Rumours and Tidings

We love playing gigs. Simple as that.

Time flies, and it's wild to think it’s been a few years since we started writing and recording our debut album Trauma. So finally getting out there and bringing our music to a live audience felt long overdue.

Thanks to James, longtime friend, supporter, and co-owner of 0161 Underground Promotions, we got the opportunity to play at a venue none of us had set foot in before: Holy Diver, in Stockport, UK.

What. A. Venue.

With heavy metal murals, stained glass, and a medieval castle vibe, Holy Diver is seriously one of the coolest spots we’ve had the pleasure of playing. Great selection of beers, top-notch staff, and a vibe that instantly made us feel at home.

We got straight to work setting up for our first ever Outrival soundcheck.

That First Soundcheck Feeling...

If you’ve ever played in a band, you’ll know, after months (or years) stuck in rehearsal rooms or playing at home, you kind of forget the sheer power of live volume. The physicality of it. The way bass, drums, guitars, and vocals hit when the front of house fires up.

From the first moment the PA came alive, it hit us: this is why we do it. Goosebumps. We were finally where we were meant to be.

Gig Day Rituals & Line-Up

As always, the day started with loading gear, blasting tunes on the drive over, and hyping ourselves up. There’s nothing quite like the buzz of knowing you’re about to share your music with people for the first time.

We were lucky enough to share the bill with two incredible bands, Bother UK and Reckoner. These guys are already established and absolutely crushed it. Huge respect to them for jumping on a gig with a band they hadn’t even heard before. That takes trust. Kudos, lads.

Taking a Chance on the Unknown

Not many people had heard of us yet, which made this gig extra special. We couldn’t rely on name recognition. we had to bring people in on blind faith and a lot of reassurance. But they came. And they listened.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who turned up, curious to hear what we’ve been up to all these years. You made the night unforgettable.

So… How Did It Go?

Honestly? It was awesome.

Was it perfect? Not even close.

Did we have a blast? Absolutely.

Did someone slip on a step and dent a brand new guitar? Yup. First gig battle scar.... boohoo.

It was definitely a learning experience mixing digital and analogue guitars live. There’s still work to be done to dial in our live sound, but overall, it came together. Big shoutout to our sound engineer, who was patient, helpful, and just all-round great.

One day, we’ll have our own sound tech, someone who just gets how we should sound. Until then… we figure it out.

What’s Next?

Now that we’ve had a taste of the stage, we want more. We’re officially hooked.

We’re looking to gig anywhere and everywhere we can. So if you’re reading this and want to book us, get in touch. Our contact details are on the homepage.

See you in the pit.

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– Outrival