LIVE REVIEW: VOLA @ Rebellion, Manchester

After the release of their third full-length studio album Witness last year, it’s felt like quite a wait for VOLA fans to get to see a live rendition of the highly acclaimed record. Appetites were only further increased when we were treated to the Live From The Pool session. Now the world is looking like it’s fully back in the swing of embracing live music again, VOLA’s European tour announcement was enhanced by the additions of Australia’s VOYAGER and US based FOUR STROKE BARON. The perfect remedy for a dreary mid-week, we took shelter from the rain at Rebellion in Manchester to soak up this international spectacle.

FOUR STROKE BARON may seem like the outsider of this lineup, but they’re the perfect opener to warm up this crowd. Their affinity for progressive riffs with an emphasis on the more bombastic and psychedelic elements stand in their favour. Unfortunately Kirk Witt’s vocals were shot and after the first song had to announce the rest of the set going forward would be purely instrumental. That might dissuade some bands, but FOUR STROKE BARON managed to take their hooky weird brand of rock and have fun with it. Bassist Keegan Ferrari has a particularly engaging swagger, dramatically and comically cruising around the stage, pointing across the crowd and generally having a great time. Matt Vallarino as ever brings the big guns and adds real powerhouse rhythm over the strange synthy tones. While not ideal for their set to be missing all vocals, it was nonetheless a really engaging start to the night.

Rating: 6/10

Any frequenters of Rebellion know it’s not a huge area to play onstage, but a band like VOYAGER have no problem commanding this, or in fact any, space. Opening with Colours and Submarine is a solid move that engages everyone in the room. The five piece have such a high energy and a massive appeal that those who were there for them knew they were in for a treat, while others only just coming to them this evening were very quickly pulled into the fun of the set.

Daniel Estrin is a masterful frontman; white leather jacket and enviable locks paired with phenomenal vocal skill means the crowd is completely captivated and encouraged by his exuberant performance. With a set full assault of breakdowns, new wave synth, there was a generous amount of keytar which was thoroughly good fun, combined with technical playing is a pure joy to watch. The whole band are clearly in their element. Both guitarists bring the same kind of bouncing energy you’d expect from hardcore and punk gigs, never mind keeping up with the shred-fast riffs and high octave solos.

Eurovision submission song Dreamer is a great hit and a welcome sing-along, and it has to be said that it’s a real shame they didn’t make it through in that competition. VOYAGER have the potential to be stadium fillers no question, and in their tenure together over the decades has resulted in a well-oiled machine. Alex Canion dominates the bass and harmony vocals doesn’t go unnoticed, along with the masterfully understated Ashley Doodkorte on drum make for the perfect rhythm section that anchors the entire set.

A fantastic set all in all, the crowd chanting for more even after the phenomenal last song Ascension, and even with high anticipation for VOLA, VOYAGER are still a force to be reckoned with in their own right.

Rating: 8/10

VOLA are that indescribable combination of beautifully melodic, captivating music that also does away with the rule book when it comes to tone, structure and uniformity. No two VOLA songs have come out the same; there’s always something new to discover. The opener 24 Light-Years is stunning and you can appreciate the many structural changes, especially as Adam Janzi warms into the lush drum patterns.

The crowd is completely captivated by Asger Mygind and his range from the start, while Martin Warner and Nicolai Mogensen take to the programming, synth and keys to build the impressive renditions. No one member feels more important than another, the way the band structure the music is a testament to how equal they are both in creating the music and the performance of it.

Alien Shivers, another fan favourite from Applause Of A Distant Crowd somehow feels like a serene experience, gentling easing the audience into the set. That changes up pretty quickly with a decent into Napalm and Stray The Skies, two heavyweight songs that feed the room’s revelry.

Having such a strong back catalogue, it feels like VOLA always turn their hands to innovating their sound; that everything they’ve made thus far in their career stands consistently on a level. Pairing songs from the beloved Inmazes with those from Witness, with the more pensive reflections of APOADC, no track in this setlist goes without raucous response from the audience. Showing a powerhouse of MESHUGGAH style basslines and rhythms, and flipping into the beautifully serene Ruby Pool and the more pop-styled We Are Thin Air, the mix of soft and heavy is perfect for displaying what VOLA are.

As noted before, Adam Janzi becomes something of the main draw, away from the guitars and synths, with his utterly captivating, loose and euphoric drumming style. A song that absolutely captured the room was These Black Claws, with the central pit spanning most of the flaw space as everyone draws into the breakdown chant. You’d think that VOLA would keep this frenzied energy up, but as always, they know what the crowd needs as well as they know what a song needs- the lush stripped back live track Enter was a welcome respite before jumping back into the masterfully progressive final songs. By the time final song Straight Lines is chanted across the room, the crowd is wholly at the band’s mercy and are fully on board for the encore. Thankfully, Whaler, a track fans have been desperate for live since 2018 and much renowned Inside Your Fur, are ample satisfying as the encore to this stacked setlist.

For a venue that can be hard to command, VOLA have proven that they’re more than worth the wait, and that they’ll dominate any space they encounter.

Rating: 9/10

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

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