Photo Credit: Press
tf the Boom history with a show at the original venue back in 2024, Split Chain were now on new turf with their headline performance in the Canalside space which was guaranteed to be extra special as they brought along old and new friends.
Hailing from the Sin City of Las Vegas, Roman Candle opened the show with pure ferocity from the get go. Unleashing fast-paced riffs and face-scrunching vocals that blended with ease, the Nevada quartet had their firm grip on the Leeds crowd throughout. Vocalist Piper Ferrari was rocking a broken foot from a show in Germany, but that didn’t stop her from throwing down with the crowd as mosh pits soon formed as the set progressed. A real high energy opening set was enough to set the bar high, ready for the next two acts to follow and keep up the tempo.
London hardcore outfit False Reality came next and those in attendance were truly pumped up and prepared for what the band were about to unleash. Having performed with Split Chain at their previous Boom show, the Londoners are more than familiar with taking on new fans with their extensive touring schedule over the last few years. A mix of hardcore and thrash shows their inspirations but with their own twist sets them above many within the genre. A smile upon each member’s face shows that performing live is just all-round fun and not taking themselves too seriously, while vocalist Rachel Rigby isn’t afraid to throw down with the crowds too. Big hitters ‘Out of Time’ and ‘Opposites React’ really stood out during their thirty-minute set while ‘Snake Eyes’ concluded their set with a huge bang.
After two ferocious intense support acts, it was time for Split Chain to take to the stage. With the absence of guitarist Jake Reid, the band ensured to give it their absolute all regardless of the unfortunate loss of their axe-swinging shredder. As soon as the Bristol band made their way onto the stage, the crowd immediately poured forward towards Cowles’ feet, ready for war. Opening with ‘Who Am I?’, space in the centre of the room quickly returned as pits began to form which played a huge part for the next hour.
Cowles begged for stage divers, with his wishes granted despite the small stage, people were beginning to be lifted by one another. Fan favourite ‘Get Inside’ made an early appearance onto the set list while new material from the deluxe edition ‘Headway’ and ‘Sylvia (I Won’t Belong To You)’ were nestled in nicely between more familiar tracks. ‘Bored. Tired. Torn’ had the entire room bouncing along just in time for a quick approach to the finale as Split Chain ended with ‘I’m Not Dying To Be Here’ and ‘Untitled’ to round off a banger of a midweek set in Yorkshire once again.
