Spiral

“Normal gets you nowhere” reads a bright neon sign hanging above the stage. Red pulsing lights frame the small platform in the corner of Klang. To get here you’ve approached the orange industrial front of the Fallowfield bar with its large panes of glass and a porched heavy metal door that requires yanking to prise it open. You’ve passed through the thumping music of the watering hole below to reveal an intimate performance space upstairs. A half-sphered mirrorball spins above the stage, throwing tiny specs of light across the crowd as Venus in Spirals, a three-piece alt rock band, seamlessly slip onto the stage. ‘Sweater’ their first song, melts into the fast tempo of ‘Turn Away’. Lead singer Liam Atkin closes his eyes, “turn away, walk away” he yells into the mic as Alex Cullen heavily pounds the drums behind him. Ethan Ranson’s right hand plucks at his bass strings, his left shifts across the frets, he sways in time with the beat his instruments are shaping. The band shift from song to song and ‘Does She Even Know’ slides into the set. “I need to quit smoking” Liam chuckles into the mic as ‘Piss It’ picks up. ‘Down’ is the final song, “we’re Venus in Spirals, it’s been a pleasure.” The audience erupts with applause; the trio have prepped the stage and primed the crowd for the next band.

The five members of Torn Canvas embrace and jump around chanting before they cram onto the stage. They crowd around as Joseph Browne strikes the strings on his guitar and the rock sounds of ‘Bite the Bullet’ flood the room. An energetic cover of ‘One Step Closer’ mirrors the alternative vibe of Linkin Park and sparks the audience to keenly participate. The band relaxes into a series of self-penned songs. The intimate ‘Wash Away My Sins’ begins, Callum Carter’s raspy voice caresses the poignant ballad as it draws to a close. Dry ice billows from the machine and rolls out across the audience. Ben Roberts is blurry through the haze as he picks at his bass. Guitarists Issac Ford and Joseph Browne blend together in sound and in sight to play their final song, ’Divine Providence’. Connor Williams’ sticks dance across the drums as he convulses to the beat. The crowd ferociously cheer with praise as the band exit stage left.

The smoke clears as Spiral slink onto the stage. The eccentric four-piece band kick off with their eponymous song. ‘My Cat Hates Me and That’s Ok’ follows up, Leah the linchpin at the corner of the stage handles her bass with aplomb. Danny strikes his sticks together to count in ‘Love Compilation’, a favourite song of the band. A pick ‘n’ mix of songs build the set until it reaches its peak at ‘Shove It’. The crowd stomps, the floor bows beneath their soles, the temperature rises. Karem shrieks with the force of a banshee into the mic. “SHOVE IT, SHOVE IT, SHOVE IT” Byron shouts into the crowd. The band finish with two encores, not ready to step away from the limelight. The room erupts with passionate applause. Ears ringing with underground songs the audience departs, the smoke clears one final time, leaving Klang almost as we found it. Normal gets you nowhere.