LIVE REVIEW: Black Peaks @ Academy 3, Manchester

After their 2016 debut release, Statues, Brighton-based post-rockers BLACK PEAKS had big boots to fill. It earned them festival slots and support slots with UK big-hitters such as BURY TOMORROW. However, their recent second release, All That Divides, has proved to be just as popular. Curious to see how their new material holds up, we went to catch them on their headline tour at Academy 3 in Manchester, with support from GOLD KEY and BOSSK.

The venue was buzzing when the first band, GOLD KEY, took to the stage. A supergroup of sorts, formed of members from SIKTH, SPYCATCHER, GALLOWS and KROKODIL, such a prospect promised much. However, with a look reminiscent of a Mancunian indie band and a similarly repetitive sound, they seemed to be struggling to convince many in the room. They did not, however, seem amateur or unprofessional – their set was pulled off without a hitch and the lead guitar had a wonderful ambient quality. Compared to the energy and hooks of BLACK PEAKS or the ethereal riffs of BOSSK, however, their set did not make much of an impression.

Rating: 6/10

The main support for the night were the much acclaimed BOSSK. Rarely found touring, and often playing one-off shows in underground venues or at festivals, the chance to find them playing a full set in a reasonably-sized venue was special. This was reflected by the excitement in the crowd – as the band burnt incense before their set, many BOSSK shirt-wearers pushed up to the front for the best view possible. The style of their set was almost like an instrumental band with occasional featured vocals, the guitarists and the bassist took the fore for most songs, conjuring up reverberating and powerful riffs and melodies that shook the room. Vocalist Sam Marsh would come up on stage dressed all in black to deliver his sporadic, anguished screams before retreating side-stage once more. All in all, whilst their set may have been slightly disorienting for the uninitiated listener, it must have been a real treat for the BOSSK fans in the room.

Rating: 8/10

Headliners for the night, BLACK PEAKS, came on stage to rapturous applause. Opening their set with several songs from the new record, it’s evident that All That Divides was a hit with their fans. Singalongs with first three songs Can’t Sleep, The Midnight Sun and Electric Fires brought the energy level up in the room to a fantastic level, and the band seemed to relish this. It’s rare to find a frontman who feeds off the energy of the crowd as proficiently as Will Gardner, whose jokes and banter in between songs did a great job of keeping the crowd connected and included throughout the set. After the heavy riffs of BOSSK, it’s clear that BLACK PEAKS did not want to be outdone, putting a little more emphasis on their riffs and breakdowns than on record. Hits from the first album such as Crooks and Glass Built Castles were understandably the biggest crowd pleasers of the night, but it was comforting to see the newer, more experimental material from the first album also get a solid reception from the room. In terms of pure fun, riffs and energy, BLACK PEAKS are leading the charge in the UK at the moment, and hopefully further touring will see them gaining even more popularity in the coming months.

Rating: 8/10

Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Sabrina Ramdoyal Photography here: