It takes a fair while for the assembled queue to make it inside the venue, meaning local openers Venus greet the majority upon walking through the double doors – and it’s a warm welcome to what’s set to be a special night. Their punk-infused rock is as fiery as it is melodic and energetic, though it’s a little difficult to discern many of the lyrics; there’s nothing that quite sets Venus apart yet, but it’s still early days for these newcomers, with plenty of potential still to be tapped in the future.

Never has a half hour break before a headliner seemed to last as long as it does tonight, and there’s not much visible floor space amongst the hundreds of impatiently twitching feet as 8pm ticks nearer. It’s a setting that fairly starkly contrasts with the scene that will greet All Time Low the next time they’re in Leeds for the northern leg of Reading & Leeds Festival, and it’s been many years since they graced spaces this intimate on headline tours. From teenagers up to fans from the early days, everyone is infected with the kind of giddy excitement that could only ever come from seeing your favourite band, and sharing that experience with 400 others who love them just as much.

With only twelve tracks to come this evening, there’s no time to hold back – and from the first moments of ‘Weightless’, it looks like nobody is planning on doing so. It might be smaller than Reading & Leeds in here, but between the dancing of feet, screams, and singing along, the noise level could still easily rival it. Remember those videos of The Beatles from the 60s? That’s Brudenell Social Club on this cold, wet Monday night, and the ripples of joy evident in hundreds of gigantic grins feel like a sprinkling of magic as All Time Low dip into a collection of fan favourites.

The announcement of these two one-off shows were accompanied by the release date for album number eight, ‘Wake Up, Sunshine’, and the handful of new tracks that find a place in the setlist make up some of the night’s highlights – not that it’s obvious they’re new, given the volume of the ecstatic crowd. The “really fast” ‘Sleeping In’ and anthemic ‘Some Kind Of Disaster’ have all that signature All Time Low vibrance without sounding like a rehash of previous material; this is a band with plenty of gas still left in the tank, and these arena-ready songs make the most of the incredible sound in Brudenell, filling every inch with electric clarity.

Despite the relatively brief set there is, of course, still plenty of time for the band’s infamous and frequently slightly absurd banter to make an appearance. Ever wondered what happens when you touch a disco ball? You shatter into a billion glittering pieces and form part of the universe forever, apparently. Useful information. Where these interludes have occasionally in the past gone a bit too far, tonight it’s nothing but pure (and very silly) entertainment, featuring heckles aimed at guitarist Jack Barakat’s skill and an inexplicably ridiculous jazz-country version of ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’. In this small room, the band are able to feed off the audience interaction with razor sharp wit, and it’s a shame they aren’t able to play venues this size more often.

It’s all too short a time to party as the set is brought to a close with ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’ (in its normal format), but judging by the smiles that remain on the faces of departing fans, it’s a night that will live in memories for a long time to come. There’s a reason All Time Low have remained at the top of a fickle genre for such a long time, and their ability to capture the hearts, energy, and attention of a room is second to none – All Time Low are truly the kings of pop punk, and long may they reign.

GEM ROGERS

They’re armed with a mission to become the first band to play a Fleetwood Mac cover while traversing the desolate lunar landscape. They want to walk in the footsteps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and be able to tell the aliens just how good Linda McCartney sausages are. Before they go, however, there are a few things to take care of.

The Glasgow four-piece’s decision to call time on this “project” came as somewhat of a surprise to many fans. After eight years and three impressive records, The Spook School have won a lot of friends as they openly spoke of gender fluidity, coping with a feeling of non-binary lifestyle, and toxic masculinity, by wrapping them delightful indie pop songs. They became champions of the LGBTQ+ community and their shows were a reflection of the inclusiveness they would preach. Not only were they able to create a sense of belonging through beautifully crafted songs and forthright opinions, but every show they put on was just immensely fun.

That is why there are plenty of happy tears shed as they say goodbye to the cities, clubs, bars, and communities they feel so indebted to for the support over the years. Tonight, it’s Leeds’ turn.

Prior to the weepfest of the Spooks’ slow goodbye, Cincinnati’s Leggy pay their own homage to the headline act by re-telling their confusion of being introduced to a Toby Carvery. Drummer Christopher Campbell is quick to clarify that they have returned the compliment by teaching the Spooks how to master the fine art of throwing dice. Despite hailing from America’s famous ‘Rust Belt’, Leggy have the garage vibe of southern California. The guitar work of Veronique Allaer provides an almost surfer vibe with grooving riffs that evoke images of the Santa Monica pier as opposed the factories of the big cities of Ohio. Taking sharp turns between jovial songs about dreams of her teeth falling out to harder hitting topics such as consent, they display a depth beyond the smiling surf-esque music. Allaer and Campbell enjoy an excellent rapport between songs before suggesting the whole audience meets them for a game of dice – and we might.

Tonight’s headliners, clad in spacesuits and makeshift helmets, enter the stage to the strains of Babylon Zoo’s ‘Spaceman’ as they prepare their rocket to the moon. “I know, you weren’t expecting me to get undressed so early into the show, but drummers aren’t meant to be astronauts,” Niall McCamley quips as he quickly disrobes from his spacesuit. This may be the last show in this fair city but it doesn’t mean McCamley is going to leave out his patented between-song monologues.

This set is a celebration of the past eight years and the Spooks delve into every corner of their back catalogue – from the mass sing-a-long and call to arms of ‘Burn Masculinity’, to the tender and wistful plea of ‘Keep In Touch’, to the exceptionally funny and lovably sketchy ‘Can You Ever Trust a Man Who Thinks Matt Damon Is Really Cool?’.

There are rare treats such as ‘I’ll Be Honest’ and an emphatic ‘Body’, all the while there are smiles across the room and giggles at every utterance from McCamley’s mouth. There is, however, a trembling in the voice of the charismatic drummer as the proceedings edge towards a close.

As they shoot off into space, they land on the moon’s surface to smash through a raucous cover of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘You Can Go Your Own Way’. McCamley takes a moment to thank every person in the room, the Brudenell Social Club, and Leeds as a city; “I’m going to stop talking before I start blubbering.”

With a final rendition of ‘I Want To Kiss You’, the final Spook School celebration is at end. The quartet embrace and wave goodbye. And with that they are gone, to live a new life and win more hearts in the Milky Way.

Farewell, Spooks. It’s been an absolute blast.

TOM WALSH

Next up, Swain offer a much more relaxed half-hour of music as they embrace their love of alt-rock, 90s grunge and modern post-hardcore. Vocalist Noam is effervescent, even when talking about some darker times he has experienced, and his presence is undeniable as he leads the Berlin-based quartet through powerful tracks like ‘Punk Rock Messed You Up, Kid’, and ‘Strange Way Down’. The highlight of the set is new track ‘Never Clean My Room’ which is literally just the perfect amount of Weezer-worship without the band losing their own distinctive sound.

Main support Svalbard are one of the most hotly-tipped bands in UK heavy music at the moment, and likely have many people in the room who have come specifically to see them, which makes it all the more unfortunate that they suffer with technical issues right from the start. The bass drops in and out as it pleases, and the band are visibly distracted by this. On top of that, vocalist Serena Cherry has lost her voice, so her usually ferocious howl isn’t present and is almost entirely drowned out by accompanying vocalist Liam Phelan.

All that aside, when everything is working Svalbard sound absolutely monolithic, and still manage to deliver a performance to be proud of in circumstances that would have caused most bands to give up. The majority of the set is made up of tracks from 2018’s stellar ‘It’s Hard To Have Hope’ and the likes of ‘Unpaid Intern’ and ‘For The Sake Of The Breed’ sound just as feral live as they do on record. The band closes with ‘Revenge Porn’ and Serena seemingly summons every demon available to deliver the potent final bellow of ‘FOR THE WOMEN’. Even though everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, there’s no denying the ability of this band, and their unapologetic social and political lyrical content is so important in a climate where bands being vocal about certain issues is a no-go for fear of alienating ‘fans’. If Svalbard can make this much of an impact with their live set hindered, imagine what they could achieve at full strength.

Iowa melodic hardcore pioneers Modern Life Is War have been doing this for the best part of two decades and this shows tonight in their utterly flawless performance. They open with the abrupt ‘Fuck The Sex Pistols’ before sending the punters at the front into a frenzy with a one-two punch combo of ‘The Outsiders’ and ‘Martin Atchet’ from their seminal album ‘Witness’. Vocalist Jeffrey Eaton has stage presence in abundance, and he and his band seem to revel in the fact that this show isn’t sold out, the modest numbers allowing them to take things less seriously and just enjoy themselves. This does nothing to take away from their performance; every track is delivered with boundless energy regardless of crowd reaction. Post-reunion cuts like ‘Feels Like End Times’ and ‘Chasing My Tail’ from 2013’s ‘Fever Hunting’ are as good as anything Modern Life Is War have ever written, and a couple of cheeky covers (Stooges and Black Flag) go down a storm.

That said, it’s obvious that the crowd cares a lot more about the older material, particularly the tracks from ‘Witness’, as the only real crowd energy comes during the likes of ‘John & Jimmy’, ‘Young Man Blues’ and of course the anthemic ‘D.E.A.D.R.A.M.O.N.E.S’. The closing combination of ‘First and Ellen’ and ‘By The Sea’ brings the last few over-30s lurkers / hardcore dads out of mosh retirement and puts the perfect full-stop at the end of this incredible set. The room may not have been as full as the bands would have liked, but those who made it saw four great bands give it their all regardless, and Modern Life Is War remain one of the most vital bands in modern hardcore.

LIAM KNOWLES

Saturday

Adam Betts

One-man drumming and sampling machine Adam Betts kicks off the weekend in style. The Three Trapped Tigers sticksman describes the set as “playing with my computer to see if I can make songs from it,” and he does a damn fine job. Triggering samples from drum pads while laying down some seriously impressive rhythms, it’s obvious that Betts is a huge talent and when the drums are less busy, the unmistakable groove makes it impossible to stand still. Some songs lose their way as the drums become a little too frantic and cluttered, but it’s a great start to a festival that’s known to celebrate instrumental prowess and technicality.

Soeur

While Betts celebrates the classic StrangeForms experience, Soeur are representative of this year’s wider reaching line-up. Among their ranks is ex-Maybeshewill drummer Jim Collins and as this three-piece indie-alternative act kick into their set, it seems that’s the only link connecting them to the scene usually promoted at StrangeForms. It’s an inoffensive and palatable experience, but their pedestrian pace and straight-up rock songs are formulaic and do little to excite the crowd.

Trigger Thumb

Every festival has its regulars and after several years, some faces become very familiar. It’s good to finally see Trigger Thumb bassist Damen Hughes on stage this year and after this performance, it’s clear that the stage is where he belongs. The official StrangeForms pamphlet describes them as a mix between System of a Down and Muse which, despite sounding unlikely, is surprisingly accurate. The schizophrenic pace and dynamics of the opening two tracks make it difficult to know what’s happening, but the more the set goes on, the more infectious it becomes. The entertaining stage presence and constant surprises make Trigger Thumb one of the unexpected highlights of the day.

Chiyoda Ku

If a whole day of this festival consisted of Toby Green playing drums, we’d be fine with that. The seated member of Chiyoda Ku is able to do extraordinary things with just the bare bones of a drum kit and his infectious rhythms are the backbone of the band’s set. When the guitars lock into a riff it gels the band together nicely, but too often they’re meandering and uninteresting, allowing them to be overshadowed by Green’s fantastic performance. There’s definite potential with this trio, but this set isn’t quite the finished article.

Jo Quail

Armed with an electric cello and loop pedal, Jo Quail creates an epic, dramatic atmosphere that’s dark and brooding. Quail utilises the loop pedal to create a percussive background, from which each composition can build, and while it’s an intriguing set, most songs build in the same way and become repetitive in the second half.

Big Lad

Like Adam Betts and Chiyoda Ku before them, Big Lad’s high-octane performance is accentuated by a superb drumming display. The combination of high energy, pulsating drums and electronic samples makes for a thoroughly enjoyable start, but the set doesn’t progress or add new elements as it goes on, allowing the initial excitement to dampen.

Valerian Swing

Making the trip over from Italy, Valerian Swing are the furthest travelled band of the weekend, but unfortunately they haven’t made it unscathed. A broken foot leaves their guitarist rooted to a chair and his ailment serves as a metaphor for their set, which feels oddly fractured and disjointed. Each individual performance is impressive, but on a day personified by excellent drumming performances, it’s a real shame that the snare is barely audible, as it would’ve provided the glue to hold everything else together.

Talons

The sight of six people on stage at once seems oddly overwhelmingly after witnessing many three-piece bands through the day. With double the average member tally, Talons generate a cacophony of noise, matching swelling guitars with two violins and a frantic rhythm section. Their on-stage composure tells otherwise, but it’s the band’s first show in 22 months and their return is boosted by the news of an upcoming record. We’re treated to a few new tracks in the set and as each trademark, dramatic crescendo passes, the excitement to hear the new album grows throughout.

SUNDAY

Vogons

After a diverse opening day, Vogons start the next in a more traditional fashion. StrangeForms has long celebrated clever instrumental bands and Vogons’ math-rock fits right in with clever dynamics and interesting time signatures. Some of the transitions don’t flow quite as well as others but on the whole it’s a good start to the day and a warm reminder of the festival’s DNA.

Earth Moves

With headliners Rolo Tomassi on the horizon, Earth Moves start to step up the aggression early, showcasing the heaviest set of the weekend so far. Steadily growing, epic slabs of post-hardcore don’t come any more impressive than the band’s closing track, which evokes memories of ‘Satellite Years’ era Hopesfall. It’s a journey from start to finish that’s as interesting as it is impressive, and highlights the huge amount of potential in the band.

A Sudden Burst of Colour

We featured this Motherwell-based quartet in our Ones To Watch 2018 feature, and this stunning performance shows why we’re so excited about them. Their brand of instrumental post-rock soars with ambient beauty thanks to the uplifting guitar lines, and moves with unstoppable momentum courtesy of the intelligently crafted rhythms. For a band that looks so young, they’re admirably composed and confident on stage and their refined set is not only a highlight of the day, but of the entire weekend.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster

The Tool influence is strong with this quartet, resembling an instrumental version with less complexity and dynamics. The solid riffs make for an enjoyable, head-bobbing set, but without any bursts of volume or tempo to add flickers of variation, it does lose its shine towards the end.

Wot Gorilla?

The unique blend of complex instrumentals and catchy hooks provides Wot Gorilla? with so much promise that it’s a shame they’ve never managed to maintain momentum over the years. 2017’s comeback EP ‘Angel Numbers’ gifted us some of the band’s heaviest tracks to date and nno with a fourth member, the live renditions sound even thicker, adding more substance and bite. They transition in and out of riff patterns so often that they need to be watertight to pull it off and it’s a bit hit and miss this time around. The more they perform as a quartet, the tighter they’ll get, and we’re hoping it won’t be such a long wait to find out.

VASA

The ever reliable VASA do what they do best, treating us to complex, creative and groove oriented math rock. The sight of talismanic bass player John Niblock taming his giant six string bass is always a joy to watch and with songs as impressive as their musicality, VASA are, as expected, one of the highlights of the weekend.

Poly-Math

Taking the award for best-dressed performance is Poly-Math, who make the place look tidier in their black suits. The addition of an organ player on stage adds a new level to their experimental prog-rock concoctions, and tracks from their upcoming record ‘House of Wisdom/We Are The Devil’ undoubtedly represent their best work to date.

Codes in the Clouds

Ambient post-rockers Codes In The Clouds played at the inaugural StrangeForms but haven’t been seen on stage since ArcTanGent in 2014. They end their four year performance drought on a high, treating us to snippets from a new album that’s in the works, and providing an enjoyable calm before the impending storm of the weekend’s headliners.

Rolo Tomassi

After a weekend of diverse, instrumentally complex and thought provoking acts, Rolo Tomassi are an ideal headliner to round things off. New record ‘Time Will Die And Love Will Bury It’ is their most expansive and challenging to date, and incorporates many of the elements heard throughout the weekend in one ferocious package. Opening tracks ‘Aftermath’ and ‘Rituals’ are prime examples, moving from the wonderfully melodic and calming, to outright brutal and devastating. Eva Spence manages the transitions from angelic singing to throat-bursting screams seamlessly, showing her progression as a vocalist. Flanked on all sides by superb musicianship, it’s a set that’s every bit as impressive as their highly regarded new record.

Growing a successful festival experience is not an easy task and it wouldn’t be possible without supreme organisation and dedicated passion. Over the previous four years, Bad Owl Presents have not just built a festival, they’ve developed a community, and it’s been a pleasure to watch it thrive and grow. Relocating to a larger venue was always going to be a risk, but the promise of such a unique festival experience has enticed a wealth of support.

While Wharf Chambers was an ideal match for the community spirit of StrangeForms, the layout of the live room left many punters unable to get a good view of the bands, and often felt cramped between sets. The size and facilities of Brudenell Social Club are much more accommodating, making it a perfect location, and one that will no doubt be an ideal home for many years to come.

MARK JOHNSON

First up are Japanese art-rock trio Boris, and they waste absolutely no time cranking their amps way past 11 to create a bulldozer of noise to flatten the crowd. Boris’ main party trick is the hanging of notes, creating suspense as to when the next wave is coming. Whilst this is an interesting and severe experience, it does wear a little thin after a while, so the weirder, artier moments are welcomed to break up the set. These are mostly carried out by drummer and vocalist Atsuo, who utilises several unusual percussive tools to create atmosphere. Most notable of these is the enormous gong behind the drum kit, which has become a key part of Boris’ unique, if not slightly silly aesthetic.

Despite all this, there simply isn’t enough variety in Boris’ set to keep things interesting for almost an hour and a half. An early appearance from ‘Absolutego’ showcases their ability to create some quality Sabbath-worship, and even one more normally-structured song like this in the set would have just taken the edge off the relentless drone of their other material. That said, this kind of music isn’t really made to be enjoyed with the edge taken off, and Boris more than likely couldn’t give a fuck if you can’t handle them. They’re too busy having the time of their lives dressing up in capes, playing loud enough to make you soil yourself, and making people leave their shows with the innate desire to buy an enormous gong.

That’s the last attempt at humour in this review because there is absolutely NOTHING funny about Belgian post-metal giants Amenra. The opening chimes of ‘Boden’ ring hauntingly as the guitars slowly build to a crescendo, and when it kicks in…it’s difficult to find the words to describe what it feels like. Some bands are really heavy, some bands are really loud, but Amenra are both of these things to the point where they are simply overwhelming. Not many bands can cause a person to have to physically plant their feet to steady themselves, but Amenra can do it without even breaking a sweat. What makes them truly special is their ability to play at this organ-shifting level of intensity whilst maintaining a sonic clarity that allows every sinister note and nuance to break through the ear-splitting volume.

Amenra don’t utter a single word to their audience as they punish them with their unyielding juggernaut of a set. Every single song sounds monolithic, with vocalist Colin H. Van Eeckhout’s haunting shriek sitting perfectly in the mix to create a ruthless sound that is as epic and hypnotic as it is harrowing and bleak. There are countless moments that make people in the crowd go slack-jawed, none more so than when set closer ‘Diaken’ takes a split-second breath before bassist Levy Seynave ushers in a crushing riff with an otherworldly roar.

Tonight may have been billed as a clash of titans, but there was really no competition. Amenra have no problem holding their own amongst their peers on record, but live they are unparalleled. Powerfully potent and vehemently honest in every aspect of their arrangement. It’s no wonder that their collaborative collective is called the Church Of Ra, as this is a group of musicians worthy of an altar.

LIAM KNOWLES

“I won’t lie, I feel pretty tired today”, Cassels frontman Jim Beck admits, it is sentiment echoed by Youth Man’s Kaila White who concedes that she can’t bounce back like she used to. However, those perceived flagging limbs do not get in the way of a chaotic show inside Leeds’ homely Brudenell Social Club.

Both Youth Man and Cassels are seeing their respective stars rise in recent months with the former signing to Alcopop! Records while the latter released their debut LP in October of last year. The co-headline tour is a showcase of two of the must-see bands on the scene at the moment.

Openers Lumer set the tone for the evening with their post-punk gloom. The Hull four-piece thrash through an abrupt set of sludgy guitar tones, haunting screams and yelps that transport us to a new romantic nightclub in a dystopian future. It is an all-encompassing performance which draws you into the angst-filled world, frontman Alex Evans’ lyrics portray. There is even a moment of mild panic as Thom Foster’s Korg synth tumbles off the stage in a moment of exuberance.

“I’m going to keep the stage banter to a minimum tonight,” Cassels’ Jim Beck lays out from the off. Perhaps it is the dry, unassuming wit of the brothers but this almost nonchalant opening makes them even more endearing. Behind the jokes there is a back catalogue rich in tough subject matters of divorce, sexual assault, rising fascism, relationships with step parents and the general monotony that comes with modern life.

The offerings from their latest LP ‘Epithet’ are on display here with ‘War Is A Really Clever Metaphor For Divorce’ and ‘You Turn On Utopia’ bringing together the technical guitar work and Jim’s shrugging vocals. However, it is the final rally of ‘Hating Is Easy’ and the particularly raw ‘Cool Box’ that bring to the fore their most emotionally-charged material.

All it takes is one huge swig of Kronenbourg for Youth Man to blow off the cobwebs and dive headfirst into their headlining set. Despite their admittance of grogginess, there are no signs of the Brummie trio holding back through the next 45 minutes. The swaggering ‘Sweet Apples’ signals the start of a frantic, relentless set.

Kaila White is constantly on the move with a swaying of hips accompanying every hook. The crowd-favourite ‘Fat Dead Elvis’ goes down a storm while there are nods of what the future has to hold with the hypnotic new single ‘I Don’t Know’. The raucous evening is brought to a shuddering halt as Youth Man bring the curtain down with ‘Skin’.

For a set of bands starting the evening with tongue-in-cheek bemoaning of their fatigue, these energetic performances beg the question – “what are they like when they’re not tired?”.

TOM WALSH

Single Mothers are here, the band which “broke up in 2009 and have been playing shows ever since” are in the suburbs of Leeds on a rainy night – in 2017. The Canadians have one of the more colourful backstories in punk culminating in a sporadic release of EPs within the first couple of years of existence, a significant hiatus and then a return in 2013.

Thomson, the charismatic enigma of a vocalist, is a huge point of intrigue in both his approach to songwriting and life in general. From penning lyrics pouring scorn on the nature of relationships, religion, drink and drugs to working in a literal gold mine in a small Canadian town called Swastika. Along with his drawl singing style – he embodies the ethos of Single Mothers.

And in that, it sets the show up perfectly.

Before we get to the evening’s entree there is the hors d’oeuvre of support Cassels. The Oxford two-piece consisting of brothers Jim and Loz Beck bounce off each other throughout an energetic half-hour set. Showcasing tracks from their latest release ‘Epithet’ they bring a frantic, technical lo-fi sound which compliments the piercing, gritty lyrics depicting the reality of modern life. It’s the ideal vibe for a Single Mothers warm-up act.

As for our Canadian main course, they arrive armed with a new album – ‘Our Pleasure’ – and their first for three years. Strutting out, decked out in dapper black shirt and jean combos they thrash straight into ‘Undercover’ as Thomson seduces his mic stand and – in turn – his audience.

The front man effortlessly owns the room during each song but in the silence between there is a charming, level of groundedness. The first break gives Thomson the opportunity to regale us with his surprisingly large back catalogue of dog jokes and first airs his ‘golden retriever’ gag which he attempts twice before reassuring us that Canadian audiences would “eat these up”.

It’s back into swaggering front man mode as we dip into the Single Mothers annals for an airing of 2012’s ‘Baby’ and the gut-punching ‘Marbles’. Thomson’s sneering vocals fit naturally with the driving intensity of Justis Krar’s guitar work and the only respite we’re given is when the singer breaks off to eulogise about the wonders of Gregg’s.

They have one left in the back pocket before they bid us goodbye launching into the raucous ‘Christian Girls’. It is the very encapsulation of Thomson’s disdain, bemusement and general contempt for human vanity as he screams “jealousy’s attention to the ones who can get it/something like coming in second”.

It feels like this is his way of letting the mask slip and releasing all the pent up frustration he held during that hiatus. What we do know is that it is pretty good to have Single Mothers back in our lives once again.

Before he goes Thomson has one last thing he has to share with us, “what do you get if you cross a dog with a telephone? A golden receiver! Yes! Nailed it!”, he triumphantly proclaims. The jokes do get funnier the more you tell them.

TOM WALSH

As Leeds welcomes the beginning of autumn with torrential rain, The Flatliners arrive at Brudenell Social Club – a fitting venue for what the evening has in store – carrying a little baggage from their headline UK tour. We’re halfway through this jaunt across the British Isles but it is already starting to take its toll on the Canadians, with frontman Chris Cresswell openly admitting that he was running “at 25 per cent”.

Aside from a support slot with The Menzingers earlier in the year, this is the first time The Flatliners have hit these shores armed with their latest (and fifth) studio album ‘Inviting Light’. It is the most recent installment in the band’s evolution, an encapsulation of the frustrations of modern life and emphasising the importance of maintaining human relationships in the face of an increasingly digital world.

The latest effort marks The Flatliners’ fifteenth year as a band as they edge towards becoming veterans of the punk scene, and this set reflects their gradual change of sound over that past decade and a half. Fresh material such as ‘Mammals’ and ‘Hang My Head’ slot right in alongside older numbers ‘Count Your Bruises’ and ‘Eulogy’.

However, there is an underlying issue from the off. Cresswell’s signature rasping vocals are met with a wince each time he forces a syllable from his mouth and he’s repeatedly apologising for his strained vocals. Like any true professional he soldiers on to deliver ‘Mother Teresa Chokeslams the World’. Despite every word being flung back by an enthusiastic audience, Cresswell is close to admitting defeat and concedes that the half set will be as far as they’ll be able to go this evening.

Understanding disappointment fills the room but a throwaway comment changes the whole dynamic of the show. Cresswell teases that if anyone in attendance knows the lyrics then they would be more than welcome to step up. Armed with an iPhone and quick access to AZLyrics.com, our hero Scott makes for the stage and this potentially curtailed show is back on course. He may not have the rasping vocals, he may not really know the proper cues to ‘Birds of England’, but he does make this one hell of a unique show.

In a hugely life imitating art moment, The Flatliners transport us into their own music video for latest single ‘Indoors’ and we’ve got our very own karaoke evening in a social club. Songs are played on request, just as soon as Scott can look up the lyrics, fans invade the stage, support bands Prawn and Shit Present duet for ‘Monumental’ and even a slightly uncomfortable tour manager is roped in for closer ‘Caskets Full’.

If the raucous ovation that signals The Flatliners’ departure for the evening is anything to go by, the Canadians created something truly special in the most adverse of situations. It is almost befitting that such a show of community should take place in a venue like Brudenell Social Club – a cornerstone of a city’s music scene built on the hard work of members and volunteers. In their moment of need, The Flatliners offered their hand and the punk scene grasped it to create a lasting moment and one that neither band nor audience will forget in a hurry.