With Christmas creeping around the corner, what better present could you ask for than Wargasm at the Ritz? Yep, that’s right, our lovely duo have retired from the smaller venues and are back and better than ever, taking over venues that are quite rightfully, theirs.
On the nu-metal frenzy of a lineup tonight we have goth pop mistress Harpy, trap metal rockers Dropout Kings and of course, the iconic, British legends we get to call Wargasm.
Strap in, you’re in for a ride. First up we have a voice that melts the heart, Harpy. Now Harpy has been on the scene a while, however, you could say that this tour is our first taste of what a Harpy gig is really like and boy it was ace. To say they’ve not been performing to crowds of this size for very long, Harpy put on a stellar show at ease.
We were treated to Swallow, Medicine, Apocalypse and a bunch of other Harpy classics. I can easily say the crowd enjoyed it as much as me. When there’s not one person at the bar during the set, you know it’s a gooden. I reckon Harpy has gained some new fans tonight, myself included.
Up next are the legends that are Dropout Kings. Now I didn’t know what to expect here. I’ve never heard of these guys before and I have certainly never seen them live so when I tell you, this performance was a shock to the system (in a good way).
Shooting out onto the stage, it didn’t even take this duo two seconds to get the floor literally shaking. I’m talking at least 1,500 people all jumping in unison to opening song Going Rogue. Now these guys may be classed as nu-metal and they certainly have metal vibes but I’d say these guys are definitely more hip-hop and that ain’t a bad thing.
It’s clear from the crowd’s reaction that us metalheads do love a bit of good old rap every now and then. It’s not long before Eddie (vocalist) jumps off the stage and spends some time down at the barrier with the fans.
One fan in particular, a woman, quickly wraps her arms around him and doesn’t look like she’s letting go any time soon. Dare I say he had a slight look of fear on his face? Who knows but he eventually got free and moved up and down the barrier, interacting with everyone he possibly could.
The energy from this band is the most I have ever seen all year. It was relentless. How they kept going for so long baffles me. Fan favourites of the night seemed to be hit songs Vacuum Cleaner and Unholy.
It went absolutely crazy in the Ritz for these guys and they certainly deserved it. They were insane.
The time has finally come for the duo everyone loves to take the stage.
Get ready because these guys are about to pump a serious dose of energy into this crowd and it’s about to be unforgettable. Wargasm are here and are kicking it off with Venom and by god it was chaos. Not only was the pit filled to the brim of togs, we had crowd surfers flying over, security rushing to catch them, all whilst Sam and Milkie rip the stage to shreds.
These two are like a match made in heaven, a good to the evil, an angel to the devil, a “where’s my f**king mosh pit” to the much-needed “ethereal, lightness” of Milkie’s vocals. I love these guys. They always know how to put on a proper good show and how to keep the crowd’s attention too. Coming out with heart-shaped sunnies on, Sam’s automatically the coolest dude in the room. Milkie wearing this rather large, oversized, fur coat looking so very iconic and poised but she isn’t to be messed with.
Rage All Over is up next and it’s time for them to show us who’s boss. Mosh pits arise, sweat was in the air as Sam and Milkie command the room like no other. From one side of the stage to the other, to jumping off the drummer’s platform, this was nothing short of high energy.
Their whole set was so well executed, that I can only say it was perfect. More tracks include Pyro Pyro, Modern Love, Sonic Dog Tag and Feral. The electronic riffs mixed with the insanely cool light show was mesmerising and deemed quite impossible to not wanna bounce and sing along.
Wargasm have got the wining formula on how to put on a show of such precision and love and energy and they’re only gonna get better. With a two-song encore to close the night, D.R.I.L.D.O and Spit made it
impossible to not be left wanting more. Wargasm, you’ve only gone and done it again.
Review & Photography by Sian Connolly for MPM
