Photo Credit: Press

Quickly becoming a must see name in the emo scene, Hot Mulligan‘s rise has skyrocketed to huge heights. Their return to Leeds after a triumphant performance at the annual Slam Dunk Festival was quickly upgraded from Project House to the surprising university main room, The Refectory.

Kicking off the night were local lads Beauty School. Fresh from their sold out hometown headline show at the Brudenell, which concluded their debut UK headline tour, a new room in the city greeted them alongside an already packed crowd that was almost at full capacity before they came on stage. Opening their seven song performance with ‘Day Of Iva‘, one of their lead singles from their sophomore release ‘For Now‘. Sadly no Rae from Artio to feature on the night, but frontman Joe ensured to give it his all alongside guitarist Jason Blackburn’s vocals. Continuing with ‘When I’m Feeling Down’ and the personal ‘Armitage‘, Joe is no stranger to addressing the big crowds. Keeping the crowd on his side throughout the set, the final three of ‘Reaper‘, ‘Pawn Shop Jewels‘ and ‘Lately‘ brought out the Beauty School fans in full force. Whether they were in attendance at their show across Woodhouse Moor or having travelled to the show, this was a monumental feat from the Leeds lads, conquering every venue in the city, no matter the size.

Following on the local act were Canterbury based band Delta Sleep. Bringing elements from various different technical genres such as math rock, melodic hardcore and emo into their sound, the performance still packed a punch despite its mixed style. Attracting a much more intense atmosphere, the band had the capacity crowd in the palm of their hands. Captivated by the varied guitars and darkness that they brought to the room, Delta Sleep ensured they made their mark before leaving the stage.

Concluding the night in true main event fashion were Michigan emo heroes Hot Mulligan. Uniting people of Leeds and surrounding areas in a huge room to sing along to a set filled with not only their greatest from their catalogue, but ensuring tracks from their latest album ‘The Sound a Body Makes When It’s Still’ got the showcase they truly deserve.

Easing into their set with ‘Moving to Bed Bug Island’, the capacity crowd were pumped up, ready for the usual intensity the band bring. Following up with ‘And A Big Load’ and fan favourite ‘It Smells Like Fudge Axe In Here’. The intensity in the room was already at an all time high, as the audience took on vocal duties of their own to the point Tades was barely heard.

With a set list consisting of 23 songs, there was no time to waste. Tades did joke though about the bands’ last visit to the city where a fan leaped from the balcony into their crowd, wishing him well despite the sheer stupidity of the decision to injure a fellow fan. Normal service quickly resumed though, with ‘Monica Lewinskibidi’, ‘How Do You Know It’s Not Armadillo Shells?’ and ‘Featuring Mark Hoppus’ all serving major highlights at the midway point of the set. The crowd showed no signs of fatigue, despite being involved with the previous two bands.

Their new single ‘I Don’t Think It’s the Right Time for Emojis’ got its first UK run out, and clearly has become a favourite judging from the crowds involvement once again. Hot Mulligan’s fast paced songs, Tades vocal variation and the technical guitar parts collectively puts them as one of the tightest live bands in the scene right now, and there is no wonder why they are selling out shows not only in the UK but back across the pond too.

Rounding off their triumphant return to Leeds with ‘Stickers of Brian’ and ‘Slumdog Scungillionaire’, the band exited the stage for a brief moment before returning for two final songs. Arguably their two biggest hits, ‘BCKYRD’ and ‘*Equip Sunglasses*’ concluded the show in the same fashion that kickstarted the night, sheer intensity.