Live Review : Primus @ O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester on August 17th 2026
The popularity of metal has astounded me a number of times in recent years, from the likes of Korn and Deftones filling stadiums when it felt like their peak had passed, to System Of A Down and My Chemical Romance coming back and playing stadiums but this feels like something else. It’s very much on a smaller scale but it feels light-years beyond what I expected. Even during the funk metal boom of the early nineties which made Faith No More and Red Hot Chili Peppers stars, Primus felt too oddball to make it to the same level but in 2026 they are playing and filling 3000 plus capacity venues and headlining a sold out Arctangent Festival. The gigantic queue for the merch is also a testament to their newfound popularity.
Les Claypool is renowned as one of the world’s greatest bassists and he starts showing off his fretboard gymnastics before they even play the opening track. The stuttering, creeping opener ‘Here Come The Bastards’ showcases another side of Claypool’s playing as he is largely restrained yet still shows off whenever the opportunity arises. He often keeps it simple with a simple slapped rhythm whilst guitarist Larry LaLonde adds his not insignificant contributions over the top of them.
The chemistry between the band is fantastic. The rhythm section of Claypool and new drummer John Hoffman (aka Hoffer) is tight yet still shows plenty of individuality and virtuosity whilst Larry, who Les calls the “godfather of death metal” a number of times, throws out killer metal riffs, bluesy licks, eastern grooves, searing solos and numerous other inventive techniques with ease.
They are a challenging band and some of these tracks are stretched out and played at a deliberate pace. The crowd love them though. The hypnotic bassline of ‘American Life’ gets the crowd clapping along in time whilst ‘My Name Is Mud’ sees much of the audience singing along. The main gestures of appreciation though are the loud “Primus sucks” chants which frequently break out.
The tight, heavy groove of ‘Dirty Drowning Man’ is excellent whilst the progressive touches make it seem extremely well rounded. The eastern rhythms of ‘Frizzle Fry’ are mesmeric. Choosing to play two sets, they end the first set there and it seems like a great idea. It is getting hot and sweaty, and the intensity of it feels a little too much to take all in one go.
Suitably refreshed, the band opens the second set with the playful two note bounce of ‘Welcome To This World’ and it creates a mighty groove. It’s then straight into the dense rhythmic thud of ‘My Name Is Mud’ which sees hundreds of phones thrust into the air filming it. The connection between Hoffer and Les at the climax is incredible. The following ‘Jerry Was A Race Car Driver’ is greeted heroically and gets the crowd moving. Just when you think that this set is going to be all the hits, they then play a sprawling, hypnotic ‘Over The Electric Grapevine’ which is no less compelling.
They are a difficult band to pigeonhole. Les explains that in America they mainly play with bands like Ween and The Flaming Lips whilst in Europe they play metal festivals with bands like “Peeling Eyeball and Sphincter Death Juice” and this is part of their appeal as they balance the heaviness of metal with an experimental, psychedelic edge. ‘Shake Hands With Beef’ showcases their weighty side whilst Les brings out a bow and upright bass for the low end of the psychedelic ‘Jilly’s On Crack’.
There are a couple of minor missteps here and there. The brief mid-section wig out of ‘The Ol’ Grizz’ feels a bit too self-indulgent but it doesn’t detract from the excellence of the dense, heavy funk. The cod reggae rhythms of ‘Duchess And The Proverbial Mind Spread’, heavy as they are, seem like too much of a pastiche.
‘Too Many Puppies’ is played as an encore, and its unstoppable juddering riff is utterly crushing. They move into the brooding and creepy ‘Hello Skinny’ and then switch back into the devastating ‘Puppies’. They may test us at times but overall, tonight is a triumph and reminder that bands as individual and brilliant as Primus should be celebrated.
You know those people who say "I listen to all kinds of music", I'm one of those. I mainly like my music heavy and weird these days but in my time, I've been a rocker, a raver, a thrasher, a britpopper, a hardcore kid and much else besides.