Last night in Manchester, we were served a visceral, sweat-soaked metal experience that smaller venues do best. From the moment doors opened the anticipation was electric, fans were packed tightly together, merch lines were buzzing, and the low hum of distortion from soundchecks were seeping through the walls. By the time the first band stepped on stage, the crowd was primed and ready to erupt, bouncing on their heels and shouting over each other in excitement.
Black Spikes opened the night and immediately set the tone. Their set was both an aural and visual spectacle with every member adorned in eclectic, eye-catching stage outfits. Adding a surreal layer, a mysterious figure danced like a marionette across the stage at intermittent phases, culminating in a flourish of a long white ribbon that twisted into enchanting shapes above the crowd. Fans reached out to the ribbon, mesmerized, while fists and heads banged in time with the music.
When the set opened it instantly ignited the pit. By the second song, fans were fully moving together, forming small moshing clusters across the floor. Tonight Black Spikes demonstrated that they are as much about art as they are aggression. Every riff, drum hit, and vocal cut found a visceral response in the crowd, leaving the room buzzing by the time they had finished.
Butcher Babies then took over, and the energy surged immediately. Heidi Shepherd encouraged fans to jump and scream with abandon, and the room responded in waves, almost like the pit itself had a heartbeat. One unforgettable moment came mid-set when Heidi parted the audience down the centre and leapt into the crowd, orchestrating a massive circle pit. Bodies spun, collided, and moved in perfect chaos under her guidance, the floor shaking with collective energy. Fans cheered her on, some holding hands to navigate the spinning pit, others just letting themselves be swept along. The whole set saw synchronized headbanging across the room, and by the final song of their set the pit had become a thrumming, heaving mass of metal fans feeding off one another’s energy.
By the time Infected Rain took the stage, the room was at a fever pitch. The opening barrage immediately commanded attention with a crushing intro, and the crowd responded with a mix of headbanging and fist-raising. Lena Scissorhands’ vocals were hauntingly clean against huge ferocious screams, and the audience’s hands swayed in unison during the melodic sections of the set before erupting into a chaotic pit for the heavier moments. Midway Heidi Shepherd returned to the stage for a collaboration that sent the crowd into frenzy. Fans surged forward, moshing with renewed vigor, and the energy hit a new peak as both singers traded lines with magnetic intensity.
Infected Rain’s set also featured crowd moments of awe and tension, quieter monents had the room holding its collective breath before thunderous drops slammed everyone into motion, creating waves of movement across the venue. As the set closed it left fans exhausted, hoarse, and exhilarated. Even as the lights came up, the crowd stayed in place, clapping and cheering, reluctant to let the night end.
Instrumentally, each band was tight and precise, but the magic came from the crowd interaction. Fans were fully engaged, shouting lyrics, moshing, raising fists, and reacting to every theatrical flourish, stage jump, and vocal crescendo. The energy was cyclical: band gives energy, crowd responds, band feeds off crowd, repeat—creating a continuous loop of intensity.
Club Academy’s intimacy amplified everything. Every drum hit reverberated through the floor, every vocal cut was crystal clear, and every ribbon, leap, and pit was witnessed in full detail. There was no barrier between performer and audience, making the night feel immediate, personal, and unforgettable.
By the end, the crowd was drained but euphoric. Each band brought something distinct yet complementary, crafting a seamless, high-energy lineup that never faltered. The theatrics, the surprises, and the communal chaos made it a night that will linger in memory for a long time.
