Guitars, Eyeliner And Lube - A Night On The British Horror Story Tour
Published
Halloween came early to the B2 in Norwich tonight, as goth-punks Ashestoangels continued their British Horror Story tour of the UK along with The Dead XIII and on their first tour in the UK, Farewell, My Love.
The B2 has long been a venue keen to support unique alternative bands in the UK and local area, and the small size of the venue creates an intimate feel. Hopefully not too intimate though – I did note that the toilets were incredibly well prepared for the intensity of alternative gigs, with bottles of deodorant, hairspray and packets of… lube? Deciding not to partake in the offerings of the B2 toilets, I made my way towards the stage to join the swathes of excitable female fans.
First on stage is The Dead XIII, horror metal quintet assembled from the alternative scene of Manchester. Eerie, atmospheric sounds start to fill the room; and a burst of heavy guitars bring The Dead XIII to life. They rip through songs such as “Frostbite” and “Can’t Escape The Grave” with versatile vocals, interacting with the crowd between each song.
One of the stand-out things about this band is their enthusiasm – it’s clear on stage that they love making this music together, taking the horror metal subgenre and simply having fun with it. Influences such as The Misfits and The Defiled shine through, whilst maintaining their unique sound. They encourage the fans to move forward towards the stage, and by the end everyone is jumping along and just as excited as the band.
After sitting outside between sets – and being joined by The Dead XIII who sat down with us for a chat (lovely guys!) – I returned to the front of the stage ready for the next band. Farewell, My Love; a four-piece rock band hailing from Arizona, USA; stormed the stage in a whirlwind of hair and eyeliner.
I was instantly impressed with the band as soon as they started playing, and so were the crowd – instantly jumping and clapping along. Kowal’s vocals really reminded me of the early albums of AFI, and worked well with infectious guitar hooks reminiscent of Avenged Sevenfold. This band wouldn’t have been out of place on my teenage emo/pop-punk playlist of 2004.
Just when I thought the energy of the room had reached its limit, Ashestoangels explode onto the stage with a manic energy, and it’s easy to see why their name keeps popping up everywhere. Adam Crilly is a natural frontman; complete with theatrical mic tricks and an impressive set of lungs, switching between harmonic melodies and powerful screams. The setlist mixes up older tracks like “Dorian” with tracks from their latest album ‘Horror Cult’ – “Six Six Six” is particularly catchy, with fast paced guitars and a chorus that’s impossible not to sing along to.
As Ashestoangels’ set came to a close, all the bands returned to the stage to perform together. Interacting with the fans, constantly thanking them and handing over the mic, it struck me that this is what drew me to alternative music in the first place – it’s such an inclusive community, with the fans at the centre, and these bands are keeping that alive. B2 is a small stage, but I could easily see all three bands filling bigger venues in the future.
To find out more about each of the bands, click below:
Words and photos by Carla Morris.
