Machine Head/ Bring Me The Horizon/ Devil Driver gig review

SECC, Glasgow

Machine Head must have more Air Miles than any other band on the planet.
After their seemingly endless three year tour in support of ‘The
Blackening’ album you could have forgiven the band if they had
disappeared on an 18 month hiatus to recover and record, but no, after a
few months new album ‘Unto The Locust’ was released and the band are
back on the road on this ‘ The Eighth Plague’ world tour.

The band had put together a good supporting bill and have moved into
larger halls, so in full flow by the time I arrived were Dez Farfara’s
crew Devil Driver. I hadn’t heard much of the band before this
but they put on a hard and heavy display. Dez, replete in kilt, bonus
points there, was in fine voice whilst the band were on pulverising form
and the crowd loved every minute. Their set was short and I only
managed to catch three numbers but that was enough to convince me that
Devil Driver live are a spectacle worth seeing again. Maybe the rumoured
Coal Chamber reunion is a bit premature.

I have been in the SECC many times but I have never taken time to
examine the actual structure and intricate steelwork of the building
which is an engineering joy, however during Bring Me The Horizon’s set
I had plenty of time to do just that as an alternative to looking for a
freshly painted wall to stare at. Whoever put this bill together made a
grave mistake here as BMTH were roundly booed from the word go. Their
form of stop/ start shouty nu metal did not fit in and whilst they did
have a small following in the hall, they were up against it and didn’t
appear to win anyone over throughout the set. Singer Oliver Sykes kept
between song banter to a minimum, perhaps all too aware that there
wasn’t much love in the hall. The band did their best and no doubt in
their chosen sub genre they are nearing the top of their game, but here
tonight, they started low and eventually sunk without a trace.

With the air full of the traditional battle cry of Machine F**kin’ Head, the
lights went down, the screens on stage burst into life and the band
launched into new album opening track ‘ I am Hell’ which is an absolute
monster. This set the tone nicely for the rest of the night which was a
consummate display of heavy metal at it’s finest. Continuing with
another new number ‘ Be Still And Know’ the band made the stage their
own, obviously comfortable with the larger halls and bigger crowds they
now command added to by an excellent light show and on stage
projections. Rob Flynn is forever the humble host, thanking everyone for
their support at every opportunity and repeatedly saying how much the
band love playing in Glasgow.

As well as playing 6 numbers from the ‘ Unto The Locust’ album, there
were plenty of old classics to enjoy, Imperium, Old, and Ten Ton Hammer
to name but a few. It was the encores though that really cemented the
nights success. First up was crowd favourite ‘ Halo’ during which the
Glasgow choir were in fine voice and the set was rounded off nicely with
a blistering rendition of ‘ Davidian’ with members of Trivium and In
Flames being ushered onstage to add their voices to a quick burst of ‘
let freedom reign with a shotgun blast’.

Machine Head have moved up to this size of venue with ease and it has
been a long time coming. If tonight’s performance is anything to go by
their continuing success is guaranteed and well deserved.

David Wilson

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Power Plays w/c 15 April 2024

ENMY The Ledge (FiXT)
KAROBELA Get Hard (indie)
KATH & THE KICKS Neptune (indie)
THE BEE TELLERS River Poem (Black Sand Records)
LAUREN FREEBIRD Like A Bomb (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 15 April 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 KATARINA PEJAK – Pearls On A String (Ruf Records)

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