Live Review : Stick To Your Guns + Love Letter + False Reality @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester on July 8th 2025

Tonight’s gig showcases some of the different elements of hardcore punk. It’s beatdown heavy one moment, thought-provoking the next. Melodic and soaring then brutal and passionate. One of the best bands at interlacing all these aspects are the headliners Stick To Your Guns.

I step into the venue just as False Reality’s opening chords carve through the air. Even with the room still filling, you can feel the tension snap into place the moment the guitars strike. The London band are generating plenty of momentum in the scene with their take on hardcore that fans of GEL and in fact Employed To Serve will enjoy. Breakdowns pepper the set, each one driving the crowd forward.

The drums and bass lock into a relentless driving piston of a rhythm, while the guitar slices between raw, aggressive bursts and concise ringing that drags you back into the moment. Every song holds you in its grip and that’s no easy feat. From the tight, stabbing riffs to the moments where the beat drops away and you’re left in no doubt what they’re trying to achieve, with the band never letting the mood slip. Keep an eye out, as these could be something special.

Main support Love Letter take the stage…well all apart from singer Quinn Murphy who has setup his mic stand down in the crowd. The room falls quiet for their opening political monologue. Quinns’s voice rides over subtle, atmospheric instrumentals, drawing everyone into a shared moment before a single chord hits. Those ambient layers build steadily, each swell of guitar and drum adding tension without ever overpowering the message.

The political statements come through as spoken-word passages, grounding the set in purpose and keeping the crowd locked in from start to finish. Then they shift gear and dive into full-band mode. The sound transforms into classic New England hardcore - tight, urgent, and precise. Every riff lands with Touche Amore-style clarity, the kind that makes you engage before you even realise it. Behind it all, the guitars aren’t afraid to stretch out. One moment they’re firing off sharp, angular stabs, the next they sweep into wide, Mogwai-esque progressions that give the songs unexpected depth. By the final notes, the mood is both elevated and raw.

Headliners Stick To Your Guns hit the stage and the packed room pulses with anticipation. It’s a thrill to watch these Orange County melodic hardcore titans squeeze into a tiny space, set up their own gear, then almost instantly flip into full-on performance mode. Jesse Barnett’s vocals cut through the roar, shifting effortlessly from barked hardcore shouts to soaring, tuneful cleans. Every word lands with raw emotion, whether he’s unleashing ferocious power or lifting you on a melodic wave. The crowd ignites within seconds - two-stepping, windmilling, pinballing off the pit’s edge until it opens up and spills into every corner of the room. I’ve snagged a balcony spot and watch the frenzy below, hearts pounding in unison.

Even without a bassist onstage, the sound is razor-sharp. Laptop-tracked bass and subtle backing elements fill the low end, giving the guitars and drums room to breathe while keeping that signature STYG weight. We’re treated to fan favourites including ‘Amber’ and ‘We Still Believe’, with the entire crowd singing along and giving everything they have physically. The band stay musically brutal but in control, alternating between commanding calls from the stage and fantastic melodic hardcore anthems. You feel both the hardcore intensity and the heartfelt melodies coursing through every song. The blend of passion, power, and precision is flawless. Long live STYG in small venues.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Stick To Your Guns + Love Letter + False Reality