[LIVE REVIEW] Ruled By Raptors, Sun Machine, WEDGIE & Morado

(Image: Poster Designed by Brainache and Mama Liz's)

The nights are starting to roll in earlier, the weather is getting colder and the evenings of cosy pyjamas and hot chocolates are sneaking up on us. But not tonight. For you see, tonight my partner Leanne and I chose to head out into the nearby town of Stamford to visit its well known Voodoo Lounge stage, the underground dwelling of venue Mama Liz's. Why? Well...for a gig of course, ran by local promotions group and hardcore music lovers Brainache Promotions.

Now those that know me know I also work with this group, so TECHNICALLY this review could be seen as cheating. But having spent a bit of a hiatus from promoting this year, I felt that it was only right to show my support for a local show by attending as a punter. And in a slight take on 'when worlds collide', this particular one made even more sense to attend.

Gracing the stage were Newcastle's own Ruled By Raptors - a band that are held in high regards by the head honchos of Get Heavy UK. Winners of the Newcastle Metal 2 The Masses in 2025, I'd heard and seen nothing but good things about this band, so it only felt right that as they were in my neck of the woods, I should go see them. Joining them were Morado, WEDGIE (in their live debut) and Sunmachine. A mixture of 'local' and 'out of town', this was looking to be a promising evening overall.

Before we get into the music - I must give a shout out to the venue and its staff. For those that don't know Mama Liz's, it's not only run by a dedicated team under the leadership of owner Michael, its a establishment that provides some incredibly fine and delicious soul-food. Having been several times, two particular items I look forward to are the nachos and the chicken burger. Not only is the food fantastic quality, the overall vibe of the venue perfectly suits the aesthetic of 'grassroots and underground music'. This is a venue that caters to all music genres - ranging from metal gigs to DJ nights, they tend to every musical need. For me, the look and vibe of the Voodoo Lounge is perfect for those alternative gigs as you head to the lower level and embrace the music.

MORADO

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Now this is a line I've used PLENTY of times before - being the opening band can be one of the biggest challenges of any show you play, whether its in a small crowded pub or playing to 100s or 1000s in an open field. The opening band are the one who has to set the bar for the evening - folks aren't looking for a group who stand on stage stiff as statues mumbling into the microphone or tickling the strings with a feather. They're wanting high energy, riffs that'll make your nan get up and dance to or simply a band that can have a laugh amongst themselves and the crowd in front of them. Morado hit all those marks and more from the moment they hit the stage.

Whilst they brand themselves as 'alternative and experimental rock', the quartet blended in elements of the punk and metal genres without things getting too messy or hyper-convoluted. The energy from the first few notes alone were enough to entice fans towards the front of the stage so they could witness Morado do their thing. You couldn't help but notice the crowd of heads slowly start bopping along to the set list, even more so when the lads threw in a sneaky little iconic riff at the end of one of their songs. Whether it was the Biffy Clyro style rock riffs or the heavier NWOBHM inspired tracks, this group were a band that genuinely had something for everyone thrown into their set which made them that extra more appealing on a show such as this one.

Simply put - opening slot? No problem. Morado see your opening slot and raise you one 'here's some headliner energy' in response.

WEDGIE

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Next band, new challenge. With the tone of the evening set by the delightful quartet beforehand, the crowd at Mama Liz's saw the next trio take to the stage to keep the energy running. Immediately drawing eyes was the over-sized setlist stuck to the back of the stage with the big words '1st Gig'. That was the introduction we had to newcomers WEDGIE...yes, that is indeed their name and its one that matches the energy these folk brought with them. No no, we didn't see the guitarist pull the drummer's underwear over his head whilst the bassist stood in the corner laughing - rather we saw an incredibly infectious and cheeky energy from the band as they ran through a set that combined originals with notable covers of The Ramones, Nirvana and The Prodigy. 

The latter cover was for me an interesting choice - covers are something that can often boost a band's reputation or steer people away, especially when its a cover of a track that is greatly recognised amongst the fan base of the metal/rock genre. The Prodigy isn't exactly a band that is spun at the top of my playlists, but like many I do enjoy the well known hits that they've produced over the years. Hearing WEDGIE not only attempt but absolutely smash the track 'Breathe'  in their own way has marked them high in my books. The track truly felt like it belonged in the trio's own catalogue of songs, and this was a thought that was clearly in agreement with the rest of the crowd as the reaction was spectacular to see. Mixed in with their own take on the hardcore and punk genres, this was a band that were loving every single minute of the show as they slammed note after note out for the crowd to enjoy.

Mix in loads of jokes, banter and some 'cheeky' energy, this is a young band that smashed their first show out the park. If they can keep this particular energy and vibe going throughout their career, WEDGIE have a strong chance of climbing the gigging scene rather quickly and getting on bigger venues within the grassroots scene.

SUNMACHINE

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If I had a dollar for every time I'd seen these lads locally on a Brainache lately, I'd have two dollars...which isn't a lot, but its weird that its happened twice...

Once again, the stages of the Peterborough/Stamford area saw Cambridge based Sunmachine descend upon them once more. Having left their mark on the Here We Aren't stage just a couple of weeks earlier, the quartet were back to leave this mark on the Stamford scene. One thing I love about Sunmachine is not just their heavy alt-rock sound, but the vibe they have on stage. Teasing each other, having a laugh and just hanging out with your mates is a message the lads broadcast when performing. And of course, this energy was felt by the crowd to as they initiated mosh pits and headbanging as the set went on. Whilst we did hear a minor sound issue during one of their songs, the group kept the level of professionalism strong by continuing the song until the sound of guitars and vocals filled the room again.

This may only have been my second time seeing the band perform their tracks, but the infectious energy was just as strong and their songs rang just as sharp through the ears as the first time. Similar to WEDGIE, I can see bigger things for Sunmachine as they push through their career - combining fantastic songs that are filled with melodic riffs with enjoyable and fun stage energy is always a refreshing thing to see when hitting the local scene.

RULED BY RAPTORS

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Here we are. We've reached the end of the evening. Its been fun, its been loud. So maybe we finish this little evening with some quiet tracks and everyone sits nice and still...

...Um...no. Not at all. The moment Ruled By Raptors took to the stage, you knew this wasn't going to happen. Kicking off their headline set with a boom, the Newccy/Glasgow fellas weren't going to let anyone escape the evening without some additional aches in the necks and bones from headbanging and moshing. With the members themselves even joining in the antics on the floor, this was a band that was more than ready to add a final layer of chaos and madness to what had already been a rather energetic and crazy evening. Showcasing just how and why they had won their place at Bloodstock last year, Ruled By Raptors were the living embodiment of 'when the energy drink kicks in'. It was crazy to see a band that had been so withheld and calm in the time waiting for their spot to suddenly erupt on stage, but also that well needed burst of chaos to end the show on.

What worked most for this band is, similar to all the bands across the evening, is that they weren't restricting themselves to just metal in their sound. They were blending other genres in their music as well, with one track being a lot more pop punk compared to the earlier heavier tracks of the set. And again, the way the group were able to blend the genres without producing a sloppy, hard-to-follow mess was executed perfectly - making their set incredibly enjoyable and painful on the neck from the headbanging