RIPCORD 2, NICE'N'SLEAZY, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 10 2026

 Back for another round of heaviness in Glasgow, It's RIPCORD FEST #2!

Line-up:

DUTCH ELM: Superior post-rock from Newcastle. A gentle start to the day. Except when they get LOUD.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/6S8sKamEK7k   https://www.facebook.com/dutchelmne

KOBA: Atmospheric post-metal all the way from Norwich, nice mash-up of gentle and crunchy. Mostly, to be fair, crunchy.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/_qvqIpY2qNw   https://www.facebook.com/KOBA.fb

KAKIHARA: Edinburgh's kings of big stupit beatdoons. Joined for a bit by Andy from THE GREY on guest vocals. Pure madness.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/0ozLSqTFqrs   https://www.facebook.com/kakihara.life

KUSANAGI: Post-rock again, from Liverpool. Pure, sweet loveliness.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/iP4xw0Qa9Oo    https://www.facebook.com/KusanagiMusic

VOID OF LIGHT: Majestic post-metal. One, in my opinion, of the finest Post-metal bands in the country right now. Right up there with HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN and CODESPEAKER. All of whom, coincidentally, are fond of hostile lighting and thick smoke.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/KlA_DZb9als   https://www.facebook.com/voidoflightband

PLEIADES:  Post-screamo from Manchester. Heftier than I remember them...

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/k6yirbHpn38   https://www.facebook.com/pleiadesuk

THE GREY: Hefty post-metal trio from Cambridge. Guest spots for the singers of KAKIHARA and MASTIFF. Unusually, Andy stays on the stage for -nearly- the whole set. A new song - 'Bends' - is teased, promising great things in the future.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/ulNLpC1MvjM   https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyUK

HIDDEN MOTHERS: Post-hardcore/emotional post-black metal from Sheffield. Bass player Liam's second last gig with them. It'll be interesting to see where they go from here. Hopefully they'll be back.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/c7Uf_7Oe8qo   https://www.facebook.com/hiddenmothersukbm

MASTIFF: Angry sludgecore from Hull. Possibly the hardest band of the day. Definitely NOT post-rock.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/_IPjrjGjQjo   https://www.facebook.com/mastiffhchc

STRANGEFORMS FEST, BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB,LEEDS, DAY 1, APRIL 6 2024

Leeds' premier math/post/etc-rock festival returns for its 9th outing, seeing the return of some old favourites and introducing some new ones.

VENUE: BRUDENELL SOCIAL CLUB, LEEDS

Line-up:

LOVE RARELY: Local mathy alt-rock. Energetic and good fun.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/6fwWTeytdMI   https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550628900569

DIN OF CELESTIAL BIRDS: Hefty post-rock lads from Leeds. I've been hassling Stewart at BAD OWL to get these onto the StrangeForms bill for ages, and here they are. How much influence I had on that I can't say, but I choose to believe that they're only here because of me. Because I'm important. Yes.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/AHBFVDggTmE   https://www.facebook.com/DinofCelestialBirds

PLEIADES: Another chance to see these post-everything chaps from Manchester after last week's appearance at the RED CRUST fest in Edinburgh, and another chance to get a decent sounding video. Success, I think, on both counts.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/9h09wtpfWLM  https://www.facebook.com/pleiadesuk

DEMCATS: 'Experimental' duo, difficult to define. Intricate, and a bit jazzy, perhaps. I have the impression that they hadn't played together for some time, but they seemed to manage. Mostly.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/qnMENuH40qo   https://www.facebook.com/demcatsband

OTHER HALF: Spiky and good fun, indie-punks from Norwich. I might have been tempted to dance to this, if I weren't an old fat bloke who dances like a collapsing sack of potatoes.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/MfQZkzlHvnY   https://www.facebook.com/otherhalfuk

FALL OF MESSIAH: French screamo/post-rock veterans, they were at StrangeForms in 2016, 2017 and 2019, and still look exactly the same as they ever did. Guitarist on the left, white t-shirt, was apparently playing with a broken neck, which seems inadvisable at best.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/AHJoI-0Cmp8  https://www.facebook.com/fallofmessiah

FALSE ADVERTISING: From SF regulars to SF newbies - boisterous indie-math popsters from Manchester are enormous fun. 

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/msx1otbnn9E   https://www.facebook.com/falseadv

CLT DRP: Uncompromising Brighton electro-punks. They sound a bit angry.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/mndAZApQiTo   https://www.facebook.com/CLTDRP

EMPLOYED TO SERVE: No nonsense heavy metal from exotic Woking. Not standard StrangeForms fare, to be sure, but very popular with the punters in the room, many of whom are, I think, here just to see them.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/YZMlfqcZFA0   https://www.facebook.com/employedtoserve

Day 1 over, and it's time to bugger off. Been a mixed bag of a day, but there's been nothing I hated, which is always nice. It's started to rain, so it's a 15 minute sprint-walk down the hill to the overheated hotel to try and get some rest for tomorrow.