Live Review: Wargasm - Corporation, Sheffield
18th September 2024
Support: Bex, Harpy
Words and photos: Martin Hingley
Fresh off a summer of festival appearances, Wargasm kicks off their extensive club tour across Europe and the UK, starting in Sheffield. Along with their performance at Corporation, they treat students from the city’s WaterBear College of Music to an exclusive show the night before their Wednesday set.
First on the bill is punk outfit BEX. Despite being the opening act, BEX quickly electrifies the crowd with her high-octane energy and punk beats. From the set opener ‘Filfy’ to the closer ‘SPYD4 K1NG’, the lead singer embodies everything punk rock should be, commanding the stage with a presence many larger bands struggle to match. Having supported Wargasm on previous tours, it’s clear the fanbase is familiar with BEX, and the crowd responds enthusiastically, bouncing along to every song. One thing that stands out is BEX’s genuine gratitude towards her supporters, as she frequently interacts with the crowd between songs. A personal highlight is when she hands out bubble wands, filling the venue with a playful rainbow haze before diving into the crowd during the final two tracks.
Dowsed in red, the stage is now set for Harpy’s industrial Nu-Goth stylings to capture the crowd’s attention. Taking to the stage with only backing tracks and no live band, Harpy shows she’s a rising star, navigating the space like it’s her own. Many in the crowd have listened to Harpy before, and her fans sing along to tracks like "Medicine" and "Not My God Anymore." Despite having a different style from the other bands, she proves her place in the scene, covering her face with blood in a very Gene Simmons-esque moment as the crowd cheers her on. By the end of her half-hour set, I’m fully won over by her Billie Eilish, Casyette-style vibes, and it will be interesting to see how she climbs the live music ladder over the next few years.
By the time Wargasm take the stage, the energy in the room is at a fever pitch. “I see something I want!”, Sam Matlock declares three songs in, encouraging fans to create a massive circle pit around a support pillar as they launch into ‘Minigun’. Wargasm are here to deliver an unforgettable show, and they do just that. The energy from Sam and Milkie is relentless as they storm through tracks from their long-awaited album Venom, with Sam wasting no time diving into the crowd at the barrier. Milkie, fully clad in leopard print and wearing her iconic bullet belt, plays the first UK model release of Gibson's new Grabber Reissue bass, adding even more to the intensity of the performance. Having only seen Wargasm live on large festival stages, I’m blown away by how tight they sound in such a small venue, with production quality many bands would envy.
As the set roars on with songs like ‘Pyro Pyro’ and the Fred Durst-collab ‘Bang Ya Head’, the crowd never stops moving. It’s clear this intimate setting is where Wargasm thrive, especially after a summer of festival stages. One of the night’s biggest singalongs comes during ‘D.R.I.L.DO.’, as a steady stream of crowd-surfers makes its towards the front. Milkie’s vocals are as fresh as ever, despite a super busy last few months on the touring circuit.
The show briefly pauses when things get a little wild during 'Feral’ (unsurprising given the song title!) and a fan goes down at the front, but all is well, and the track quickly restarts, keeping the momentum going. Standing by the side of the front barrier, I can feel it shaking under the weight of the fans moshing to long-time favourite Spit, the penultimate song of the night.
A final touch of the evening comes as the artists can be found mingling with fans post-show, taking selfies and chatting as I leave the venue having witnessed an incredible night of music.
With nearly a month before Wargasm's return to the UK for the main leg of the tour, this is a show not to be missed. If you’re on the fence about seeing them in a smaller venue, grab tickets while you can – these intimate gigs will only get harder to secure in the future.
Photo credits: Martin Hingley Photography
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