{"id":30778,"date":"2024-12-26T12:34:49","date_gmt":"2024-12-26T12:34:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/?p=30778"},"modified":"2025-07-04T12:29:15","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T11:29:15","slug":"gig-review-straight-for-the-sun-at-firebug-friday-20th-december-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/gig-review-straight-for-the-sun-at-firebug-friday-20th-december-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Gig review – Straight For The Sun at Firebug, Friday 20th December 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

with Foul Body Autopsy<\/h2>\n

Reviewed by Thomas Needham<\/span><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t quite know what to expect from Resin Event\u2019s Christmas Party<\/a> in aid of the Trussell Trust<\/a>. I\u2019ve never considered metal to be my forte and those who I spoke to in the days leading up to the gig seemed universally sceptical. Let me put the skeptics at ease now; you\u2019re in more than capable hands with Foul Body Autopsy and Straight For The Sun.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solo-act, Foul Body Autopsy<\/a><\/strong>, fronted by Leicester-native Tom Reynolds, took to the stage to begin festivities. A veteran of the metal-scene, he\u2019s been actively releasing material since 2010 and it shows. His melodic playing was of blistering ability; effortlessly gliding across the fretboard, with alternate picking that was just as precise as his pre-programmed backing tracks. It\u2019s mesmerising to see someone who has effectively mastered their craft, Reynolds\u2019 passion for the guitar is evident and it\u2019s a treat to see it live. A confident and collected performance, Reynolds was comfortable to let his material breathe, the clean, (although not particularly quiet) picking making the next, inevitable sonic-onslaught all the more impactful; truly allowing the audience to savour his technique.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Foul Body Autopsy. Photo (c) Kevin Gaughan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Despite his impressive playing, deciphering the brief sampled interludes and lyrical contents of his songs was a tad difficult – all masked behind an impressive range of fry screeches, death growls and tunnel throat screams. Nonetheless, from what I\u2019ve gathered Foul Body Autopsy combines the socio-political concerns and dark subject matter of genres such as grindcore with a keenly melodic metal-derived sound. Much in the way Reynolds blends styles of playing, he too blends genres – if metal isn\u2019t quite your scene, I\u2019d recommend his Shadows Without Light<\/em> trilogy, which features remixes blending Gary Numan-esc synths and Foul Body\u2019s particular brand of melodic metal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Initially, I was concerned that the incessant pre-programmed drums would wear on me over the course of the gig however Reynolds flew through his 30-minute set with ease. Despite the unfortunately sparse audience, everyone seemed to be enjoying the show – rhythmic head bobbing seemed to be the extent of our collective dance repertoire but I don\u2019t suppose death metal is particularly danceable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Working as a solo artist has its logistical and monetary perks but when a group of artists are so cohesive and well-attuned to one another, there\u2019s a spontaneity and comradery to live performance that solo artists simply cannot achieve alone – although perhaps that\u2019s just personal preference.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the audience piled back in from their fag break, prepared for another hour of collective head bobbing, Birmingham-based, 5-piece alt-metal band Straight For The Sun <\/strong><\/a>took the stage. If Foul Body Autopsy covered the technical ability, Straight For The Sun brought the sheer spectacle. The hour long set was relentless, for an hour straight you were given no reprieve as you basked in a band brimming with high energy, heavy riffs, unyielding drums, adept vocals and a remarkable stage presence. Callum put it best; \u201cI can feel it in the air, there\u2019s something about it.\u201d While I\u2019m not sure how intentional the following In The Air Tonight<\/em>-esc drum fill in the following song was, all I know is this set made Phil Collins look like\u2026 well, Phil Collins in comparison.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Striaght For The Sun. Photo (c) Kevin Gaughan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When frontman, Callum, and guitarist, Pauly, lept off the stage and into the audience, the unspoken barrier between the entertained and the entertainers was destroyed. It was clear that the band was having just as much fun as we were. It\u2019s very rare you find yourself in the presence of a band that feels so liberated on stage, while many bands ask for a bit of audience participation, very few seem to get it, it\u2019s a testament to them that they clinched it multiple times. Callum, adorning a Guns \u2018N\u2019 Roses tank top, yields all the magnetism of yesteryear\u2019s greats. Thankfully, unlike Axel Rose today, Callum can carry a note.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Straight For The Sun. Photo (c) Kevin Gaughan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The band\u2019s latest single Fall Away<\/em>, written by Callum as a tribute to his father, gives him the space to truly deliver a vocal performance full of emotion – it\u2019s more than deserving of the recent recognition it received on the Kerrang! weekly charts. Of particular highlight for me was the rhythm section; bassist, Oz, and drummer, Jamie, brought a flair and variety to tracks such as Buzzwarni<\/em>, Sirens<\/em> and Walk<\/em>\u00a0that have become particular favourites of mine. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the sound mixing put so much emphasis on the rhythm section (the drums in particular) that you really had to strain to hear guitarists Tom and Pauly, a shame considering they are clearly more than capable, especially after re-listening to the studio tracks.<\/span><\/p>\n

Heavier-sounding genres seem to have a certain reputation amongst the public which I think is incredibly unfair. Everyone that I had the opportunity to speak to, artist and audience member alike, were incredibly friendly and talkative. Music has a unique way of uniting people, especially so in a country where community is fractured, and despite the sound seeming daunting to the uninitiated, metal is full of passionate people who are just happy to see new faces, especially young people who only grew in number as the gig went on.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Straight For The Sun. Photo (c) Kevin Gaughan<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

If Christmas is the season of giving; give your local businesses and talent a chance. There is a city brimming with talent that\u2019s (now, thanks to our lord and masters) just a \u00a33 bus fare away, it is up to us to lend them our support. Your backing certainly goes a long way and as we look towards 2025, I can assure you, Foul Body Autopsy and Straight For The Sun are bands to watch. I believe Kevin (photographer) put it best; \u201cthey were alright weren\u2019t they?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If you would like to share this review, please help us by using the share buttons below instead of a screen print \u2013 thanks!<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The band\u2019s latest single Fall Away, written by Callum as a tribute to his father, gives him the space to truly deliver a vocal performance full of emotion – it\u2019s more than deserving of the recent recognition it received on the Kerrang! weekly charts<\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":30784,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[339,216],"tags":[261],"class_list":["post-30778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-339","category-gig_reviews","tag-metal-music"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/IMG_4408.jpg?fit=1001%2C667&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p73uhX-80q","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":23059,"url":"https:\/\/www.musicinleicester.co.uk\/index.php\/coronavirus-live-streams\/","url_meta":{"origin":30778,"position":0},"title":"Coronavirus – Live streams","author":"Kevin Gaughan","date":"08\/04\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A collection of musicians\/bands doing live streams while social distancing is in force during the COVID 19 pandemic. 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