Takedown Festival 2023 at Portsmouth Guildhall with Sleep Token, Skindred, Seething Akira and more: 'A much-needed, day-long cathartic howl' | Review

The electro-metallers had already kicked off Takedown Festival with an acoustic set in the VIP lounge. ‘Seething Akira’ and ‘acoustic’ are not usually found in the same sentence and even the band admitted they were trepidatious in the run-up to the performance, but they deliver with aplomb. However, it is a couple of hours later in the hall that the Portsmouth six-piece demonstrate what a force they’ve become. Vocalists Charlie Bowes and Kit Conrad ricochet around the huge stage in a frenzy matched by the audience with mosh pits and crowd surfers aplenty...

Eight years after the last Takedown – a festival focusing on rock and metal – was held in Southampton, its promoters decided to revive the brand here in Portsmouth. And the (largely) black-clad masses are keen – with many turning up as soon as the doors open to cram in as many of the 49 performances across the five stages as possible.

Another Portsmouth-based band, the heads-down metallers Dendera have the honour of starting proceedings on the main stage, and they too draw a good crowd for their twin-guitar attack and vocalist Ashley Edison’s lung-bursting bellows. Edison promises new material soon – if classic metal with a modern twist is your thing, definitely check them out.

SEE ALSO: Skindred talk about returning to Takedown Festival

Throughout the day, the VIP lounge offers respite with a series of acoustic sets from acts playing other stages. Jamie Lenman is a self-deprecating treat, calling himself a ‘Poundland Frank Turner’ (he’s good friends with the folk-punk star) and bringing his wife on to sing a number with him. Later, on the main stage, Lenman plays with his trio in front of the logo of Brazilian thrash legends Sepultura for reasons never fully explained. All good, weird fun.

Outside on the Total Rock stage, Saint Agnes bring spikey goth-punk to the throng – frontwoman Kitty Austen oozes charismatic danger and the band is big on us-against-the-world singalongs. Their cover of of The Prodigy’s Firestarter is a bonus manic treat.

Later on the same stage InMe put in a strong showing as they pay tribute to the 20th anniversary of their cult classic debut, Overgrown Eden.

Black Water County throw thrash-mandolin and tin whistle into the mix for a fabulously punky set at the Down For Life stage which deserved a bigger audience.

Skindred’s acoustic slot in the VIP area gives frontman Benji Webbe and guitarist Mikey Demus the chance to stretch out in more relaxing circumstances than usual. Webbe is a charming figure, turning it into an impromptu Q&A session, as well as giving us the shaggy-dog story behind Pressure, while the background to Saying it Now is genuinely affecting. These sessions are a real highlight of the day, and none more so than with the ragga-metallers.

Punk Rock Factory play pop-punk covers of TV themes, Disney songs and the like. It’s all good fun, but unfortunately, this reviewer is too old to be fully swept up in the nostalgic revelry of the Pokemon and Power Rangers theme songs clearly being enjoyed by the rest of the audience at the Total Rock stage.

Main stage headliners Sleep Token are an enigmatic beast – they perform in masks and cloaks, while the frontman known only as Vessel has only given one interview in their seven year history. Despite this, they have clearly become a huge draw. It’s a show big on style and theatrics, and even though there is no between song chat, the packed hall hangs on every move and lyric.

Mid-set one of the three (equally cloaked and masked) backing singers appears to collapse and fall backwards off their podium. There is a lengthy pause after the song finishes and when things resume there are only two backing singers. However, it’s not addressed, which is slightly odd – I hope they are okay.

The music is dense, prog-like at times, with atmospheric keyboard interludes, which works well with Vessel’s Gary Numan-esque vocals, and the audience definitely loves them.

Takedown is a much-needed, day-long cathartic howl – and by god, it’s a blast. It’s good to have it back. Portsmouth often misses out on the heavier side of live music, so this is a brilliant addition to the scene – kudos to all concerned for having the vision to bring it to the Guildhall.