While household-name rockers Basement made their comeback playing the other stage at Boom’s newer home in Leeds (just a day after releasing their latest album ‘Wired’), local duo Vazon tore up the independent scene, throwing a multi-band gig night to remember next door. Holding their well-choreographed evening at that venue made sense; a strong community of proper rock fans of all ages had not only turned out early doors for Vazon’s headliner, but stayed the duration. 

These days, you can get a mixed bag of fans emerging for singlular sets then departing after they’d heard what they came for. But that’s a rookie error, in my opinion — and, if that had happened on Saturday, people would’ve sorely missed out. For starters, not catching Facepalm would’ve been a travesty. Yes, they had an angsty demeanour at times, jibing at their own crowd to make more movement (a subjective choice for the non-moshers), but they were new-testament emo through and through. In an age when this genre seems to be having a resurgence, some 20 years later, it’s no wonder bands of this ilk have been bubbling up here in Leeds. A Flyleaf shirt on their bassist? A cover of Incubus’ ‘Wish You Were Here’ amid a flurry of fresh originals from Facepalm ‘The Worst Parts Of Me’ EP? They warmed the room right up and made their mark as a four-piece to keep tabs on. 

Albeit while fighting an urge to figure out how to see some of Basement, I thoroughly enjoyed Wolforna’s romping show. They always understand the assignment. And with the bodies in the room like putty in their hands, they confidently debuted two blistering new, unreleased tracks. Without giving away too many clues for those who didn’t make the gig, they were “outrageous”.

The white-hot scenes spewed even more power still when, in superb surprise fashion, former lead guitarist Adam Whittaker rose to the front to seize the mic for ‘Zombie Knife’. The reunion certainly held a lot of weight for those close to the band, and they pushed the sonic parameters of Boom so much further. Roaring vocals, thunderous drumming, scorching six-string alchemy… Those boys have more than perfected their live formula, and people couldn’t get enough.

When I say Pulverise were MASSIVE, that’s not hyperbole. Their blend of partycore rap metal was akin to the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, etc, but zingier, and certainly more fun. Their effervescent, fizzy performance delivered unreal energy, riling the crowd with their crunching riffs. Their set included the riotous ‘Ballsmasher’, as well as the first song they ever wrote. ‘Politics’ felt apt time-wise, too, post-election. But one of their most enthralling signature elements? The overdramatic wall of death, of course. Arms and legs flailed slowly in exaggerated, stylistic fashions, until crescendoing into a classic pit. Fantastic. 

Full credit to Vazon for nailing the line-up curation. I won’t bore you with the obvious Royal Blood instrument/headcount comparisons, but the duo should be commended for how much oomph they brought between just two of them. 

Leading up to the show, I’d been really enjoying their latest single, ‘Hammerhead’, but they had tonnes more to offer. Logan’s vocal reach and intermittent desire to jump in and play on the floor was well-paired with Aiden’s ferocity and tenacity when it came to *that* drum solo. But he didn’t rest for a second before or after — it was full throttle throughout. Same for both lads, in fact. And bonus points must be awarded for their devilishly heavy version of Britney’s ‘Toxic’ cover. “Did your mother never teach you how to jump?”, Logan bellowed a little later, then before I knew it, the time had come for one mega finale. They welcomed a pal to the stage for vocal assistance on a cover, to round it all off. 

What a bloody night. 

With thanks to Vazon for guestlist entry.