Moshville WinterFest 2022 – Ivory Blacks, Glasgow – 10/12/22
Moshville WinterFest 2022
Ivory Blacks, Glasgow
10/12/22
Review by Rob Sutton
Photography By Bracken Hake
I’ll be honest, I had never been to Glasgow before and waking up on the Saturday morning for a 4 and a half hour drive and seeing a 3inch thick blanket of snow was not the start I wanted. Nevertheless, I braved the snow, fog, rain and sun all in the name of reviewing. A true soldier! Now the venue itself, Ivory Blacks did have a more rustic/dinghy feel to it but with really good toilet facilities, plenty of seating, a good stage and a mega sound system. Although the beer prices were a little higher than at most venues, I am in the middle of a city so I can understand it.
All bar one of the bands on this bill were new to me and first up was Ac Rid who were down quite a few members , including their brass section but they decided to play despite only being a 3 piece for the night. This meant that the vocalist/bassist was on both duties for the first time and did appear to have some of the lyrics on her phone. This would normally be an issue but I think the circumstances tonight meant this was fine. In terms of their actual music, well it was more on the pop punky side and the vocals were fantastic with some brilliant harmonies from the other band members as well as some tight as fuck drumming. Sadly their stage show was somewhat lacking with very little movement and sometimes a bit too much silence between the songs which also seemed to lose the interest of some of the crowd. Some of the covers were also a little ropey with a few of them slipping out of time but these did manage to get the crowd going a bit. This was by no means a perfect set but despite all the issues really did warm everyone up for the rest of the day. A good opening act.
https://www.facebook.com/TheMightyACRid
Next to hit the stage was a second late addition to the line up, Nassau. Now these guys are certainly different with the guitarist using a kazoo as part of the intro and this kind of set the tone for the rest of their set. Musically there were so many different influences and crazy additions within the songs it well and truly kept the audience engaged. I mean using a 6 string bass guitar is cool in itself but then having the bassist be all over the fretboard was incredible to watch. Couple this with a drummer being all over the kit throwing odd beats left right and centre made the whole musical experience utterly awe inspiring. At the start of the set the members themselves were a little static on stage but as the set went on they seemed to find their groove and started moshing away on stage nicely, including one of my personal favourites, the Synchronised headbang! Vocally, it did feel a little dry, while it kind of fitted the sound they were going for, it wasn’t my usual cup of tea. As a set and performance I’m not sure I enjoyed it or was just gobsmacked at the level of musicianship that was on display, I guess I will have to watch these guys again sometime. Although if you like your weird as fuck prog metal, these guys are totally for you!
https://www.facebook.com/bandnassau
I can’t lie when I say I have seen my fair share of deathcore bands this year but sadly I’ve not seen many from Scotland, this all changed when The Head of a Traitor hit the stage and boy did these guys bring the energy! Not only energy but also keys being played live!!! Although these were a bit quiet in parts but when you could hear them they really added a whole new layer to their sound. Let’s call it Ingested meets Lorna Shore! Vocally as well there was an incredible range from guttural to highs and everything in between, there is a slight hint of jealousy here I can’t lie. Throughout the whole set there was a mix of fast paced riffs, blast beats and neck snapping breakdowns which honestly left me with a huge smile on my face, to say I was like a kid opening a Christmas present to find it was the thing I’d always wanted would describe it best. I was in my element and this probably doesn’t do The Head of a Traitor justice as to just how much I enjoyed this set! Deathcore fans, you need these guys in your life!
https://www.facebook.com/TheHeadOfTheTraitor
Another late addition to the festival was Tempered and again this is another band I haven’t seen before. I won’t lie thrash is not normally my thing but boy did these guys bring it, their energy onstage was infectious! Their style of thrash also leant slightly to the hardcore side, reminding me of Dishonour the Crown. The sheer speed these guys were playing at was phenomenal and really got the pits going and the heads banging, not only that but it was fucking tight! Thrash also tends to lend itself nicely to the good old guitar solos and Tempered did not disappoint, with the guitars cleanly cutting through the mix, heck I wanted to air guitar to this!! As I said at the beginning, thrash really isn’t my thing but every now and again one band will stand out for me and Tempered were that band! Again another utterly stunning set and another band I’ll be keeping my eye on!
https://www.facebook.com/temperedcst
Footprints in the Custard ended up being the sole band I had actually seen before so I knew what to expect, the crowd also were clearly fans with a fair few t-shirts on display. Now if I were to tell you that this set was tight, professional and serious then that wouldn’t be a Footprints show. Yes it was tight and yes it was professional but in parts seemed a little more serious than previous shows, yeah we still have a guitarist in a mankini and silly song titles with a lot of charisma on stage but it’s almost like they have grown up a little bit, there isn’t quite as much silliness as you would expect and the newer songs are musically more serious than before. Does this work? Well to me, yes! The music really strikes a chord with me as there is a definite melodeath feel to some of them and slightly toning down the silliness also allows the music to shine through a little more. Now I’m not saying that these guys have lost their funny side as the songs are still really funny but it’s a more mature overall sound with hilarious themes. As for this set it was great fun as always and I would always recommend these guys as they are one of the top comedy metal bands in the UK right now!
https://www.facebook.com/Footprintsinthecustard
The final band of the evening was Dog Tired and they hit the stage with a shit load of groove! The riffs on display were delicious coupled with cracking bass lines, aggressive vocals and hard hitting beats. I would normally go further into their playing but as soon as these guys hit the stage, I finished my beer and bounced into the pit running into whoever I could find, hair down, horns up and having an absolute blast. Now for anyone that knows me, I try to avoid pits and moshing, yes I’m getting old. So for a band I’ve never seen before to instantly grip me in the way that Dog Tired did means they are something special and boy were they! An entire set spent in the pit and a very sore neck the next day should be praise of the highest calibre. Dog Tired were seriously good on another level!
https://www.facebook.com/dogtiredmetal
I have to give massive props to Moshville for this event, not only was it well promoted and had a good turn out but the bands really were fantastic and gave me an opportunity to watch new bands in a new place. I honestly hope that they make this an annual event!
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Rob Sutton and Ever Metal. Photography property of Bracken Hake. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
