Live Review: Drowning Pool - UEA, Norwich
8th November 2025
Support: Spineshank, hed PE
Words & Photos: Tom Atkin
It feels like absolutely forever since I have been at the UEA in Norwich and it's a bit of a nostalgia show, bands that many of these fans grew up with coming back around.
Hed PE start the show with bass that is literally shaking the monitors off the front of the stage. If you haven't come across this band before they are a fusion of gangsta rap and punk rock, with a sprinkling of nu-metal on top. A combination which is just perfectly.
We are treated to a slightly longer set than what other shows on the tour have had, with the added inclusion of “Bartender”. Considering it is early doors tonight with the show starting at 6pm, there is a massive turn out for them and by the end of the last song the crowd is fully packed out. Although not seeming it due to a change in layout here.
During the second song, they were already demanding a circle pit, and the crowd happily obliged. A good solid forty five minute set, with a mix of all their influencing genres. An absolutely perfect warm up for a night like tonight.
Next up are Spineshank, singer Jonny Santos has missed the first part of the tour and the first part of tonights show, due to visa issues delaying him with the excellent Jay from UK outfit Hostile filling in. So tonight we are the first stop on tour with full on nostalgia from Spineshank. These things can't be helped though and it shows his commitment when he arrives half way through, already prepped to go.
And what an entrance he makes, twenty six hours of no sleep, straight on stage, gets a beer and proceeds to sound Incredible.
For a band that hasn’t released new music for a hot minute, everything about them is exactly what I would of hoped. Twenty years since they were last on UK soil and the crowd are giving them a exemplary welcome.
One bonus of no recent new releases, every single song is known by everyone with every word song out loud by the crowd, it is really something to experience. From what I can tell, they haven't actually toured since around 2012, but have hit it hard this year cramming in as many shows as possible.
The performance is absolutely solid, they don't feel like a band that has been “out of the scene” for so long. They have a few new members, including ex-Chimaira guitarist Jason Hager, he slots in exceptionally, bringing a bit of freshness to the band.
Here's hoping that with the resurgence of them performing that some new music is in the works, with Jonny exclaiming that they are fucking back I think it's safe to assume there will be.
Now for the peak of the night, Drowning Pool. A band that is synonymous with 2000’s nu-metal thanks to the absolute anthem that is “Bodies”, with Soils Ryan McCombs on vocals for his second tenure with the band.
Using Kiss' "I Was Made For Lovin' You" as their entrance theme along with a disco ball in full effect was a great idea, however, this makes an interesting transition into “Sinner”. From the word go it is high energy, with crowd surfing starting before the opening song is even over. Ryan McCombs sounds absolutely spot on, he has such a recognisable tone to his voice.
C.J. Pierce on guitars is just non-stop. He is constantly bounding about the stage like a man possessed, and yet he doesn't miss a single note.
The crowd are absolutely lapping up everything that Drowning Pool are throwing out there tonight whether it be the thrashing of “Step Up” or the somewhat more sombre “37 Stitches”. Everything is being welcomed with open arms and loud voices. The pit is consistent, crowd surfers are popping up all over and as a general rule no one is still, even the patrons sat round the edge are head banging away.
An unexpected cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” was not expected, but definitely much appreciated.
They are bringing out all their hits tonight, it is such an amazing nostalgia set list. “Tear Away”, being intro’d with a somewhat motivational speech, went down a treat with the stage being lit up by people's phone lights before dropping fully into the song. All made better by the vocal come back from the crowd to the point that one chorus was sang solely by them.
A staple song from their debut album works it way in as well, “Reminded” sounds absolutely incredible and is a nice welcome back to the first era of the band.
But of course, the song to end the night on, “Bodies”. They tease us with what song they could play last, we all know what it is though, they know we know, it's all fun and games. “Let the bodies hit the floor“ starts ringing through the crowd and everyone is joining in. With that final “floooorr” the whole place erupts. Every single person was singing along to this one!
Photo Credit: Tom Atkin
