Starting off the night as a local support is never an easy challenge, an uphill task to get an audience that hasn’t warmed up yet invested. However, as My Only Solution take to the stage equipped with the new music they have offered up to us this year, they meet that challenge head on. Opening up the evening with some absurdly heavy tracks, My Only Solution give their all into a performance that is such an amazing opener, setting us up wonderfully for the night ahead – especially considering the recent roster change in the lack of bassist and debut for their guitarist.
The amount of charisma on show from Sixth Wonder cannot be understated; Rebekah Kirk displays a hauntingly beautiful performance that manages to enthral any and all present. Combining this stage presence with some absurdly powerful vocal melodies, Sixth Wonder have immediately made themselves known – undoubtably adding themselves into many a watcher’s listening habits. Battling through guitar tech issues, Sixth Wonder show no sign of being affected as they demonstrate a level of confidence and star power throughout their ethereal performance.
Gigs are a pretty unchanged formula as far as experiences go. However, as Mallavora takes over the stage at Manchester’s Night & Day, erecting an entire apparatus of screens and lights, the band shows off their creativity in an incredibly unique way. Projecting a professionally sculpted animation onto a 3D surface, Mallavora manages to entrance the entire audience as they accompany their pre-set music with breathtaking visuals. As this audio-visual masterpiece reaches its achingly beautiful climax, guitarist and birthday boy Larry Sobieraj stalks into the awestruck pit to add his striking guitar riffs to the ongoing soundscape, merging this unique pre-set experience with the more traditional upcoming performance.
As the band explode into the main attraction for the night, exquisitely crafted riffs combine with some truly impeccable screams from Jessica Douek in delightful fashion, urging the crowd into a mosh fuelled frenzy. As the band rages through an electric setlist, Mallavora displays an onstage charisma usually reserved for association with the greats – the crowd hang on every word, desperate for every drip of energy and passion that the band oozes with every hook, every song.
Feeding on the energy of the crowd in front of them, each band member displays expert levels of musicianship that grow as the night goes on. Incredibly technical drumming compliments the already mentioned musical prowess, even in the slower moments. As Mallavora slow it down, they create grooves and emotional acoustic moments that poignantly complement the sheer destruction of them doing what they do best.
Since arriving at the venue, the care and thoughtfulness shown in terms of providing an accessible experience for those less able has been incredibly evident. From the first moment, walking in it was obvious that Mallavora and all those involved in the tour are truly dedicated to that goal. While it would be lovely to live in a world where this sort of commitment to accessibility is commonplace and unnoteworthy, unfortunately this is a rarity. Mallavora have managed to show that accessible tours of this size are possible, and the appreciation for this is undoubtable tonight as the crowd chants their name. The buzz and energy of the show hangs around far after the final track as all three bands take the time to interact with the crowd, sharing in the energy of what has been an absurdly good evening.
