Sidney & Matilda was transformed into a launchpad for the bizarre and the brilliant last Friday, packed to the rafters with earthlings in tinfoil hats, green face paint, and full-on intergalactic regalia. There was a genuine sense of occasion in the air—like a cosmic carnival had landed in Sheffield—and both Mr Vast and Henge played right into the weirdness, delivering a night that was part gig, part space mission, and totally joyous.
Mr Vast opened the evening with a set that defied genre and expectation in the best way. Equal parts synth-pop oddball, theatrical provocateur, and dadaist comedian, his performance was a wild series of gear changes—musically and costume-wise. One moment he was crooning over squelchy electro beats, the next writhing under some combination of alien mask, rock formation, and possibly hat-based shower system. It was surreal, hilarious, and surprisingly moving at times—the kind of act that leaves you unsure of what just happened, but very glad it did.
Then came Henge, and with them, a full-scale sonic lift-off. Frontman Zpor promised us an intergalactic journey and delivered in style, piloting the crowd through a pulsating, euphoric set largely built from the excellent new album Journey to Voltus B. From the opening rush of Ascending to the irresistible groove of Slingshot, the band had the crowd instantly involved—dancing, moshing, and orbiting in full force. The older favourites hit just as hard: Self Repair Protocol (Alpha Test 4), Monolith, and Get A Wiggle On all landed like classics from a parallel universe.
As ever, the stage presence was spot on. Goo (bass/bass synth), Nom (drums), and Grok (token human on synths) were tight and playful, clearly having as much fun as the crowd, and Zpor’s between-song banter was pitch-perfect—equal parts alien preacher and psychedelic hype-man. The set closed with a mass singalong on Demilitarise, uniting band and crowd in one last burst of cosmic unity.
If you’ve not seen Henge before, do it. They might just be the best spacefaring live band on Earth right now. And if you’re lucky, they’ll take you with them next time they blast off.
