Photo Credit: Caitlin Mellors

Having successfully acquired a large fanbase in the UK through numerous visits supporting the likes of In Hearts Wake, Stray from the Path and The Amity Affliction, Alabama heavyweights Gideon took matters into their own hands with their first headline tour across the pond, bringing along a stacked line-up for the run.

Kicking off the night were metallic hardcore band Still In Love. Consisting of members from former beloved UK heavy bands, this fresh project still delivers a sense of nostalgia but with a more polished approach. Vocalist Nick Worthington’s lyrics are as honest as ever, despite a powerful message behind the words, the collective sound of the band is powerful, heavy and enough to entice crowd movement with little to no encouragement. Stand out tracks ‘Inherit‘ and ‘Preserve & Cherish‘ saw people throw down in the pit, and a feature from Hidden Mothers’ leader Liam Knowles in the set shows the unity in the UK hardcore scene is still alive. Worthington’s emotions took over during ‘Sober’, showing the message behind the music is more meaningful than people may have imagined. Guitarist Mark Ringrose used the overhead speaker to shred his weapon of choice, as the band concluded their powerful set with ‘It Will Never Be Enough‘ to bow out of their Leeds debut in style.

New Zealander’s Xile followed next. A much more intense all round performance, from constants riffs, blast beat drums and raw vocals all equally matched into an all out brawl on and off stage. The Leeds crowd were well and truly warmed up from the Brits earlier on, but it was the Kiwi’s that stepped it up a notch. Fast paced songs such as ‘World Demise‘ and ‘I Am Your God‘ sure made their set fly by, but a statement was made regardless. Xile are a worthy contender for the hardest hitting band of the night.

Ahead of the headliners were Hampshire’s Grove Street. Having made their name during the prime beatdown days in the mid 2010’s, they’ve carried their selves with integrity through their change into a more forceful hardcore outfit. Kicking off with ‘Hunting Season’, the Leeds crowd didn’t disappoint. Thriving from the energy on stage, more people got involved with the mosh pit inside the compact room across the seven songs. ‘Cycle of Grief’ and ‘The Path to Righteousness’ gave the Yorkshire mob one final chance to let loose once again, as Grove Street unleashed ungodly riffs to conclude their performance.

After three very strong supports, it was time for the hard hitting Alabama quartet Gideon to take to the stage. Having made their last appearance at the venue back in 2017 supporting In Hearts Wake, The Key Club was one of the most intimate spaces on this run too. The moment the band appeared on stage, a roar from the crowd bounced from every wall. Opening their 12-song set with ‘Wrong One‘, immediately the energy in the room reached a whole new level. Wasting no time in powering through their powerful set, Gideon churned out heavyweight tracks such as ‘Too Much Is Never Enough‘, ‘Til the Wheels Fall Off‘ and ‘Push It Back‘ to keep up the intensity both on and off stage. The vocal mixture of Dan McWhorter and Tyler Riley sends their tracks to a whole new stratosphere, exceeding the recording versions and giving the live experience a much heavier approach.

McWhorter encouraged the Leeds crowd to take over the stage, and his wishes were granted. Quickly, people were making their way over the short barricade and leaping back into the crowd for the remainder of the set. ‘MORE POWER. MORE PAIN‘ and ‘Cursed‘ were amongst the highlights for the remaining portion of the show, with these tracks being screamed back and the breakdowns enticing further movement in the centre of the room. Concluding their Leeds return with ‘No Love/No One‘, Gideon managed to pack in their headline slot in just fifty five minutes, leaving nothing on the table as they always set out to do.

Photo Credit: Caitlin Mellors @ Nottingham Rescue Rooms