Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes – Leeds Academy, 13th February 2024

HotWax hail from the coastal town of Hastings and have been on my radar for a few years now and to say that this young and dynamic three piece are riding on the crest of a wave seems like an understatement!

Touring the UK and the US with Royal Blood has seen them wowing audiences and the release of their Thank You Kindly EP last year shows that despite their young ages, the band are definitely developing their craft. If I had to describe their sound it is mid 90’s bands like Nirvana, Babes In Toyland or L7 that come to mind and it is the way in which they are able to mix sensual imagery with crescendos of noise that makes them so attractive.  It’s really great to see so many young woman in the audience looking up at these future stars and thinking … I wanna be in a band!

Singer/guitarist Tallulah isfantastic, screaming over howling guitars while looking the audience straight in the eye one moment and the next making them giggle after battling with a microphone stand that refused to cooperate! Tracks like Drop and E Minor hit home particularly well and if you missed them on this tour, you can catch them around the UK in April or at festivals like Download, Beautiful Days or Rebellion!

I had not come across The Mysterines before but was impressed with this band from Liverpool and who cannot be impressed when the guitarist uses a bow to play guitar in a Jimmy Page like manner for set opener, The Last Dance. This opener had me thinking of PJ Harvey and a bit of Siouxsie thrown in for good measure! Although the band were new to me, they certainly were not new to this Leeds crowd with each track being greeted warmly. For me I particularly liked songs on which singer Lia Metcalfe played guitar as well , bringing in more depth to the sound. New song Stray is a particular favourite and with a new album, Reeling coming very soon and a string of dates around Europe with festivals such as London Calling, Live@Leeds and Hurricane/Southside to come…the future is looking rosy!

And so to tonight’s headliner, Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes. I see Carter as an almost chameleon like figure, as an artist constantly  evolving and like his tattooed torso he wears his life experience proudly with each new album. I have seen fans talk of this tour almost like an performance in three acts with a number of tracks from the new album Dark Rainbow being played including set opener, Can I Take You Home?. Each band member comes to the stage but it is Carter who arrives last in a long coat and new longer locks adding to the theatrical nature of the show. . “Whose Ready to dance?… I fucking am! And we are off on a real journey of a set. The singer prowls the stage like a lion stalking his prey, at times fully in control followed by sudden bursts of breathtaking aggression and energy! Newer material like singles Self Love and Brambles sit perfectly with older classics like Crobar and Go Get A Tattoo (it is at this point that Carter removes his shirt to, of course, reveal a rather impressive collection).

“We wrote this song a long time ago” as Carter starts a three song encore with Thunder and a foul mouthed crowd singing I Hate You at the top of their voices  and our evening ends with one of the highlights from the new record , Man Of The Hour and our evening is over. A photo is taken from the drum riser of the band and their audience, making me reflect that I don’t remember seeing many bands with a bond so tight. Carter is last to leave the stage with a nod to the newly 8 year old George who celebrated his birthday today, we know this because earlier in the set Frank Carter lead the crowd in song to mark the young lad’s special day!!