky
2. Buzz Killa
3. The Blood Code
4. Can’t Stop
5. Every Night’s Alright for Fighting
6. Night Wolf
7. DOA
8. Comin’ In Hard
9. Dead Men Can’t Dance
10. Dead Reckoning
“Night Wolf” can be purchased here.
In support of “Night Wolf”, Raging Speedhorn kick-off a mammoth UK headline tour, taking Hit The Lights along as special guests.
Starting in Norwich, the dates are as follows:
Mar 7th – Waterfront Studio – Norwich
Mar 8th – Rebellion – Manchester
Mar 9th – Cluny – Newcastle
Mar 10th – Cathouse – Glasgow
Mar 12th – Voodoo – Belfast
Mar 13th – Grand Social – Dublin
Mar 14th – Clwb Ifor Bach – Cardiff
Mar 15th – The Old Cold Store – Nottingham
Mar 16th – The Fleece – Bristol
Mar 17th – The Cavern – Exeter
Mar 18th – The Joiners – Southampton
Mar 20th – Kings Hall – Herne Bay
Mar 21st – The Underworld – London
Mar 22nd – O2 Institute 2 – Birmingham
Mar 23rd – Corporation – Sheffield
Tickets and information can be found here.
