Wars at Tap'n'Tumbler, Nottingham.

By Joel Arthur.

Wars has been on my playlist for a few years now although I may have discovered them through unconventional means, finally catching them live met and exceeded the expectations I already had in my head.

The first day of their 3 date tour in Nottingham’s Tap N’ Tumbler was sweaty, lively and packed, just the way it should’ve been.

Meeting up with my friend Rob Vicars, frontman of the band, before the show, I got a chance to chew down on a cheese toasty from the Christmas Market before ducking into the venue itself. The band that joins Wars on this run is none other than Birmingham-based metalcore band Overthrone, a perfect fit.They started the night off with high-octane energy and riffs that were somewhat reminiscent of While She Sleeps. Screams came from the frontman in a varying range of gutturals and fries and sometimes melodically harmonising with the bassist, creating a surprising dynamic between the two. There were members of the audience who watched and listened intensely from the front, bobbing their heads and even slowly but surely picking up the words on the hooks of each song. I was more than impressed by the frequency of high kicks and regret that I didn’t have my camera ready when there was a synchronised moment between the guitarist and an audience member. They were finally warmed up enough to high kick with them getting both myself and the Wars lads beaming. The stage was set.

I met Rob through an online community on Twitch varying between gamers, artists and musicians in the UK, creating a unique blend of passions that overlapped during lockdown. Of course, the main problem was meeting up in person, even after restrictions were lifted, was difficult due to distance. Leading a busy life myself, we were in the same city at one point but both my band and his were playing separate venues so I only got to say hi briefly before running off. That being said, I can say that my long wait to see Wars live finally was more than worth it.

The drumkit onstage was the first thing that caught my eye, the frame holding up the rack toms perfectly encompassed the iconic logo of the band on the bass drum, flanked by building sight lights triggered by the beats of the music. I had an avid anticipation as the intro track played and caught a friendly interaction between drummer Lee Tysall and Rob, hyping each other up as they kicked into the set.

Tap N’ Tumbler had filled out very nicely and as the set went on, it was apparent that even the regular punters were into Wars. Playing tracks from their wide discography, we were treated to two from their full-length album, ‘A Hundred Shivers’. Right off the bat, we had ‘A Hell Behind My Eyes’ followed promptly by ‘I Don’t Feel A Thing’ getting visceral with screams and rage, emphasising the passion behind the lyrics. Seeing your friend go from being the guy you play videogames with to the guy who captivates audiences is a jarring experience but kept me smiling all the same. It was clear the audience, however, didn’t need this background audience and got into it. They’d been warmed up and it was easy to spy a variety of people dancing at the front with the band or together in clumps further back in the venue. Meandering through, it was clear to me that the energy practically bounced off each listener, especially when the orchestral metal song ‘Satellite’ from the band’s newest record, ‘almost nothing nearly everything’ played. They even brought back older tunes from their catalogue and whilst admittedly, there was an issue playing through one once, the recovery was smooth and nonchalant.

The night was nothing but inspiring. A sure sign for the future of the band and callsign to anyone who hasn’t heard them yet.