Words – @ladylane____
Photos – @photo.amai
STATIC DRESS arrived with the kind of chaos-heavy anticipation usually reserved for cult bands on the verge of exploding. Supporting LOATHE at the sold-out show at the FORUM, the Leeds outfit proved why they’ve become one of the most talked-about names in modern post-hardcore.
Rather than warming up the crowd, they completely consumed the atmosphere. ‘Nostalgia Kills’ was a jaw-clenching detonation brimming with ferocity, followed by ‘Push Rope’ and ‘CPC’. The stage presence of Olli Appleyard felt unpredictable and magnetic, swinging between raw aggression and unsettling melody with precision, teamed with the band’s uncanny allure – equal parts emo nostalgia, metallic violence, shoegaze haze and digital glitch aesthetics translated brutally well in a live setting.
The set’s short runtime did little to limit its impact. Harsh strobes, VHS-inspired imagery and sudden shifts in pace created a volatile atmosphere from start to finish. ‘Connor’, ‘…Hospice’ and ‘Face’ moved between haunting calm and explosive release, drawing the audience into circle pits and a crowd-surfing frenzy. Fans near the barricade screamed every word while newcomers visibly converted in real time.
STATIC DRESS injected a more frantic, emotionally volatile energy with balanced hypnotic precision. The Melbourne heavy music crowds responded hard. Their first Australian visit didn’t feel like an introduction – it felt like an introduction to a cautionary tale.
Few heavy bands touring in 2026 carry the same level of anticipation as LOATHE, and their debut delivered exactly the kind of overwhelming experience fans had waited years for. Arriving with a reputation built on atmosphere, emotional weight and punishing dynamics, the Liverpool outfit transformed the venue into something that felt less like a concert and more like total sensory immersion.
From the opening moments, LOATHE controlled the room with near-clinical precision. Thick walls of down-tuned guitars collided with shimmering ambient passages, creating the same tension that has made records like ‘I Let It In and It Took Everything’ – so influential within modern heavy music. Live, though, the material hit differently – heavier, colder and concealing something much more sinister. Sadly, yet delightfully, bass player Feisal El-Khazragi couldn’t join us this time but congratulations on becoming a Dad!
Vocalist Kadeem France commanded the stage without unnecessary theatrics, letting the music itself generate the intensity. His transitions between venomous screams and vulnerable melodic lines never felt forced, and the chemistry between the band members gave the performance an almost hypnotic flow. Guitarist Erik Bickerstaffe in particular anchored the set with dense textures and massive tonal shifts that filled every corner.
Visually, the production leaned into minimalism: harsh strobes, deep shadows and slow-burning lighting changes amplified the band’s sense of unease rather than distracting from it. ‘Heavy Is The Head That Falls With The Weight of a Thousand Thoughts’ – featuring a cheeky snippet of Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Crazy Train’ and ‘Revenant’ drew the loudest reactions, with the crowd screaming along to nearly every word. The atmosphere shifted constantly between violent release and emotional catharsis, making even the heaviest moments feel strangely intimate. The room erupted into unified bellows during ‘New Faces In The Dark’, ‘White Hot’ and ‘I Let It In and It Took Everything…’, with frenetic movement turning the atmosphere thick and suffocating.
Ringing in the night and saying farewell with ‘Gored’, LOATHE delivered a performance built entirely on tension, texture and emotional exhaustion – the kind of show that leaves the audience stunned
My deepest thanks to STATIC DRESS, LOATHE, THE FORUM, Destroy All Lines and Dallas Does PR.
