Bank Top Tavern, Oldham - 20.10.2023

VIP SUITE/WAILING BANSHEE/TROYEN

BANK TOP TAVERN - OLDHAM

ROCK/HEAVY METAL/HEAVY METAL

Review By: SAM LOUGHLAN

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Hi everyone! As we are still in the progress of building our website, I thought it would be best to publish the mini (ish) review I wrote for our Facebook page first and then have a more substantial piece to publish when the site’s 100% up to speck. I would like to say though the support from VIP Suite and 0161 Manchester has been overwhelming whilst we take this gigantic leap in our venture. It’s taken hours of dedication from the whole team to pull this off and we hope you understand we are still finding our feet. We thank you all for bearing with us whilst we are still oiling our wheels so to speak, lol!

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So, as most of you will know, on Friday 20th October Nicky and I had our first night out as Heads Up North. I’ve got to say it was an amazing experience and we can’t thank James and Jane from 0161 Manchester enough for giving us this opportunity to come down to the Bank Top Tavern and experience one of their hosted nights.

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to secure the chance to do a review of the venue but we do hope that this will become possible in the near future. Though, we can say (in our opinion) it is definitely worth a visit if you are in the area…

First up on stage was VIP Suite. Now these guys absolutely took our breath away, not only with their professionalism and sheer talent, but with how down to earth they were and it was really easy to strike up a conversation with them. This is a big bonus for us here at Heads up North as both Nicky and myself love mingling and getting to meet new people. VIP Suite were actually a last-minute addition to the night when they stepped in for a band who could not make it. This action alone demonstrates immense commitment to the alternative music scene, driving over one hundred miles, all the way from Middlesborough to make sure everyone had a great night. It’s sometimes a tough position to be in, replacing another band and being the opening set. You have to set the tone for the evening and get the ‘party started’ so to speak. We can honestly say we were enthralled by their performance and especially by their opening number of ‘Marked Card’ and their cover of ‘Fortunate Son’. What stood out to Nicky and myself the most was the sixth track in their set list entitled ‘Human Jungle’ which touched on homelessness and poverty in the UK. This really pulled at our heartstrings and demonstrated to us that VIP Suite are much more than your typical rock band. The guys know how to take taboo issues and give them life in a way that their audience can understand and enjoy.

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Next up, we have Wailing Banshee. Now this band really stood out as they have a phenomenal female vocalist. It’s not often you see women taking the lead in a metal band so it was quite refreshing. Dani Louise, on top of the extremely talented musicians that make up the band are definitely going to take themselves far in the alternative music scene.  Now, Wailing Banshee played a fantastic set which had myself and Nicky enthralled through-out and there wasn’t a single point during their performance where the audience weren’t feeling the same passion for metal. We will be sure to keep an eye out for Wailing Banshee coming back to the Manchester area!

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Finally, this brings us to the evening’s headliner, Troyen! This was kind of a special moment for Nicky as she has been in contact with drummer Jeff Baddley with around 15 years and never actually met him! Got to say it was a very memorable experience for me to and an added bonus, we even came away from the gig with a pair of signed drumsticks! Super cool!

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Troyen are in fact quite legendary in the alternative scene as they first hit it off in 1981, but despite having a promising start, the band unfortunately parted ways in early 1983 only to come back bigger and bolder when they reformed in 2014. A whopping 32 years later! These guys clearly have deep-rooted skills! The 5-piece heavy metal band from Merseyside put together an amazing display of passion and fierce attitude that got the whole venue on its feet. It was a superb ending to the night with a raging atmosphere that will not soon be forgotten by their captivated audience. We can’t wait to see what the guys have in store for us when they release their new studio album in spring of 2024.

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So, there you have it, a little snippet of what we here at Heads Up North thought about our first gig. We came away from a fantastic evening with some amazing friendships, lasting memories and we will most certainly be keeping a close eye on VIP Suite, Wailing Banshee and Troyen to see how they progress and grow in this madness that is the alternative music scene! Big thanks to everyone involved and it was a pleasure to be part of this event.