Live Review : Conjurer + Tuskar + Sugar Horse @ Rebellion, Manchester on November 1st 2022

After going to Manchester for the best part of 13/14 years attending concerts, it’s hard to believe that tonight is my first trip to Rebellion for a concert, despite it being an absolute staple venue of the Manchester Metal scene. Tonight’s lineup however is a treat, 3 young, fresh, hungry bands looking to carve a name for themselves, headlined by the impeccable, Conjurer. 

The first band on the bill for this evening were Sugar Horse. When opening such a strong bill, it could seem that the odds are well and truly stacked against you, as you have the job of setting the precedent for the rest of the night. Sugar Horse certainly had the credentials of a band capable of doing this, with their unique blend of disgustingly heavy riffs and vocals that just slap you in the face with their intensity. What I absolutely loved about Sugar Horse’s performance was the beautiful delicate moments that often came at the end of these particularly beautiful sections of music. It is like the band is saying to the crowd “yeah, we just absolutely annihilated you with this cacophony of incredible noise, so just take a minute to collect yourselves before we do it again”. It is this hot and cold element that really turned this set from just an opener on the bill, to a band capable of holding their own against both of the remaining bands.  

Up next were two piece, Tuskar. If Sugar Horse incorporated disgustingly heavy riffs, then Tuskar are an adjective above that. Tuskar brought to the stage a technical rollercoaster in which it was impossible to determine just what direction they would take you in next. The dual vocalist approach really worked with Tuskar as Drummer Tyler Hodges and Guitarist Tom Dimmock have such a contrasting vocal style that helps keep things fresh. Hodges provides an almost punk-like vocal performance and Dimmock comes in with the more brutal, guttural vocals of the two. What was truly astonishing about Tuskar however was their ability to provide such technically sound vocals, whilst not taking away their ability to play their respective instruments to an absolutely insane level of competence and complexity that is truly remarkable to watch. Hodges was especially great to watch, as he absolutely smashed the shit out of his drums with a level of passion and intensity you just don’t find all that often whilst never missing a beat or losing his time. Tuskar are a special band and I truly hope that they smash the glass ceiling and launch themselves into the public consciousness more so than they already have, as they are truly magnificent.  

Conjurer are one of them bands in which it is almost impossible to define. What they bring to the table is a range of elements that are so meticulously and beautifully crafted that it borders on the realms of being almost poetic. It’s at times extreme, at times solemn and vulnerable, at times sheer euphoric, one wouldn’t be blamed for considering Conjurer a genre in their own right. There was very little wasted time in their 70 minute set and it was definitely a case of arrive, play their shit leave. For some bands, this can seem insincere and as if they cant be arsed interacting with the crowd, but for Conjurer, this just adds to the mystery and jaw dropping nature of their work. When the band left stage, you had to take a moment to just stand there, jaw dropped, thinking “what the fuck have I just witnessed”, which was certainly the case in my experience. What they packed those 70 minutes with was almost indescribable however I'm going to do my best to, so that, in a slightly less significant way, you can understand just what a Conjurer show is all about.  

When it comes to music on the heavier side of things, I’m quite a hard guy to please. Music for me is all about impact, not intensity and i would take light, meaningful and relatable music, over the grotesque, shock horror that is commonly associated with music of a heavier ilk. Conjurer are seamlessly able to be morose, yet invigorating, heavy, yet somehow nuanced. This is brought to fruition by the dual vocals and guitars of Dan Nightingale and Brady Deeprose. The tiny Rebellion venue simply couldn’t handle sheer ferocity of the two vocalists that occupy either side of this tiny stage whilst bassist Connor Marshall provides an unspoken intensity of his own, through his almost signature headbanging and ring leading of this approximately 200 strong crowd. One moment however stood out to me more than any, a moment during the set in which vocalist and guitarist Dan Nightingale stepped from behind his microphone, slowly walked to the middle of the stage, and continued his vocal performance completely unplugged. The band behind him played a soft, slow melody which allowed Nightingales voice to truly stand out as a result of its sheer power. When I mentioned about taking a moment after the show to take in everything that I saw, this moment was one of the reasons why. 

The amount of technicality and skill on display from this band was simply astonishing. There was nothing in the way of blemishes and every single note, every single beat was performed with such a level of finesse and vigor, that you’d find yourself rooting for Conjurer to be playing bigger rooms on their next go around. They are already underground cult heroes and it hopefully won’t be long before they’re the band on everyone’s lips.