Live Review: Terrorvision – Blackpool

Live Review: Terrorvision - Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool
10th September 2022
Support: A’priori, Creature Creature
Words: Dan Barnes

Bradford’s finest make a return to the Waterloo for the first of a two-night residency and it’s everything the 2019 show delivered and more. Further solidifying its Planet Rock title of Best Live Venue, the Waterloo is rammed to the ceiling with punters ready to party with Terrorvision.

It’s hot, sweaty and packed but, if you cast you mind back to the dark days of lockdown, we would have given anything to be in such an environment as we were forced to sit at home and watch the grass grow.

Ably supported by local three-piece A’priori, whose classic rock root is the foundation for forays into neo-grunge and southern boogie, while always keeping the good time a rollin’. Frontman and guitarist, Tony Lang, slips in an unexpected rendition of God Save the Queen (or was that King now?) without introduction and without a statement at its conclusion; it just happened and he was applauded for it. We done, sir. Beyond that, A’prioi serve up a whole lot of catchy tunes that belie their trio status; Wasted Years, Na-Na-Na-Na and Crimson Crown all warm the crowd up, while the closing Black Church is the promise of bigger things from these lads.

Brighton’s Creature Creature go coast to coast, trading the English Channel for the Irish Sea and land in Blackpool to dish out some of their exciting new take on Rock. Trying to pin down the band’s sound is like trying to herd cats; just when you think you recognised the Punk vibes, they’re off into a Post Hardcore mode, or trying their hand at some Alternative Rock. All of which makes Creature Creature’s set constantly interesting and, remembering the reception tonight’s headliners got back in the day, bemusing fans and reviewers with unexpected musical directions is rarely a bad thing.

It might be quarter-past-ten and passed my bedtime when Terrorvision arrive on stage, but they aren’t in the mood to play it either short or easy. Beginning with Enteralterego from Regular Urban Survivors it signifies the start of the crowd’s perpetual motion through until the last bars of Perseverance have faded from the PA.

This is a show made from the entire history of the band. Old favourites American TV, New Policy One and My House from the debut album, through to Babylon from Super Delux and even a couple of new ones. Considering The Waterloo is home to the only official Lemmy’s Bar in Europe, Tony announces The Night Lemmy Died as having an added significance; and Daydream finds itself between Celebrity Hit List and D’Ya Wanna Go Faster.

Josephine and Tequila have the crowd risking vocal-chords and the half-dozen songs from How to Win Friends and Influence People somehow manages to raise the intensity level even further. Alice What’s the Matter? must have broken at least a couple of noise laws, Middleman and Pretend Best Friend make you worried about the safety of the floor we’re all stood on and the wrenching Some People Say carries an emotional weight that is both at-odds and completely in keeping with the nature of the record it closes.

The main set ends with the mass singalong and bounce that is Oblivion and if the floor is going to go it’s now. Luckily The Waterloo is made of sterner stuff and she survives for another night. As the band leave the stage they look as though the last hour or so has been a physically demanding exercise. Tony Wright and bassist, Leigh Marklew, are both dripping and look like they’ve been sat in a car wash for the evening; yet Cameron Greenwood’s assault of his drumkit hardly seems to have phased him. As I stand waiting for the encore, I’m definitely closer to Tony and Leigh’s condition than Cameron’s.

When the band remerge they do so for Perseverance, which sees the introduction of inflatable dolphins, one of which lands in my hands as Carly Simon’s Nobody Does it Better replaces Terrorvision in the speakers.

The last time I saw the band was down at the Stonedead festival last year, where they were Uriah Heep’s special guests on a big stage in front of four-thousand people. Tonight, in front of about three-hundred, Terrorvision give an equally – possible more – energetic and party-inducing show. They are bone-fide National Treasures and we need as many of those as we can get.