Wargasm/Blackgold/BEX –
The Foundry, Sheffield, Friday 14th April 2023
The Foundry is located within the University student union building. It is the first time I have been here but instantly like it. The venue is easy to find and the people working on the doors, ticket office and security are helpful and friendly.
The bar is to the side of the stage and drink prices are reasonable for a music venue. There is a large seating area where you can chill out between bands if you wanted. Being at the heart of the University campus seems fitting as I am here to learn more about the bands playing tonight.
The first support act is BEX – a punk singer/songwriter/musician/fashion designer, still in her early 20’s and based in London. She strides confidently onto the small stage, a whirlwind of red and black, accompanied by Bass player, Josh.
They play a short but memorable set. Yes, BEX will find herself amongst the Sheffield crowd by the end of the performance, creating her own mini mosh pit.
The songs are raw and aggressive such as previous single releases 'Tiptoe' and 'Bite My Tongue'. The highlight of the set however, is the debut of a brand new song called 'Slave 2 The Grind'. BEX’s vocals sound super on this. She has a tuneful singing voice when utilised and the song has a catchy chorus.
I am seeing a trend of female fronted rock bands emerging in the UK recently. If BEX continues coming up with new material as powerful as 'Slave 2 The Grind', she could be one of the best.
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Blackgold are unashamedly nu-metal. Harking back to the genre’s glory days of the late 90’s, they are a five-piece outfit in the musical style of Limp Bizkit, Korn, Rage Against The Machine. Turn-tables, headless bass, chugging guitars, and rap-style vocals. Mystery surrounds the true identity of the band members.
They are from somewhere in the UK, all have stage-names, (the singer is Spookz,) and they all wear masks. Not so much in the circus horror style of Slipknot, but more like a blend of science fiction and gangster rap apparel. They look pretty damn cool, and different – which is always important in my book.
Tonight’s first song, 'It’s Art', is also the opening track on their self-titled debut EP. A mission statement of sorts – if you don’t like what we have to play and say – we don’t really care. The crowd here seem to like it – first song in and there’s a mosh pit.
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The band power through equally heavy songs – 'Sound Of The Underground', 'Sorry', 'Rhythm' & 'On Another Level'. It’s then back to the 90’s nostalgia trip, and a nu-metal take on Cypress Hill’s classic – 'I Ain’t Going Out Like That'.
Last track from the band tonight is also one of their best – 'Boogeyman'. A menacing slow-build then explosive homage to horror movies and haunted houses. It’s a beast of a number.
It's 2023 and it’s about time we saw bands as heavy and confrontational as Blackgold again. We have been force fed a bland diet of Ed Sheeran and X-Factor winners (or should I say losers) for too long now. It’s post-covid, Rock is back, and it’s ready to rule.
A full-length album and a headline tour or two of their own, and Blackgold may just reach the heady heights that they aspire to.
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Tonight’s headline act, Wargasm are a band very much on the rise. The electro-rock duo comprise of Sam Matlock, (Vocals/Guitar,) and Milkie Way (Vocals/Bass Guitar) who formed in 2018. They met when Milkie was working as a photographer and shot Sam’s previous band – Dead!
Since then, Wargasm have released a dozen singles – all amassing thousands of views/listens on YouTube and Spotify, and one full length album – 2022’s 'Explicit: The MiXXXtape'.
They have been gaining widespread exposure of late, having supported the mighty Limp Bizkit in the USA and Europe. In fact, they were in support when Limp Bizkit played Manchester and Birmingham the previous two nights before this Sheffield show of their own.
Displaying absolutely no signs of tour fatigue, Sam and Milkie run onto the stage like it is play-time, and along with touring band members Edison Hunter, (Guitar/Looking Cool), Adam Breeze (Drums) and Adam Crilly, (DJ/Electronics) launch into the first song of the set – the frenetic 'Super Fiend'.
The formula of the band is thrashing guitar riffs, in your face vocals/screams, and a 100mph schizoid beat. Sam and Milkie both sing back and forth, trading vocal duties throughout the songs. The latter alternating between angel and demon in the same song, often the same sentence. This band is not for the faint hearted. For the same reason they are one of the most exciting bands I have seen in a long time.
Next song up is 'D.R.I.L.D.O' – another bonkers track. Sam loses his shirt and Milkie isn’t wearing much to begin with. A bullet belt over black bikini bottoms. They then launch into 'Salma Hayek'. It’s a heavy guitar riff driven song with thunderous drums and a promo video that should come with a health warning. “You got your snake wrapped around my neck,” croons Milkie.
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The crowd are suitably excited – there is a stream of crowd surfing bodies drifting towards the stage, where they are plucked to safety by the security guys. All in a night’s work.
The band play 'Pyro Pyro', 'Rage All Over', and 'Your Patron Saints' in quick succession. This is a band you can just tell love playing live. It’s a sonic and visual onslaught. A blur of bodies, beats, screams and superlatives.
If I have one criticism a this point, Wargasm’s songs, like next number 'Fukstar', whilst sounding individually awesome, do tend to sound similar to one another. Fast and loud and manic.
A refreshing change of direction is tonight’s next song – a fabulous cover of NERD’s Lapdance. They do 100% justice to this iconic tune, their dual vocals working to tremendous effect. DJ Adam Crilly takes immense delight in bounding to the front of the stage to deliver the rap segment.
The band also play a cover of the Deftones song 'Elite'. Typically, the thrashiest track on the Deftones’ 'White Pony' album. By this point, I am gravitating to the outer rim of the mosh pit and I am head banging like it’s 1997 again.
Some bands play cover versions to pad out the set, or slow things down, not Wargasm. Incidentally, if the band name rings a bell, they took it from the L7 song from the 'Bricks Are Heavy' album. Some members of Metalliville ran into Donita from L7 in Sheffield many years ago, but that’s a story for another time..
The excellent evening is rounded off by the song 'Backyard Bastards' – a track full of blood-soaked lyrics that would put Patrick Bateman to shame, and then an encore of the crowd favourite track – 'Spit'.
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Wargasm are back in the USA in May, doing their own tour, and no doubt winning over many new fans. Sexy, stylish, shocking, heavier than heaven. This band are on the verge of becoming a main player in the hard rock game.
Check them out if you dare!
Review By Saul Bennett
Photographs By Steve Oxley