Following on from their third studio album Guided Tour, which was well-received by fans and critics alike, High Vis threw down a marker at Nottingham's Rescue Rooms. Arguably one of the most enigmatic hardcore punk/rock groups on the live circuit at the moment, the second date on their tour saw the rock five-piece hit the East Midlands with a headline show too hard to forget...
The night kicked off with a more moody affair from local Notts band Bloodworm. A residency placeholder for live gigs right now, their goth-punk stylings brought in the night perfectly as they swept through the likes of stand-out Back of a Hand and an introduction to new single, Depths.
Tour comrades Narrow Head shortly followed suit. With their shoe-gaze spaced-out rock hitting the mark with an audience who were familiar to their work - Nodding Off and In Slow Time to name a few hallmarks - the venue was well and truly settled in for the main act of tonight's performance.
Riding a high of quitting their jobs and going full-time with their music, it was all smiles and all hits within the 450-capacity space as High Vis waded through a 14-track setlist involving some of their newest and some of their very best.
The show started in the best kind of ways - the heavy wall of drums resided with the wishy-washy of guitar warbles as we were met with Talk for Hours, Altitude and Walking Wires. We also got to see the new tracks get their sheen in a live setting as Drop Me Out, Guided Tour, Mob DLA and Mind's A Lie were covered - with the latter being a major high-point in terms of what the future looks like for the group, forever open to sounds expanding their artistic palette. Vocalist Graham Sayle was on fine form as usual.
Amidst the gratitude he gave to the fans over the years since the band's tenure, Sayle also made comment on mental health and the state's consistent failings in supporting disability benefits to his brother. His brother suffers from autism and cerebral palsy, making this a topic Graham has been understandably vocal about over the years; using his platform to spread awareness to those society who are most vulnerable. Unfiltered in a vacuum of energy and passion within the hardcore rock scene, it's a topic no doubt tethered to where his anger and home-dynamics have stemmed from while being in the band.
Before diving into the enthral of Trauma Bonds, he also gave mention to the fact that he is now his own journey through therapy, but not failing to understand that perhaps the world of hardcore was his therapy - which to many, it still is.
As well as maintaining a level of sobriety for years, it's this newfound head space that has allowed the band to grow and outstretch into a third record that brings a whole approach to style and substance. And in this space, the band have never sounded better - or looked more comfortable - on a stage performing.
The night was capped off with arguably their most powerful statement, Choose to Lose. Before too long, all the crowd were belting it. So much so that Graham didn't feel the need to sing it himself and nonchalantly tossed the microphone into the crowd, the thralls of the pit eager to join as they hung on to his every word like glue.
Punching sounds all round, the night encapsulated the very best in new noise right now. The band perform in Manchester this weekend before heading to the capital to hit Electric Brixton on the 21st of February next week.
High Vis performed at Rescue Rooms on 12th February 2025, with support from Bloodworm and Narrow Head.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
