On a recent trip to London to cover a show for MetalTalk, I had the new Massive Wagons album Live At The Great Hall blasting in my ears. Away from the constant pinging of emails, the demands of family and the pressures of life, these dozen songs were such a joy to listen to that I am sure my grimaces and foot tapping cast me in the eyes of my fellow train travellers as one hell of a wierdo.
Massive Wagons – Live At The Great Hall
Release Date: 27 March 2026
Words: Steve Ritchie
Recorded on 19th and 20th September 2025 at Lancaster University’s Great Hall, Live At The Great Hall is one of those special live albums that really does justice to a band.
This is so well recorded, produced, and mixed that it adds another dimension to witnessing the band from the crowd. I have seen Massive Wagon live, and it is such an energetic show that you just get caught up in the melee in the crowd.
Here, in the confines of British Rail, or whatever they call themselves these days, to have the five elements of the band nicely spaced around your skull, allowed me to focus on the songwriting and delivery. And when the crowd cheers, as the songs finish, I was in that zone you get with great music.
Live At The Great Hall opens with Back To The Stack, and the band opening with those single-note rumblings that used to herald the start of many of those old Friday Rock Show live recordings. The crowd sounds ready right from the outset.
“Lancaster, rock ‘n’ roll has come back,” Baz says, as the band are ready to go. “Make some fucking noise.” The bass of Adam “Bowz” Bouskill sits somewhere around my nose, while the drums of Alex Thistlethwaite surround me.
The thing I really love is the guitars of Adam Thistlethwaite and Stephen Holl, who have one ear each. Straightaway, you can appreciate the nuances of their playing, the subtleties of how they approach the riffs and how well they work together.
This is a theme that runs throughout the album, and for me, the way that I often listen to music, this sucked me in the way that great live albums do. Live music, recorded well, has that rawness and atmosphere that just elevates anything you can do in the studio.
Baz is in great form, spreading the magic and driving it all forward. You can see him pushing the mic forward in the “you know, you know, you know, you know,” chorus of Back To The Stack. It is at these points that Alex is on the ride cymbal on the edges of your left ear. You know it is coming the second time around, and I am fighting the urge to air drum on the train.
Pressure kicks off second, and the band is tight, road weathered and sounding great. The backing vocals are subtly low in the mix, so the temptation to add to them yourself is worrying in public. The way the tempo slows briefly in the second half of the song shows a band in top form.
The crowd have great fun with A.S.S.H.O.L.E. Missing On TV has a brief Leppard-style riff in parts, but sounds awesome. Baz carries the chorus wonderfully. This song has the opportunity to give train-wary passengers a worry, too.
There were plenty of earworms to follow. Bangin’ In Your Stereo was my Escalator Metal moment, when you are changing lines, and you can sing along to the chorus, arms outstretched, when rising to exit the station.
Earth To Grace hit Number 4 in the Official UK Top 40. The band have been treading the boards for a number of years, trips across into Europe have been successful, and their reputation has continued to grow.
Now, with Live At The Great Hall, this deserves to push even further. I cannot remember the last time I had such fun listening to a live album. This showcases not only what great songwriters they are, but also how enjoyable they are live.
Despite the odd stare, no one on the train had me sectioned to a madhouse. It was fun while it lasted. But the good time memory is there, and the smile on my face still lingers. Fantastic.
Massive Wagons release Live At The Great Hall on 27 March 2026 via Earache Records. Pre-orders are available from earache.lnk.to/LiveAtTheGreatHall. Catch the band on tour this month. Tickets and tour info can be found at MassiveWagons.com/live.
