Review & Photography by David Stewart for MPM
What better time for an album launch gig for horror rockers So Long Until The Séance than on Halloween night? Backed by three other bands on the line-up.
One making their on stage debut, another which I have never heard of, as well as a band that I’ve managed to catch a few times now and have always been impressed with.
Tonight was a night I was certainly looking forward to and if the two bands that were unknown to me didn’t really do it for me at least I will have gotten to see So Long Until The Séance and Delusional Silence.
First on stage to warm the crowd up was E.B & The Deadlights. A new band from Belfast making their first ever live appearance. Right from the get go and with nothing to lose, these guys went for it and didn’t fail to impress. It was hard to believe that this was a young band playing their first ever gig as they got up on stage and totally nailed it.
Playing with complete confidence and a do or die attitude, it was hard not to be impressed. The crowd were really into them and it was easy to see and hear why. Their thirty minute set consisted of songs that will appear on their debut EP Still See Ghosts, due for release on December 3rd and a cover or two, as well as their debut single “Empty Frames”.
A fantastic showing for a band making their first ever live appearance and one I’ll definitely be keeping an eye and ear out for in the future.
Next on the bill were hard rockers Delusional Silence. I’ve managed to catch these guys live a few times before. In the previous outings that I’ve gotten to see them live they have never failed to impress and tonight was no exception.
Except for the singer the band took to the stage in Nick Kershaw style wigs and spandex, giving us a little bit of visual Halloween humour.
That aside, the band were just as tight and hard rocking as the previous outings that I’ve witnessed from them and for the next thirty minutes we were treated to a mix of original material and covers that kept the crowd lively and entertained.
The penultimate band of the evening was Steven VX & The Art Rats. I have to admit, I don’t really know anything much about this band and until the line up for the show was announced I had never even heard of them before.
That’s not always a bad thing though as sometimes a little pleasant surprise can come your way in situations like this and that is exactly what happened here.
The band took to the stage in Halloween costumes. The drummer was dressed in A Clockwork Orange attire, the bass player was wearing mask from Squid Game and the singer, well I didn’t quite know what to make of him as he came on stage in a white bathrobe.
Maybe I was missing something? I don’t know! Musically, the band was like an old school punk band with plenty of swagger and attitude and I have to admit were very enjoyable. Later in their set they were joined on stage by Ethan and Matt from E.B & The Deadlights and performed “Halloween” and “We Are 138” by The Misfits. A great showing from them and I’d love to catch this band again.
Next up was the reason for the evening’s festivities, the album launch show for So Long Until The Séance, also affectionately known as SLUTS. It’s been almost two years since the sleazy, horror rockers, Mike, Tommy, Gizmo, Nick and now joined by new bass player Vaughn Strosity have taken to a stage.
Playing tracks from their previous releases as well as giving us a glimpse into what to expect from their latest release “B-Movie Superstars”, it was great to see the guys back up on stage again and they certainly did not disappoint.
The new material sounds great live and I personally cannot wait to hear what the studio versions are going to sound like. The only disappointment that I had with their set was the lack of their cover of the Tiffany Classic “I Think We’re Alone Now”, which to me, was the highlight of their previous album.
A great Halloween evening’s entertainment and I’m certainly glad that I went.
