Live Review by Darren Birch for Rockflesh
Black Spiders and Crowley at The Waterloo Bar, Blackpool 02/11/2024
It’s a cold damp evening in between Halloween and Bonfire night, the generals are gathering in their masses at the Waterloo Music Bar in Blackpool. This unlikely foothold in an otherwise sequinned obsessed town has quite rightly become a real stronghold on the north west gig scene. We are here to bear witness to an evening of no frills, uncompromising filthy rock n roll courtesy of the Black Spiders.
This Sheffield based five piece were formed back in 2008, but by 2017 it seemed they had run their course, disbanding in 2017 after releasing 3 EP’s Cinco Hombres, Diez Cojones (2009), No Goats in the Omen (2010) and Rat Mansion (2014) plus two albums Sons of the North (2011) and This Savage Land (2013)
However in 2020 the band announced they had reformed, would be recording new material and were hitting the road again. They released their self-titled album Black Spiders in 2021, which was followed up by the release of Can’t Die, Won’t Die in 2023.
With a plethora of live gigs now firmly under their belt, plus steadily increasing numbers of Black Spiders t-shirts, old and new appearing in the venue adds to the atmosphere and anticipation for the show, although beforehand it is down to Crowley to warm the crowd up for the main event.
Crowley
Crowley meander onto the stage and burst straight into Hell Hath No Fury, quickly showing the crowd how tight and slick they are on a live setting.
It all culminates around Lydia’s scorching vocals, which are ably assisted by the blistering riffs fired off by Eliza and Ruth’s twin guitar assault. The rhythm section is taken care of by Kim’s pounding bass and new to the drumstool Sav bringing the beat and an unabridged energy. As the band progress through their 30 minute set hints of WASP and Lizzy Borden are apparent in the songs, which are also dark, deep and foreboding in nature.
Lydia introduces The Witching Hour stating it was the first song they released, a dark riff driven Sabbath-esque number with a big chorus and searing vocals, then all too soon Pyre is introduced as their last song, which brings a close to the set with rapturous applause from the huge crowd that has now assembled. However judging on this performance Crowley have big things ahead of them which will be very well deserved and it’s safe to say they have garnered a fair few new fans tonight.
Black Spiders
A quick turnaround to set up the stage which prompts the familiar tones of The Scorpions’ Rock you like a Hurricane, it’s then into the backing track which allows the Black Spiders to assemble on stage and come careering out of the traps to their trademark aural assault with a thunderous triple airing of Si El Diablo, Death Becomes Her and St Peter.
The band are on fire tonight and fireworks are being delivered as promised this is uncompromising, unapologetic, unpretentious straight up in your face no frills rock n roll.
In Adam they have the antithesis of the usual static bass players as he charges about the stage, throwing contortionist type shapes, gurning wildly whilst tearing off some rip-roaring bass lines
Singer/guitarist Dave resplendent in skeleton pumps, a black shirt complete with white roses embroidery and full sleeve tassels is in full command of the crowd, the banter is in full flow, the punters shout out the classic Fuck You Black Spiders line, to which he cheekily responds with…that’s not very nice we came a long way to be here at Blackpool.
Dave announces that there will be a new album released in February 2025, prompting the band to launch into Out of Order which will be included on the new release, showing that everything in the Black Spiders camp is very well indeed
The songs are coming thick and fast, being delivered in the only way that
Black Spiders songs can be delivered…loud, brash and in your face, it’s bombastic rock at its best with tinges of punk and Motörhead thrown in for good measure.
After the ever so tongue-in-cheek song Balls, Dave asks the crowd if anyone dressed up for Halloween, Wizards specifically, remarking that with all those beards, someone must have dressed up as a wizard, dedicating the next song Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard to them…
There is a short break in proceedings while an overexcited and very drunk punter is escorted from the building, however the band as professional as ever manage to press on and hit the final song of the set…the ever exuberant Kiss Tried to Kill Me, with that the band, or half the band at least leave the stage until the chants, shouts and whistles bring them all back to the stage to close out with a lively Stay Down, during which, the whole crowd are invited to raise their middle fingers and shout the traditional Fuck You Black Spiders at the band
What a night, both bands on top form, the prospect of a new album from the Black Spiders in February shows that rock music is in safe hands, if you like your music hard, fast, uncompromising and in your face then do yourself a favour and check out the new album, you won’t be disappointed.
