Review & Photography by Manny Manson for MPM
It’s a cold miserable Bath night as I puddle jump across a went Nottingham. The Midlands is being hit with wave after wave of low-pressure systems making it feel like winter than spring time. The weather is in keeping with depressed dressing of the stage once we get into the venue.
The self-proclaimed ‘Avant Guard Theatrical Rock band’ from the north east are tonight’s opening turn, and they have arrived with a lot of baggage. The stage has been transformed into a scene from an old Hammer House sanitorium, namely Whittingham Asylum, a maximum-security facility renowned for holding the UK’s most disturbed psychopath, the very naughty, very charismatic, PYSCHOBERRIE. Her back catalogue includes murder, manipulation, dismemberment, decapitation and cannibalism. For inside the asylum ‘it’ is held within the most secure wing of ‘WARD XVI’ home of the most ‘Criminally Insane’.
With a couple of long players now behind them, ‘The Art of Manipulation’ and ‘METAMORPHOSIS’ the stage is set for a night of delving into the upsetting insights of this disturbed individual, of her sessions with her therapist, of her twisted mind and murderous thoughts.
With a smoke-filled stage bathed in eerie blue neon light, the ‘carers’ make their way onstage and stand like rag dolls, limp n floppy as the taped intro of a child’s voice plays out. In the centre is stood a bed. Psychoberrie wanders onto the stage, an old candle light , showing the way. Our story of deranged debauchery begins, as the first song ‘Mister Babadook’ strikes out.
The band pick up and the thundering begins. Pyschoberrie, dressed in a black and white striped onesie sings of her childhood horrors as the thought formed manifestation of a worm eating demon starts to feed off the negative energy, it manifests into a demon that lives inside all of us, one that you can never entirely rid yourself of, it just skulks in the background waiting to pounce. As the Babadook wanders the stage, twisted and grotesque we start to understand the earliest thoughts of this tormented soul as the song finishes with Psychoberrie climbing into the bed, the Doctors guitar fat and fuzzed cry’s out.
The unconscious Idealised mental image, influential and behavioural changing continues with the first single, ‘IMAGO’, released from this 2020 album, METAMORPHOSIS. The guitar is dirty for this one, the bass of Wolfy Huntsman is deep and rumbling, as the show continues, it’s locked tight into the kick drum, Bam Bam Bedlam who is hidden in the shadows, behind the kit. We get another apparition for this one, a manifestation of an animal skull in a robe. It twists and contorts its way around Psychoberrie as she tries to explain the rationale behind her evil.
The musicianship and song writing although macabre is excellent. A quick visit to a striped changing tube sees another persona change for our tormented psychopath, she emerges with a here own mask and a pair of dark wings, which open as she stands stage centre, the song continues with its evil message, at the end of which she makes her way off the ‘set’, only to return dragging a body wrapped and bound in orange plastic.
‘Burn The Witch’ the third from the latest slightly more symphonic album. With distinctly Eastern sounds is brooding and dark, as ‘Psychoberrie’ nurses the corpse singing into its covered face, before she eventually stuffs it, unceremoniously, into a fire bin and slams the lid down.
The guitar sound is stunning as smoke envelopes Doktor Von Stottenstein, himself with half painted face, lets rip a gorgeously fat, lick, dripping in eastern promise, use of the tremolo bar give the of key accents that add to the tune before letting rip on an evil solo, foot in the air he channels the dirty and filth from the ‘Crossroads’ as we are led to believe the body is burning, the torment flooding the venue.
‘Psychoberrie’ takes a visit to the barrier where she encourages the crowd picking out several to sing along before jumping back on stage, and exiting stage left once more only to return in a straight-jacket and the band drop into ‘Shadows’ the final number from the latest album. Standing stage centre singing, a shadow writhes and contorts itself around the stage behind her. The music is frenetic as this one careers out of control, ‘Psychoberrie and the Shadow meet face to face, her straight Jacket un fettered as she escapes its binding hold. The bass and guitar play out once more as we get another costume change and the first song from the first album is slammed out to the waiting crowd witnessing this attempted exorcism.
The tales of murder continues with ‘The Flight’ a heavier trip back to the first album, The Art Of Manipulation’ from 2017.it’s a fast romp delivered as such, the drums are concussive as Bam Bam lets go, the guitar is sizzling along as a wah-wah pedal is introduced adding to the busy sound scape to the. We are asked to step into Psychoberrie’s’ world, and are asked to see what she sees.
We are now joined by a stitched-up chap in a top hat and cane, he copies the Doktor as he lets rip a scorching run on the guitar. The clockwork sounding interlude brings a moment of peace before the blood-letting starts, hearts are torn from chests and goblets of blood drunk or rather spilt down their fronts. This is one disturbed band. I can only liken it to an Alice Cooper show but with a fistful of cheap pharmaceuticals taken to increase the theatrical horror of the tale of this stricken soul.
The heart beat pulses and the strings play as a mournful psychopath gently laments as sinister chords rattle around her, the eerie sound of what’s best described as a theremin warbles around the venue. There is so much happening at a WARD XVI it’s a veritable visual feast. The musicianship is sensational, the guitar sound is sublime as scorching run after scorching run smashes you squarely, the mix of 50’s doo wop gives the show elements taken straight out of the Munster’s and the Adams family TV shows. It’s really excellent in its execution (pun intended).
‘Cry of the Siren’ sees more macabre goings on, on stage, as the band thrash this one rocky number out. The triplet drum beat smashes you squarely in the jaw as Pyschoberrie sings about the killer inside your head and joining her on her destructive rampage. The screaming guitar adds to the sinister atmosphere as blood flies across the smoke-filled stage once more. ‘Toybox’ finishes off the set, it’s a song about an unplayful doll who refuses to come out of the toybox before dropping into the fun had whilst brutally dismembering bodies. This final song has a distinctive accordion sound that immediately brings to mind the Eastern European theatrical band Avatar, this is no way a criticism just an indication of sound style. Its immensely upbeat despite the dark lyric that accompanies it. As this one plays out the set is sadly over, I could have easily watched and listened to more as despite the gore its addictive watching
So, with more stage antics than you can shake a stick at. The whole set has been a story line with Psychoberrie trying to explain her torment to her psychiatrist. We have Demons, Witches, a disembowelled woman; her entrails paraded before the fans, Psychoberrie leaping into the crowd and enciting a wall of death, a pig with a chainsaw wielded at the crowd and more blood-letting than should be reasonably allowed. It’s been one hell of a ride and one that has made me a proper fan. Superb song writing, great musicianship and a thoroughly unique theme that ties the whole show together, its really rather well done! And with a third album on the horizon, you can count me in for that tour!
The stage is quickly cleared away both by the Rescue Rooms crew and those from Whittingham Asylum, namely the band WARD XVI. As we get ready for a blast of nostalgia, songs from yesteryears one that back in the day, was said amongst friends “how good would this be if it was ‘rocked-up’”. Well tonight’s the night. Having seen TRAGEDY previously I know they have listened and answered the prayers of many an 80’s greb by doing just that.
Tonight, is the finally UK show in their ‘High Travoltage World Tour’ and as the lights dim, we get ready for a set of how these songs should have been released. Before we do let’s have a quick look at who TRAGEDY are. Hailing from New YORK CITY have somehow managed to mash up the glitz of the best from the world of Disco with the raw power and energy of Heavy Metal. They have gone on to entertain fans by paying homage to iconic pop n disco bands with a generous twist of metal thrown in.
Towel boy Lance runs onto the stage dressed in a white sailor’s outfit, a redlight strobing from atop his head, he wanders the stage making sure everyone is paying attention before the rest of the band join him. They are equally as exotically dressed, metallic spandex, animal print and glitter make up being the order of the day. We have been transported back to studio 54 nightclub as the high-pitched guitars and pounding drums from the band as they launch into the opening number, the eponymous Bee Gees cover and their name-sake ‘Tragedy’. Instantly the crowd join in, singing along to this Bee Gees disco anthem from 1979, the Metal twist instantly picking you up and transporting you along. ABBA’s ‘Lay All Your Love On Me’ is up next and given the full treatment.
This familiar melody from Sweden’s greatest musical export, is transformed into a monstrous rock anthem, you can’t help but nod your head along enthusiastically at this twisted metal version.
Some songs should work or are ones that normal metal heads wouldn’t think about but done right, take on a new life, The Pointer Sisters, ‘I’m So Excited’ is just such a song. Injected with double kick drum and pinched harmonics its transformed and has the crowd singing along, somewhat dismayed I find myself singing along, how do I know the words to this song I’ll never know but I’m light in my loafers as I sing along. ‘Islands In The Stream’ from the Bee Gees and 1983 picks up the reigns and runs. Another legendary song made metal full of dirty riffs and thundering drums, an AC/DC style “Oi” “Oi” is thrown in for good measure. The band even capture the iconic harmony’s and keep fairly true to the original melody that made this a chart topper back in’83.
Lance has been running around with a towel wiping sweaty brows, providing the keys for Disco Mountain Man to use, getting into a strange strangle hold as he does so. Referred to as a complete idiot, you can see the band love to abuse him.
The crowd participation continues with the iconic ‘Grease’ by Frankie Valli. Pinched harmonics and a thunder bass propel this theme tune to that Oliva Newton John, who can forget her in those lycra leggings, coming of age college romp.
The dirty guitar rips out a solo full of fret tapping excellence, elevating this timeless classic to new heights, The crowd are nodding along, the heads a sea of movement as the band tease this one as it flows into ‘Summer Nights’ from the same film. The disco feel to the track is still there albeit punctuated with vocal screams and scorching guitar work, there is a slight tongue in cheek-esqueness to the vocal but this all adds to the show. Country star, John Denver has his classic ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ subject to similar abuse. A steady kick drum and rough scratched riffs herald the start to this country anthem. The crowd are singing along to the chorus.
The almost spoken vocal weaving around the dark and dusty riffage as this one saunters along, the guitars with an almost bagpipe tone to them. The Lord Gibbeth, sat at the back on the drums is providing a steady walking beat, grooving the beat when its required, including a session of restrained blast beats that finish the song off.
The darling of disco pop is next to get the Tragedy treatment with a reworking of ‘She Bop’ with the classic smoke on the water guitar riff thrown in, it works don’t question it as Disco Mountain Man leads this one, full of harmonised guitars and a sizzling solo from Garry Bibb. Lance is running around with the redlight on his head getting under every one’s feet.
This is great stuff, the Sweet, Wizzard, T-Rex all twisted up and a heavy dose of metal thrown in just adds to the mad world of Tragedy. This is further proven as Neil Diamond’s, ‘Sweet Caroline’ is next for some abuse. Lord Gibbeth marks time as Disco Mountain man provides the keys to Mo’Royce’s vocal to this sing along anthem, the crowd and myself don’t care we are singing along, have the simply the best time to this twisted rock band.
In any 1980’s set list , there has to be more ABBA, ‘GIMME GIME GIMME(a man after midnight) fore fills this. If you can remember Björn’s guitar runs on this and then just add a huge dollop of metal and you get a wonderous shred in its place. The band provide harmonised back vocals, at all the right places, Lord Gibbeth’s tasty double kick drum smashes you senses as he pulverises this Swedish anthem, tastefully.
A band I can’t remember from way back then is Badfinger, however the song is a different matter its penned by Harry Nilsson in 1972, called ‘Without You’. This has been transformed into a respectful rock ballad, tasteful harmonised guitar parts show that not everything needs to be dark, heavy and furious, now where’s my lighter as this gets a huge response from the crowd. So now it’s raining inside, ‘It’s Raining Men’ to be precise. This is a stomping tune; the double kick drum is pounding out as this one rocks out with all the subtleties of a sledge hammer. It’s another unlikely one that has the crowd cheering along.
A gentle bass line rumbles as we slowly unravel ‘You’re the One That I Want’. This is delivered with a slight doomish edge, riffing guitars and a solid drum groove brings the song slowly to the furious chorus which starts into Sabbath’s Iron Man before picking up the melody of the John Farrar original made famous by Olivia Newton John and John Travolta in Grease. The set finishes with a couple from the Disco trio that was the Bee Gees, penultimately ‘How Deep Is Your Love’, the intro shows you how this one is going to pan out, the crowd yet again are in fine voice as they sing along.
Compared to what has gone previously, this is reserved and tasteful full of harmonised “La La La’s”. the final song, ‘Stayin’ Alive’ starts with a banging drum and a screaming vocal, this one has been given the balls out rock treatment. There is a full vocal harmony as Disco Mountain Man leads this one. The guitars riff out and the drums thunder along as everyone is stayin’ alive. We have us a party going on as one or two try to emulate the Travolta dance.
And with that the set is over, having seen the set list I know there is more to come. So, with Lance out of the way the band strike up into ‘Dancing Queen’ which has the crowd singing and dancing once again. The night finally finishes with Chuck Mangione’s instrumental song from 1977, ‘Feels So Good’ originally a jazz fusion tune for the Flugelhorn it has been reworked to make a killer end to the night.
The original sounded like it should have been a theme tune to a 60’s/70’s sitcom but it never was. So, as the final song finally ends the crowd erupts into cheers and applause yet again, having been thoroughly entertained by WARD XVI’s unique stage show topped off with TRAGEDY’s own unique blend of metal and disco, it all proves that even the unlikeliest of combinations can create magic on stage. And a magic night it was.
If you failed to catch TRAGEDY on this tour then I’m pleased to tell you that they are starring at Glastonbudget at the end om May. Glastonbudget is a far cheaper three-day festival held annually in Leicestershire.
