Live Review: Wednesday 13 + Fearless Vampire Killers + The Nocturnal Affair @ Blitz, Preston on July 27th 2025

On a night when much of the population of the UK was glued to their television screens to witness the England Lionesses make history for the second time, those of us of a more ghoulish and rock-inspired persuasion are gathered to behold the trio of devilish delights that Madhouse Promotions have unleashed on the city this hot evening. For tonight is a night of delicious darkness, a seductive walk in the shadows down the left-hand path with three bands to slake your thirst for rock n’ roll devilry and debauchery. 

ROCKFLESH last saw Las Vegas denizens The Nocturnal Affair, just over a year ago, that time around supporting South of Salem. Back then they made an immediate impression with their big, committed sound, melding huge riffs and melody in a unique, captivating and atmospheric way, that proved a fitting introduction to the band. Jump forward to tonight and the intervening twelve months have only served to make them an even more stunning proposition. Growing in stature and presence, oozing confidence, charisma and belief in both themselves and their material, The Nocturnal Affair very quickly seduce any latecomers to their brutally heavy and melancholic sound. And whilst they rock hard and heavy that attack is counterpointed with moments of melodic beauty and hypnotic and perfectly judged keyboards, building an electric ambiance that is quite irresistible. 

‘It's No Good’ slams in on the back of a furious drum intro and immediately vocalist Brendan Shane has the crowd in the palm of his hand, evidently determined that this is going to be a two-way street between those on and off stage and that everyone is going to get involved.  One song in and hands are raised in the air, the sold-out Blitz audience, showing their appreciation from the get-go, swept along by the performance unfolding on stage. On a small stage Brendan says the band can’t move around too much so they need the crowd to do it for them, and they dutifully oblige, bouncing, clapping and punching the air, like it was a Friday not a Sunday night. Brendan tells the crowd that they love the UK and judging by the crowd’s emphatic reaction that affection is most definitely reciprocated.  The band are putting in the hard yards and the pay-off is the reaction that is writ large tonight. 

Their relatively short but perfectly formed set will have garnered them more fans tonight and if that is echoed at all their shows - as it surely is - then that work must be rewarded with bigger and better things.  Ending the set with their signature cover of What is Love, they raise the heat of the venue to blistering levels and the night has barely begun.  

How about some headline shows next time, eh chaps? 

Fearless Vampire Killers whilst still thematically broadly in the same ballpark take an altogether different approach than what came either before or after them. Bathed in green and yellow light, theirs is a much more emo-esque pop-punky sound; it’s immediate and accessible but at the same time with a sense of drama and angst in the mix too. Vocalist Kier Kemp hangs off the front of the stage, clinging precariously to the low-slung speakers just above his head, looking worryingly like he could easily end up in the front row (or even more worryingly on ROCKFLESH photographer Darren’s lap!) Although space is tight, Kier manages to bounce around a lot; he’s energy personified, a blur of motion, imploring the crowd to do the same. It’s one of the things that links all three bands tonight, that desire to connect, to entertain, to build that rapport and communion between musicians and fans. It’s real, authentic and oh so very human and tonight is a masterclass in how music can lift us and make such a difference.   

Clad identically in blue shirts and matching flak jackets as seen in the video for their recent single ‘Back from the Void’, the band are visually arresting as well as bringing a playful energy to their set.  A high point is ‘Say What You Want From Me’, with a lot of musical ideas playing out over its run time, it’s punchy and dramatic with ripsaw guitars and plenty of light and shade.  As their set goes on Laurence Beveridge takes over singing duties, the addition of a second vocal tone adding another dimension to their set and sound. ‘All Hallows Evil' is another track which hits hard, the crowd with arms held aloft, swaying together in unison. Fearless Vampire Killers gain more and more momentum and impetus as their set goes on, by dint of their charisma, musicianship and performance skills and by the time they leave the stage, they have won over the Preston audience and pushed the energy levels fully into the red. 

There’s a long history of rock and horror going hand in hand; from the 70s shock rock of Alice Cooper, to modern purveyors of all things twisted and ghoulish like local heroes Ward XVI or the previously mentioned South of Salem, loud guitars and twisted imagery have always made for the sweetest of bedfellows.  And Wednesday 13 tonight proves that after decades worth of plying his macabre trade, he remains one of the finest and foremost purveyors of the genre, and it’s safe to say that the sold-out crowd - that are ratcheting up the infernal heat and turning Blitz into the newest circle of Hell - absolutely love him. 

Wednesday hits the stage and the crowd erupts into an immediate frenzy as he’s given an (anti) hero’s welcome. And from that point, Wednesday and his band simply never let up – if the energy earlier on was at high level, at this point it’s completely off the chart, the band tighter than tight, and the songs coming at a breathless pace; as my companion at the bar comments “it’s relentless” and he’s right, it is relentless but in the best possible way. ‘Look What the Bats Dragged In’ sets the tone, the Duke of Spook the consummate twisted ringmaster, leading his merry band of ghouls and his delirious disciples through a near perfect sixteen song set, that’s big on spectacle and audience involvement. Whether it’s old favourites like the magnificent ‘197666' and the deceptively melodic ‘Summertime Suicide’ or newer material from latest album, “Mid-Death Crisis”, every word is sung as much off stage as on, every song an opportunity to throw your fist in the air and scream like you’re taking your last breath. And speaking of the new songs, they stand proudly alongside the older material, ‘No Apologies’, ‘In Misery’ and ‘Rotting Away' are 21st Century graveyard anthems as vital and fresh as a newly buried cadaver.  Equally the chugging ‘When The Devil Commands’ has us all singing merrily along with the refrains of “Hell” and “666”. 

The venue is now sweatier that Satan’s armpit, shirts are dispensed with, there’s a heat haze hanging in the air and as the set goes on the crowd becomes even more energised and it all adds to the Stygian atmosphere.  There’s a break in proceedings for a drum solo, but this one is interspersed with musical cues and snippets from celluloid horror, a bit of ‘Tubular Bells’ here, some Halloween theme there, it makes for a far more entertaining experience than your average run around the kit, but that’s what makes the band’s set so propulsive, it never lets up and you can’t look away even if you wanted to. There’s a riotous run through of ‘I Walked with a Zombie' and the final nail in tonight’s coffin is a hugely entertaining ‘I Love to Say F**K’, with Wednesday brandishing an expletive decorated umbrella (a F**kberella?) that allows for one final mass sing along before he departs. 

They say the Devil has the best tunes and if that is the case then he’s clearly been happy to share them with Wednesday 13, for tonight’s performance ranks as one of the best received and most fun I’ve seen in a long time. There’s surely a contradiction somewhere that singing along to songs about death and the darker side of things is such glorious fun, but it absolutely is, and there’s a wonderful catharsis in looking into the abyss and laughing in its face, and that’s what Wednesday gives everyone tonight. Irreverent, defiant, all the things that rock is meant to be, its horror show punk n roll at its best that leaves everyone exhausted and elated in equal measures. 

Once again Madhouse Promotions need to be applauded for their rejuvenation of the live rock music scene in Preston, their ambition, vision and commitment to bringing live rock events back to the city is leading to a real renaissance, and with tonight’s epic performance from Wednesday 13, this may well be their biggest and best yet. Long may they continue to keep doing what they do… 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Wednesday 13 + Fearless Vampire Killers + The Nocturnal Affair