Movements, Boston Manor @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 17/3/2023

Double headline tours are absolute gold and we don’t get enough of them. You may be a Boston Manor fan or chief supporter of Movements. You may be both. You may be an inquisitive soul who sees two bands of this stature and thinks ‘that’s great value, I’ll get my money’s worth’. You would be right.

England’s Boston Manor step up first with a forty minute nonstop blend of heartfelt emotion, deep breakdowns and a handful of wall of deaths.

Opening with Datura (Dusk) and Floodlights On The Square the band mix agreeable dance rhythms with stone cold metal riffs held together by vocalist Henry Cox’s laconic vocal style than erupts then flows back throughout.

Circle pits and wall of deaths have already been ordered by Cox by the time Flowers In Your Dustbin drops with a melody like a hot knife through butter.

Boston Manor look to be enjoying themselves as the place literally bounces through Bad Machine and with Halo which has the audience blow up with the voices and their feet down in the pit. It’s has a smooth groove, it has catchy lyrical melody and the band execute it perfectly on the last lap.

Following that is California’s Movements who are here for just the second time in their career. Opening with Third Degree and Barbed Wire Body, the latter with an extremely good drum rhythm to open with, has everyone clapping and singing along in unison.

The band keep that energy going with Full Circle raising the decibel levels and Deep Red seducing with a smooth vibe that sways rather than rocks.

Don’t Give Up The Ghost is upbeat and raises the temperature once more in the hot club as the band finish with Suffer Through, vocalist Patrick Miranda requesting everyone’s phone lights up, illuminating the venue and creating a touching moment of togetherness.

That’s what a double bill of this quality brings- togetherness. Of bands, of minds and of souls all joined together in Movements within this Manor.

Live Review By Iain McCallum