Nebula/Sour Tusk/Lowdrive/Syncolima –
The Local Authority, Sheffield, Saturday, 14th October, 2023
Now here's a four band bill for myself and Mr. Oxley to get excited about in our very own Steel City after a quick pint beforehand at the establishment on the top corner. I was expecting this to be in the big room but it turned out to be in the sister venue not as far down the road.
Anyways, after getting in we take in the first bad of the night. Now Sycolima who have been around a while under a different guise, name and line-up who begin with with their riffing,grooving almost stoner like sound. There's some fab rolling drumming going down and throbbing bass work, not to mention tight guitar work too.
The Heavy Metal trio gave off decent strong vocals and came over very Sabbathy at certain points in their thunderous set. Syncolima got the folk rocked up who needed a waking up a bit since these Sheffield people were extremely quiet. We will definitely catch these Derby gents again for sure.
Next up are Lowdrive who are as bang on form as ever and very much firm faves of the city... well of those who actually turned up tonight. Giving us amples of their material from both albums (Roller & Rise) which started with them rumbling into the light whereby they took us on a pounding, fuzzing, screaming and wailing bawlfest of stoner brilliance.
We received some funny expressions, moves and downright wackiness from their new bassist who fits in so well and has added an extra dimension to their image and sound.
One of their buddies joined them onstage (actually if I remember right is their Produce or Engingeer for the 'Ooh Ahh' song as I call it for that exact bit and some shared vocals too Andy even came out into the crowd and serenaded me personally. Good Man. Beats some irritating twat on a violin in a restaurant – lol. A fab set as ever from the Rotherham boys who never disappoint.
Sour Tusk were their usual wild and crazy selves with pumping and pummelling rocking, rolling snarling, intricate guitar rifled hits.... (well they should be). They wake the people up furtherly with their 'Message From God' and make us all a 'Drinking Man' if we aren't already.
They've become a very reliable well-oiled threesome who have become a firm fixture in these steel city parts and never let you down with their onstage panto-esque camaraderie which never fails to either cause offence to the nanny staters or utter amusement to those of us with a sense of humour and f*cking life – hahaha!
Treating us to the ever present 'Proud Mary' plus an oldie but not a mouldy slowy towards the end and of course firing it to and end with Electric Six's 'Gay Bar', that's they totally made their own, they once again provide another faultless spectacle of madcap musical eccentricity that we know and love them for.
Now headliners, Nebula have come all the way from L.A, California to play for us tonight as part if their UK/European Tour. They really show us how it should be done and are made up of original member (formely of Fu Manchu), Eddie Glass (Guitar/Vocals), Michael Amster (Drums) and Touring Bassist, Ranch Sironi since they sadly lost Tom Harris to leukemia in September.
The trio entertained all and sundry by cranking out their Sabbathy Stoner like Doomesgue ditties to a very happy but small in attendance audience – they made up for it in their noise and appreciate though. It was colourful and trippy throughout their performance plus at times very dark and moody moments
They at times remind me of Nirvana and not just because of Eddie's get up either with their realistic but very downward spiralling offerings as well as a mass of fuzzy, distortive pleasures that have plenty of intricate, intertwined arrangements that are pumped out in a mass frenzy of appreciation.
Highlights of their set included spacey, throttling opener, 'Giant'; the abrasive revved-up, garagey grunge punk of 'Come Down', the Volume 4 like 'Down The Highway', the slow and psychedelic 'Transmission From Mother Earth' and the atmospheric blow-up that is 'Atomic Ritual' to name but a few.
Nebula went down really well and we hope to see them back in these parts again soon.
Review By Glenn Milligan
Photographs by Steve Oxley Photography