As we were launched into the second half of the first night, No Sleep Till Hellfest continued its Hardcore lineup of hopefuls. The Moor Beer Vaults continued to dish out its inviting selection of on-tap pints alongside a Fireball Whisky shot bar for those looking to add more spice to their night.
With three bands (Midwich Cuckoos, Hell Can Wait and Chub) to go till the night’s winners were announced, it was a joy to witness such an involved community support each other whilst the battle waged on. The No Sleep Till Hellfest team were hot on the hospitality as the bands mingled with one another in between sets, with nothing but good words of praise shared.
No Sleep Till Hellfest
Midwich Cuckoos – Hell Can Wait – Chub
Moor Beer Vaults, London – 12 February 2025
Words: Monty Sewell
Photography: Ryan Hildrew
Midwich Cuckoos
Described as a ’12-legged misfit’, this six-piece Punk Rock Metal band tore it up with enough energy to boot out an asteroid. Having had the pleasure of seeing the band a year ago, I was on the edge of my Hardcore feet as they demolished each song with an undying hunger.
The themes were hot on the topic of societal wrongs, paired with some gnarly riffs and howling vocals. The only issue when watching was where to look, as Midwich Cuckoos and their hard-hitting sound took over every inch of the Vaults’ stage. As exuberant offstage as they were on, we managed to squeeze onto one sofa to get into what makes them work so damn well.
“This was our first gig with our new guitarist, Riccardo, who smashed it.” With just two rehearsals with their latest band member, Midwich Cuckoos exchanged wide grins for this killer new lineup. “When you are onstage and have only thirty minutes to cut loose completely, you give it your all.”
That they did, indeed. Like a finely oiled engine, onstage, the six of them manoeuvre around each other with such ease and seem to be having nothing but a good time playing together. “It is all organic. We always want to give back to the audience. If we aren’t having a good time, how is the audience going to have fun? We are constantly feeding off each other.”
The topic of what is to come for the band was met with a resounding “Album!” from them all. “We have had these demos forever, so we are now going back into the cuckoo clock, and when the clock strikes twelve, it will be out. So watch this space. We cannot wait.” Neither can we.
Hell Can Wait
Lividely loud and with an attitude that screams to the depths of hell, this multi-vocalist band turned the Vaults into their own pit of brilliant savagery. The five-piece Melodic Hardcore group were nothing short of phenomenal. Both emotive and enraged, Hell Can Wait are titans of their genre with enough onstage ignite to catapult them up the ranks of the industry.
As the event whirred around their pounding set, moshers continued to rage to Hell Can Wait whilst those grabbing drinks did so as quickly as they could to get back to the action. Gusty howls and ear-drum-breaking guitar riffs held together by a battle-cry rhythm section, the band lay down their roots thick and fast.
With so many moving parts within the band, we were eager to discover how it all comes together in their creative process. “We all write in varying degrees. One of us will usually bring a song they’ve written that we all get involved in.
“We all have similar tastes but also different tastes at the same time, so that helps. Some Deathcore, some Hardcore, a bit of everything, which makes us who we are.” Having all but one of the band members putting vocals on the songs must take some hefty navigation. “It actually comes out quite naturally. We just find our way.
“It will start with one of us, and then we will pass the bat around to see what works. We want to make that big fighting sound everyone gets involved with.” Hell Can Wait released a full-length album last year, is releasing a single tomorrow and has a calendar of summer tours booked for fans to keep an eye on.
When asked about what makes a band of great friends work, Hell Can Wait had some good advice for those in similar positions. “You have to sometimes separate friendship and business. If you want to take it as far as possible, sometimes you have to put things aside for what’s best for the music.”
Chub
The final band of the night was Chub, a four-piece from Eastbourne, who ended the evening with a crazy amount of whipped up, knuckle-n-dust, devil-borne, grinning, metal-infused Hardcore Punk. After five bands and four hours of good time drinking punters, the air throughout the venue was in no way on the cool down. Not if Chub had anything to say about it.
With more horned vivacity than an unhinged mosher let into the pit for the first time, the band were dexterously great. Microwave Dave hit a party-time nerve with the audience who joined Chub in their bash about the stage, weilding their instruments with every guitar hit and kick-drum slam. These guys are your next favourite Friday night slammer.
We caught up with the guys afterwards to talk touring and more. “Tonight felt really good. It’s only our second time in London. But when the venue looks like air hanger, you know it’s gonna be good.” Chub released an album in 2023, which has been followed by some singles, the latest being Carolina Reaper.
The need, however, to discuss Microwave Dave was at the top of the draw. “Imagine it is 9 am. You are at Wetherspoons, and there is that one guy queuing up outside before it even opens, and then he stays there all day drinking.” I am sure we have all witnessed at least one Dave in our lifetime.
“For the video, Ben (lead vocalist) dressed up, put on this mask, and we actually did go into a Spoons to shoot. The police even stopped us because they thought he was street-stalking the band!”
As Chub gears up to play Bridgewater and Guildford next month, we also eagerly await for more singles to come out later this year. I cannot stress enough how much you need to put this band on your must-see gig list.
