Live Review

Orange Goblin – O2 Academy Liverpool

• 15th Feb 2013

It was a cold night here in Liverpool, but the metallers were out in droves to welcome Orange Goblin to the o2 Academy for their first gig here in many years. The anticipation was rife in the air as masses of long hair, beards and leather jackets paraded around the box office, into the academy and swarmed the bar for a night of beer, devil horns and heavy riffs.

The night kicked off with Liverpool’s very own Twelve Gauge. Even though these guys have only been gigging for a couple of months, they came on stage and proved that they can play with the best. With strong influences from the likes of Black Stone Cherry and Alter Bridge, the band had a great mix of melodic riffs and heavy rhythm sections. The fast riffs and heavy beats were held nicely together by how tight this band is, each member holding their own, giving the audience something good to watch as well as listen to. Definitely a band to watch out for in 2013.

Next up was the macabre styling’s of The Earls Of Mars. Opening up to the intro to The Twilight Zone, it was already becoming clear that these guys were going to be very interesting and they did not disappoint! The winning combination of bassy gloom and creepy keyboards backed up by the driving drums, heavy guitar and sinister vocal stylings of Harry whose theatrical movements created an almost B movie –esque feel to the whole performance. You could clearly see their love for music throughout their performance and you could feel the crowd being mesmerized by their unusual sound. I highly recommend to keep your eye out for this band, so you can experience this creepy wonderfest for yourself.

Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell were next on stage and came on to show exactly what they’re made of: big hair, 70s style riffs and pants that tight it’d even make Axl Rose wince! They came on stage, pulled out a flying V guitar, a Les Paul bass and laid down some slick riffs, fast drums and shredded their set from start to finish. The gritty vocals, combined with their groove-laden bass lines made this band a must see for any fans of Led Zeppelin and Queens Of The Stone Age.
Finally the Band everyone had been waiting for, the mighty Orange Goblin. Their years of experience in delivering ear pounding metal shone through with every note, every scream and every shout. Their love of their fans, new and old, was present from the moment they set foot on stage, with front man Ben Ward hugging it out with the crowd within the first five minutes of their set. The gravelly vocals backed up by their hard hitting riffs made this a night to remember for all Goblin fans.

The crowning moment of their set was when Earls Of Mars frontman Harry graced the stage with his presence wearing a Hot Dog costume to help with their next song, it was so unexpected but made the crowd erupt into a glorious rapture of pumping fists and Goblin chanting.
This gig proved that Orange Goblin still have what it takes to rock the socks off their fans day in and day out.

Venue: O2 Academy Liverpool
Support Band: Admiral Sir Cloudsley Shovell, Earls Of Mars, Twelve Gauge