Review | Wage War at the Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea: 'A frenzy of headbanging'

Last night saw metalcore band Wage War take to the stage for an evening of mosh pits, intense headbanging and good vibes all around.

The night was opened by Siamese, a supporting act from Denmark with the surprise twist of featuring Christian Hjort Lauritzen on the violin. For a classical instrument Lauritzen absolutely shredded and the band was a joy to watch. They warmed up the crowd nicely, and received a very warm reception when they mentioned how they had been wandering around 'this wonderful city' all day.

They were followed up by The Devil Wears Prada – the sound of angry Ohio and formerly a Christian metalcore band. They immediately got the crowd into a mosh pit, giving people a taste of what was to come. Their heavy sound thundered off all four walls, making the absolute most of the intimate venue. Their final song, Chemical, was the perfect way to end their set.

After a brief lull for everyone to get drinks and use the loo, the lights dimmed and the crowd went wild for the main event.

Frontman Briton Bond had the refuelled crowd on their feet in no time, and everyone lost themselves in his growling vocals, accompanied by stellar performances from the rest of the band.

It was the first time Wage War had performed in Portsmouth, and the enjoyment the group showed was absolutely reciprocated by the crowd.

Some were crowdsurfing, with the help of the venue’s brilliant security team, while others rocked out in groups or let the music take their minds away from the chaos of the world.

In the middle of their set, the band jumped full-force into songs such as Godspeed and Manic – from their latest album, released last year – which sent the Wedgewood Rooms into a frenzy of headbanging and mosh pitting. Everyone was going hell for leather – and shoutout to the guy in the ponytail towards the front who was clearly having the best night of his life.

Having played their hearts out to the delight of the crowd, Bond and his crew finished the night with Circle The Drain, a song that marked the perfect end to a very fun evening.