Pest Control in Manchester: live review

Pest Control UK Headline Tour @ The Star & Garter (Manchester) - 23 Feb 2024

Crossover (crossover thrash) is a fusion between thrash metal and hardcore punk that started back in the early 1980s when, in the USA, metal bands started gaining inspiration from the hardcore punks who populated the underground scenes of both the West and East Coast of the USA. Crossover evolved as a more technical genre than their punk influence (but less than their metal origin) whilst still appealing to the skate punk community. However, the “metalheads” came to fall in love with this new genre, bridging between the most intense and extreme metal of the time.

Even though the UK has had big names in the thrash scene, not a single crossover band has had a breakthrough. However, this is about to change with the Leeds-based Pest Control. Releasing their demo in 2020, word of mouth put them out there, trespassing the traditional hardcore bills that the members were once used to. Their debut album came out in February 2023, and their trajectory has not stopped. 2023 was a busy year for the band, playing stages at Bloodstock and Outbreak. But 2024 has started even stronger, with their first UK headline tour put together by the mastermind Kamran Haq (Live Nation).

The atmosphere was bustling at the sold-out Manchester date. The show has been sold out since October 2023, the first of many nights hanging the sign. The band stopped setting up, and you could feel it was about to start by just looking at Leah (the vocalist) getting warmed up with little jumps on stage. Then you can hear both Joes get the guitars ready and Ben (drums) and Jack (bass) following suit.

Picture by James Davenport at JD Creative

From the first riff the crowd burst into a mosh pit that occupied half the venue. Leah’s impressive skill at frantically spitting lyrics was evident, making the crowd sing along with her. Joe Kerry is no stranger to guitars, but the way he perfectly destroys every riff in Pest Control is something difficult to explain with words. One of the most characteristic parts of crossover is how technical and fast the riffs are. Well, Pest Control delivers that. And the rhythm section does not disappoint either. Overall, they display technicality, cohesiveness, and “tightness” that you would expect of well-seasoned musicians.

Starting with their self-titled track, the tone was set for the rest of the set. The set list included the unreleased song ‘The Wasp’ which displayed how the band has developed technically since their last LP Don’t Test The Pest. The rest of the setlist included tunes from the LP and their latest single, ‘Enjoy the Show’. This last tune is a fan favourite and that could be felt in the audience. After a persistent crowd, the band closed the show with Total Distraction as their encore song.

With the announcement of a new LP for the end of the year and a remarkably busy summer season, Pest Control will be swamped in performances, which can only mean one thing: they will get even better if that is even possible.

If you want to say in 5 years times that you saw the newest international hit metal band in a small venue, do not miss Pest Control on the following dates: