It seems like an age since I last reviewed a gig, but in fact it's only little under a month - it appears time does not fly when you’re not having fun. Fortunately, my first reviewing gig back is for a co-headline treat. Both Thrice and Refused don’t visit England that often (well, certainly not the North West), so I’m eager to catch a couple of my formative musical acts in the flesh for only the second or third time. As always I jump on the train, hoping that I’m not going to be held hostage to some trick or treat irony from Transport for Wales (spoiler: a rail replacement bus on the journey home turned out to be the trick). This is my first gig at the main Manchester Academy reviewing for ROCKFLESH, and I should mention that it’s one of my preferred venues in the North West for sure. Getting to the toilet or grabbing a drink are never a problem, and there’s usually a decent view at the front, middle, back or side for anyone. I’ll admit that it’s a nightmare when it’s been oversold, but I think promoters have become savvy to this and that seems to be less and less of a problem.

No worries of over-sale tonight, as when Johann and I arrive it can only be about a quarter full. To our surprise the set-times have all been shifted forward at the last minute, and instead of going on at 7:30, the support band Gouge Away are finishing at 7:30. It means we only get to catch half of their set, but to be honest they’re not really either of ours’ cup of tea. The Florida band are equal parts post-hardcore and noisy garage punk. Whilst there’s a massive dollop of Fugazi in a lot of what they do, there’s also a generous helping of Nirvana inspired grunge sensibility too. In that sense, fans of Turnstile would do well to check-out these upstarts, but for me they lean towards the noise rock element far to heavily to interest me. The end of the set is punctuated by a far too loud and cliched wall of horrific feedback, and it’s difficult to judge from the small numbers in the room if anyone enjoyed the finish or in fact the set. 

I’ve always considered Refused to be the hardcore, arty, angsty brother of The Hives. Both hail from Sweden, and both have always put on stage shows full of swagger and confidence. Equally, they both demonstrate excellent musicianship and professionalism - in their stage craft and their songwriting. Tonight is no exception with Refused strutting and rocking their way through a variety of their songs. Nearly half of tonight’s setlist is from this month’s new release “War Music”, with ‘REV001’ and ‘Violent Reaction’ acting as openers to both. For any of you who follow the writings of my ROCKFLESH colleague Stewart, you’ll know that he’s been massively disappointed by the new Refused album…but I, on the other hand, think that whilst it may be less challenging than previous work, it is enjoyable in a more musically accessible manner. This in turn allows the lyrical content to step forward, and there’s no doubting “War Music” is a political album dripping with left-wing sociological ideology. When frontman Dennis Lyxzén isn’t throwing angular shapes along to his staccato yelps and dramatic hollering, he’s providing earnest monologues about the capitalist and misogynistic plight of the modern world. Irrelevant of your take on these issues, there’s a delightfully raw and passionate core to everything Refused perform tonight. Syncopated rhythms perpetuate from all corners, and it’s a joy to watch them drift between technical avant-garde post-hardcore to dirty punk metal riffs akin to Every Time I Die. Unsurprisingly they finish with ‘New Noise’, and even more unsurprisingly the crowd goes madder than a box of frogs. It’s a unique and timeless song from a similarly seminal and inventive band.

Thrice have never been easy to pigeonhole, and in recent years they’ve become even more eclectic in their influences and style. I try to describe the Californian band to Johann as post-hardcore tech-blues, and his puzzled look probably says it all. They take to the stage and, as if to prove my point, blitz through a set of songs plucked from a variety of all their albums. As such we are able to delight in their full range of musical influences and styles that have meant as I’ve grown older and changed, their music and relevance to me has continued to align. Tracks from “The Artist In The Ambulance“ demonstrate an early reliance on overdriven guitars throwing out prominent intricate guitar noodling and frequently changing time signatures. Later albums “Beggars”, and post-reunion releases “To Be Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere” and “Palms” have allowed the band to explore their soulful and exposed musical core. But it is the work from “Vheissu” which has always truly captivated me - incorporating electronic beats and keyboards for the first time alongside their early trademark sound to form what I still believe is a fairly unique experimental sound. It is the tracks ‘Image of the Invisible’, ‘Hold Fast Hope’ and ‘The Earth Will Shake’ which exemplify the mix of sumptuous bluesy-soulful yet hardcore driven vocals from Dustin Kensrue. His voice has to be one of my favourites across the years and when juxtaposed with the angular yet weaving guitar of Teppei Teranishi, and driving rhythm section of the Breckenridge brothers, there are still few bands that can match them on their day. And tonight, thankfully, was one of those days.