False Heads | Gig Review | Manchester 25/2/18

On Sunday night London based three piece False Heads played at Jimmy's in Manchester, on the final leg of the UK part of their Retina tour. As always when you’ve loved a band but you have not seen them live yet I was a little worried. There is always that small fear that they’ll disappoint your expectations. This however was not the case with False Heads, they completely exceeded my expectations.

I only came across their music towards the end of summer but I had been listening to them none stop since then; you may remember in issue 6 we had a small interview with them! They quickly became one of my favourite bands, their recordings alone make them stand out within the scene. But their live performance makes them unforgettable.

They were supported by Little Illusion Machine and Rival Bones. Unfortunately I didn’t make it in time to catch Little Illusion Machine but I did catch all of Rival Bones set. I had heard great things about Rival Bones from a friend who played with them at one of their shows in York so I was stoked when I saw that they were on the bill to support False Heads.

Rival Bones were everything you want in a hard rock band, they were providing big riffs and drum beats so hard you were scared your heart would stop. They reminded me of a mix of bands like Black Stone Cherry, Royal Blood and Rival Sons, a gruff voice against loud explosive riffs.
So for you hard headed rock fans, give them a listen. I can honestly say I’d rather see these guys playing on the mainstage at Download 2018 that 70% of the bands announced so far! These guys had a great energy on stage, they engaged with the crowd and gave it their all, you’ll be head banging like an old dude at a maiden concert for sure. Make sure you check out their stuff on Spotify because it’s fucking awesome. And remember, never doubt a two piece, all the loudest sounding bands I know seem to be two pieces (Young Bulls and Naked Six being the best examples here).

False Heads! Man, what mental fuckers. There is nothing better than going to a gig and watching a band fucking loose it, and I think False Heads took the crown jewel for that. They played some of their well-loved songs like Twentynothing as well as newer releases like their latest single Retina. This was one of those gigs that was mental enough to give you a taste of what it would have been like to have been at a punk gig in 70s London. False Heads music is a combination of rock, grunge and punk that creates this glorious raucous sound. Frontman Luke Griffiths was moving around constantly, towards the end of the set he climbed up on top of a pile of speakers and then jumped on top of drummer Barney Nash. If that’s not an iconic way to end a gig I don’t know what is.

But False Head’s no fuck attitude isn’t the only thing that makes them a great band to watch. Their music is intensely addictive, the rawness of their sound hooks you instantly, that goes for both their recordings and their live performance. Their songs are full of roar distorted guitars that are as melodic as they are hectic, Luke’s riffs are powerful things. Barney’s drumming makes it impossible to stand still, I reckon even the stiffest of people will find themselves moving at False Heads gig. The lyrics are clever and darkly poetic, which combined with the gritty and hostile punk element of the instrumentation creates this beautifully chaotic sound. False Head’s are special, you’ve just got to take mine, any many other people’s word for it and listen to them. Go to one of their gigs if you’re up for a good thrashing night. Just fucking throw yourself into it!