Unofficially billed as a celebration of some of the most exciting bands to recently grace the stage of The Blind Pig in Sowerby Bridge (Halifax); Saturday 19th April was destined to be a special night courtesy of Celladoor and Rupcha Farms. Sadly Stray Weather and Inhabit UK were no longer able to take part so they will be playing sets at a later date.
The Manchester band Celladoor were a new one for me although they’ve been on the scene for around ten years or so. From the word go, grunge was the common denominator, along with some occasional heavy and punchier riffs – it’s unsurprising that their inspiration comes from a wide variety of grunge, alt and nu metal bands.
Offering up observations on life, Aaron James Davies is a strong vocalist, and as a band they were very tight while at the same time allowing musical freedom to really shine through some of the tracks. Neither are they afraid to play around with tempos. For some bands, this approach could go horribly wrong – but I think Celladoor were absolutely spot on. With a decent sized back catalogue to their name, their grungy alt sound is definitely worth exploring and they certainly took the audience with them from start to finish.
Celladoor are Aaron James Davies (vocals, songwriter and guitar), Gary Barber (bass) and Jim Robertson (drums). You can listen to them via the usual platforms including Spotify and check out what they are up to on Bandcamp and Facebook.
Bradford lads Rupcha Farms offer up serious metal and punk riffage combined with electronica and rap vocals that provide a snapshot for life’s struggles. Their debut seven track and self-titled EP Rupcha Farms was released in 2021, and they made their Bloodstock debut on the EMP stage last year. They are expecting to release a new single from their anticipated project this summer.
This is the first chance I’ve had to see them, and I must say, they did not disappoint. Probably best described as being for fans of Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park and The Prodigy, they have an evolved and distinctive sound which is emphasised with electronica.
Tyler is a dynamic and often aggressive vocalist and had the audience moshing with him every step of the way. For me, the set almost felt like it did when nu metal really took off – that all the rule books were ripped up and started afresh. I honestly didn’t think the audience could get any more excited than they already were, until a cover of The Prodigy’s Omen was belted out and the set was wrapped up with Limp Bizkit’s Break Stuff.
If you enjoy nu metal than I really do recommend that you check out their Bandcamp and Facebook pages for details of their gigs and forthcoming releases and you can also listen to them via Spotify. Rupcha Farms are Tyler (vocals), Neil (guitar) and Aden (drums).
I also want to have a shout out for The Blind Pig. Located in Sowerby Bridge on the outskirts of Halifax, The Blind Pig hosts mainly grassroots bands two to three nights of the week and is well worth a visit if you’re in the area. A smaller yet high quality venue, it is incredibly friendly, and its ethos is that live music should be accessible to all. To this end, many gigs are free entry with the ‘Jar on the Bar’ for punters to donate to. Instead of ticketing, bands are paid a fair and agreed fee, and their drinks are kept topped up – a popular option not just for established bands on the scene, but also the newer bands getting started.
On paper, Rupcha Farms and Celladoor made a slightly odd pairing. In reality, both bands have a distinctive edginess along with superb vocalists and great musicians that allows them to get their message across. All in all, a five-star performance from both bands.
