Live Review: Evil Scarecrow - Academy 3, Manchester
27th November 2025
Support: Andrew O'Neill
Words: Oli Gonzalez
Photos: Martin Hingley
In unholy unison, three hundred people scuttle to the left, holding their claws in the air….then they scuttle to the right… then left once again. No, this isn’t some strange crab enthusiast cult (although it feels damn close). No, this is a Thursday night in Manchester as Evil Scarecrow entertain the hundreds or so in attendance with arguably their finest and most famous hit, ‘Crabulon’, and the almost mandatory dance moves that come with it.
It seemed like an eternity since the band had been in Manchester, and since that last performance, they came armed with a brand new album, “Silicon Tea”. They also came armed with a fantastic support act in the shape of Andrew O’Neil who was tasked with warming up the crowd on a cold and wet Thursday night in late November. Though this artist did this not through the medium of music, but rather the art of comedy. Yep, the support act was a standup comedian…and a bloody good one at that!
I’m no expert when it comes to comedy, but when practically the entire room was locked in and fully engaged you know this is something special. The routine was very well structured with plenty of returning parts that were easy and fun to join in on, and featured a range of quick fire one liners as well more elaborate and farfetched stories. We did get to hear some music at the end of the routine, as Andrew with an electric guitar posed one of the greatest philosophical questions in musical form. See, we know the magpie song, ”one for sorrow, two for joy, etcetera”; what happens if we get to 998, 999, or 1000 magpies? Get down to one Andrew’s shows next time they are in your town to find out!
Having only one support seemed like a gamble and could have been a huge mistake! Though this gamble paid off, and the more than healthy numbers that had gathered whilst Evil Scarecrow were setting up is a nod to their popularity here! All here to see the band’s esteemed and engaging live performance.
Now, I’ll be honest; I’ve seen better musicians. Individually and as a collective. This year alone, I’ve had my senses shattered by the blistering Dragged Into Sunlight, been torn apart emotionally by Amenra, and marvelled at the beauty of pagan neo-folk rockers Wardruna. Though with Evil Scarecrow, the manner in which they can engage an audience is something of legend, whether it’s in small venues or the main stage of Bloodstock. It really is a time when you can just forget about life for a bit and just have a silly dance for a bit.
Although they go under the banner of ‘comedy metal’, it’s clear that they’re very passionate about their music and craft. This was evidenced not only by the detailed introductions to each song, but by the elaborate stage props and routines too. Especially when it was time to release the krakhen (not a typo). Try to imagine the stage filled with huge inflatable tentacles and a life size dancing hen on stage, and you’ll get why the silly pun works!
Like Andrew O’Neil, Evil Scarecrow posed the big questions in musical form. Like, why did Brother Pain go to Antarctica, how many people in the crowd still owned a DVD player (spoiler; there were a LOT), and what happens when a hurricane and tornado collide? Of course, you get a hurricanado!
It was a site, everybody in the venue spinning around clockwise on the spot as they ‘danced’ to one of the bands most treasured hits. I tried but had to stop after maybe 9 rotations or the newly found stand of dizziness could have ended in embarrassment, or worse! The prize at stake for the first person to throw up and pass out? An Evil Scarecrow DVD!
‘CRABULON! CRABULON! CRABULON!’
The band had walked off stage but the crowd demanded their favourite song. Within a blink of an eye, crabulon itself had emerged on stage and orchestrated the scuttling and we had come to expect but felt like a rights of passage to have experienced.
There’s certainly more anecdotes to fill this review to describe the scenes, including the cosmos goth moth gong pit (try to say that after a few pints!). But let’s keep this succinct; Evil Scarecrow are simply hilarious and a fantastic live band that needs to be witnessed by fans of all music genres!
Photo credits: Martin Hingley
