With the new term fast approaching, the city of Nottingham is gearing up for a tidal wave of amazing heavy music this next few months! So in preparation for that, Jake Longhurst has prepared a list of must-see gigs for any heavy music lovers in the city over the coming months.
Machine Head/Amon Amarth @ the Motorpoint Arena, 8th of September
Two mighty names within the metal community are coming together on the enormous Vikings & Lionhearts Tour across the UK and Europe, and their marauding show will be invading the Motorpoint Arena on the 8th of September! Machine Head, along with my favourite band Lamb Of God, are possibly the biggest names in groove metal, and Amon Amarth are the first stop for the discerning Viking metal fan, as well as a formidable melodeath group. With the combined tour experience of both bands, and the musical pedigree to back it up, this will not be a show to miss!
Cancer Bats @ Rescue Rooms, 9th of September
The Cancer Bats are returning to the UK! Canada’s best hardcore band are making a trip across the pond to bring the best of their old tunes, as well as some of their latest LP Psychic Jailbreak, in front of a beautiful East Midlands audience. With the reputation for intense live shows, and an immensely enjoyable experience to boot, what will be my first time watching them should be not only a very entertaining evening of music, but a showcase by a band who are still as exciting as when they started, almost 20 years ago.
Frank Turner @ Rock City, 27th of September
The first and last name in folk-punk is carrying on the tour that never ends and coming back to his favourite venue in the world, Rock City! Frank Turner does in fact have a tattoo carrying the venue’s name, so if that isn’t enough to persuade you that his searingly beautiful vocal delivery will be that much better on the 27th of September then I don’t know what will! His band The Sleeping Souls are a brilliant bunch of musicians in their own right too, so whether he is performing a song solo or with the full band, you can expect nothing but excellence. And as an added incentive, myself and my dad will both be there, come say hi!
Kid Kapichi @ Rough Trade, 28th of September
Although one of the smallest bands on this list, Kid Kapichi are one of the largest sounding here, with pounding live shows and scathing indictments of Britain and the living situation here. Performing an intimate, full band show at Rough Trade Nottingham in celebration of their upcoming album Here’s What You Could Have Won and doing an album signing afterwards, this is a brilliant opportunity to see one of the best young bands in Britain up close and personal.
Parkway Drive @ The Motorpoint Arena, 2nd of October
Parkway Drive, While She Sleeps and Lorna Shore on one line-up is too good to be true - it really is! With Australia’s biggest metal band (no, AC/DC do not count as metal) headlining the whole affair, and Sheffield’s second biggest metal band (yes, Bring Me The Horizon are still metal) providing a commanding support slot, the only unknown live performance to me is that of the New Jersey deathcore firebrands Lorna Shore, who released arguably the best EP of 2021 with new vocalist Will Ramos. If seeing all of these three at the Motorpoint Arena isn’t up your alley, then please realise that you are slightly deluded and go anyway.
Anthrax @ Rock City, 4th of October
One of the greatest thrash metal bands of all time, one of the Big 4, and a key member of the New York scene, as well as forerunners in building the bridge between metal and hip-hop, Anthrax are a seminal band and a live tour-de-force. After seeing them on Slayer’s final world tour a few years back, I cannot recommend them enough! Their most recent album, 2016’s For All Kings, is actually arguably my favourite record of theirs and is sure to receive some playtime, as well as many of their classic tracks that are inarguably some of the best in metal. Not only that, but with the support coming from Municipal Waste, the show is guaranteed to be at the very top end of the most enjoyable shows you will ever be able to watch. This is a must-see.
WARGASM (UK) @ Rescue Rooms, 21st of October
Another slightly smaller band, but getting big quickly, WARGASM are making serious waves in the UK scene and in under a year have gone from Bodega to Rescue Rooms in Nottingham, and are soon to release their debut full length! With a nu-metal inspired sound and riot grrrl vocals, they’re a feisty group with a point to prove and a live show that backs their point up. The Nottingham date is unfortunately already sold out, but you could catch them at another show in one of many venues across the UK!
Electric Callboy @ Rock City, 23rd of October
If you haven’t heard of this band or their big single, Hypa Hypa, then you need to stop right now and listen to it. It’s basically rave/metalcore that is so absurd and ludicrous that it becomes an absolute anthem. This song, amongst many of the other bangers they have in their discography, will be an absolute blast to see live and I have it from a reliable source that they are indeed brilliant fun live. They have also sold out their Nottingham show, but again have a few more across the country that are well worth checking out!
Cradle Of Filth @ Rock City, 28th of October
Symphonic black metal pioneers Cradle Of Filth are travelling the country with the amazing Alcest this autumn, and Rock City is lucky enough to be playing host to one of their shows in October. With the enigmatic Dani Filth as frontman, the corpse-painted band will surely provide a spectacle for us to witness, alongside some all-time metal classics! And a little known fact: Ed Sheeran also loves Cradle Of Filth, so that should be plenty enough of a recommendation to go see them!
Blight Town @ Rock City Beta Lounge, 4th of November
Blight Town are the smallest band on this list, quite comfortably, but they are by no means the least accomplished live, and in fact are an explosive band that have all the power of a bomb when onstage! That they’re also a lovely bunch of blokes is just the cherry on top of a band that deserves to have one hell of a crowd. They play an awesome style of post-hardcore and mathcore that’s both imposing and adrenaline-inducing, and are more than worth taking the time to watch!
Elvana @ Rock City, 19th of November
Now last is by no means least, and never has that been truer than now. Elvana, the world's premier Nirvana cover band fronted by Elvis, are making their return to Nottingham after just over a year without their grunge-abilly sound gracing our eardrums. With a frontman whose tongue is planted so far into his cheek it’s a wonder he can sing, and a track-list of some of the greatest songs ever put to tape, the band are at once absurd, over the top, and unbelievably enjoyable. If you aren’t busy on the evening of the 19th of November, then you are now.
Jake Longhurst
Edited by: Roxann Yus
Cover and in-article images courtesy of Rock City.
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