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

MANGATA FESTIVAL, NOTTINGHAM, SEPTEMBER 5 2026

 Never been to a gig in Nottingham, so where better to start than a 41-band, multi venue metal festival?

I have a planned itinerary for this but, as is standard with events like this, things are likely to change as we go. See the poster for the full line-up, 'cos I don't have the space to list 'em all below.

What I ended up with is a mix of bands I know and love, bands I've never heard of, and bands I HAVE heard of but have never seen before. No discredit to the bands I'm passing, but choices had to be made.

Line-up:

FIRMAMENT: Dual guitars, riffs, muscular vocals, that classic rock thing. Not as 'symphonic' as advertised, but perhaps that's a good thing. Singer's a bit ill, but they press on regardless.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/GbNyzgCSUPY  https://www.facebook.com/FirmamentUK

BONESTRIDER: Sabbath-worshipping doom duo. Thought there was going to be three of them, but there wasn't.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/YxiALYUePC0  https://www.instagram.com/bonestrider_official/

WOLVES DON'T SLEEP: 'Emotional metalcore'  A late addition to my schedule. Stop in to see them on my way from them above to them below. Quite smokey.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/0kXsVKaxsaY   https://www.facebook.com/WolvesDontSleep

GÜRL: Fierce. Like Skunk Anansie if they played an arty brand of nu-metal. But better than that sounds.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/xkvQnqQqXYY  https://www.facebook.com/thegurlband

SCORDATURA: Brootal Scottish death metal. Usual singer Daryl was away in Bulgaria with his other band PARTY CANNON, so vocal duties were handled by BLOODTHREAD's equally Scottish Tony Mitchell.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/htVsls6ZLLA   https://www.facebook.com/Scordaturaofficial


GURT: Turbosludge. Singer buggers ankle falling down stairs. Carries on. Strong opinions about Mega ticket sellers.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/b_IYEifCOzA   https://www.facebook.com/GURTsludge

TEALDEER: Kinds metalcore-lite, possibly. Apparently missing a guitarist.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/0uG5XPKDalU   https://www.facebook.com/tealdeeruk

OFNUS: Welsh post-black metal heavyweights, featuring unidentified stand-in guitarist(the hairy one)

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/mrqKuCwbPxI   https://www.facebook.com/Ofnus

A-TOTA-SO: Math-rock legends doing lots of stuff from their new album, and featuring numerous guest vocalists, including Ari and Liam of HIDDEN MOTHERS, Andy from THE GREY, and regular face JETHRO.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/8H4k_uA4eds   https://www.facebook.com/atotaso

ÆL-FIERLEN: Folky blackgaze from dahn sarf somewhere, but the singer comes from Florida and sounds Scottish. Go figure. Short notice replacements for HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN, whose Tom fell off a bike and bust his elbow. Silly Tom.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/F_jIjOU_9GQ    https://www.facebook.com/AElFierlen

YOU WIN AGAIN GRAVITY: Energetic emo-core/post-hardcore from...checks notes...UK. Well, that narrows it down.

            https://youtu.be/W_ojwtEDNkA    https://www.facebook.com/YouWinAgainGravity

HIDDEN MOTHERS: Excellent post-metal screamo lads, playing one of their last gigs before the departure of bassman Liam.

TAYNE: Shoegazey industrialists, in uncharacteristically generous lighting and lack of smoke. 

VIDEO:    https://youtu.be/ASW76SF4J2k    https://www.facebook.com/tayneband

MAATKARE: Egypt-focussed Death metal from UK/Netherlands laying waste to a tiny venue in Nottingham. 

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/Kp-j3no3VdY    https://www.facebook.com/MaatkareOfficial

SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF: Hypnotic psychedelic groovesludge. Really NOT what I was expecting. Few pics because it was hazy and I was stuck in a corner

VIDEO:     https://youtu.be/jhGxyY7iC9E  https://www.facebook.com/sergeantthunderhoof

THE GREY: Seriously hefty post-metal trio from Cambridge. No pics AT ALL because it was very hazy in Stealth, and Andy was too close/too active to focus on.

VIDEO:    https://youtu.be/RcrmsNU0XZU  https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyUK

ALPHA MALE TEA PARTY: Math-rock legends go back to the old-school when technology fails again. No click, no in-ear monitors, none of that.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/wfzfW6vec9g    https://www.facebook.com/alphamaleteaparty

GIANT WALKER: Bluesy progressive metal from all over the UK. No pics again, because my camera had had enough and was being a dick. Also, the lighting was weird.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/w0HjO1sVAvU   https://www.facebook.com/giantwalker

I'm knackered now. 18 bands in one day. It has been fun, but please can I go lie down now?