I stood over the close cropped young man on stage preparing his guitars, violin bow and pedals for the main event. I noticed his t-shirt sleeve rode over the considerable bicep of his left arm. The legend “Hell Hull Halifax” was etched into his upper arm. Good job I chose Halifax. I reflected I’d need three significant places with just three letters each to fit on my arm to achieve a similar font size. I may need to move to Ayr, Ely and Wem for a while.

Our start to the evening at Halifax Grayston Unity was wholesome, the strains of a classic King/Goffin song, I’m Into Something Good by 60’s boy band Herman’s Hermits took over the sound system before the much promised Martial Arts ambled on stage. The contrast of sound between the intro song and the band with 3 smoking guitars and a blistering bass could not be greater.

Martial Arts are taking their local Manchester scene by storm, and I can see why. There is huge potential and an intensity within this band.

You know sometimes when a band starts and they are immediately just so strong and confident that they give you a start. That’s Martial Arts.

When I write notes about a gig I usually just scan a few words to trigger some memories for the full write up; here with Martial Arts I wrote:

“all the intensity of London Calling era Clash and some. Hints of Idles”

“A throbbing bass and the energy of Shame”.

 “a supreme serious confidence”.

What I also appreciated was that there were 4 vocalists in the band (2 leads), and that contrast of voice created a complex web. The guitars also weaved their own path.

I always imagine music leaving a pattern, a shape as it is being performed, and so, here there were threads and splashes of colour all over this room. Beautifully messy and a wide path of release with this band.

Within that and keeping things very focussed was an impressive display of understated drumming. A drummer who is solid as a rock but doesn’t try to overstate their presence gave such a grounding to this band.

Perhaps the only downside on this evening were that Martial Arts looked perhaps a touch jaded and serious.

I did spot a stifled yawn or two so perhaps the ‘rigour’ of the tour had caught up with the lads. I don’t expect bands to perform on stage like escaped hyenas on acid  (oh I loved those days, dear reader), but it was nice to see a far more relaxed and happy band at the merch stand later on.

I’ve seen splint perhaps 5 time now and they mesmerise. Lead man Jake (he with the tattoo, pedals, guitar and violin bow that caught my imagination earlier) is such a professional over his music that he is found crouched down on his hauches fiddling with this and that (and sometimes literally fiddling) almost as often as he stands solid with his guitar and vocals.

The result of that fanatical professionalism is a solid, hard, serious soundscape.

I won’t do splint a disservice by comparing them to Radiohead, but there is something of that sense of intensity, that ploughing their own furrow and treading their own path that shines through.

splint are glorious live, and tonight’s performance might yet hang as my personal gig of the year. It wasnt note perfect perhaps but it was perfect. splint had a couple of new (to me) faces and it seems the line up can be a bit fluid – however here the band flowered perfectly behind Jake.

In terms of intensity I got something of the Velvet Underground, not a retread but perhaps a feel of what a new young yorkshire Velvet Underground might sound like in 2024. Long heavy musical interludes loom large, with a looping tune theme to swirl and mess a little in your brain. I spotted Scum/ L’objectif member Ezra cheering our band on alongside me. If you know you know.

I was stood right by the speakers so perhaps my personal mix wasn’t perfect but the heaviness and intensity just hit the spot. Jake has deep morose sounding vocals (think Ian Curtis or indeed Lou Reed) and it added a doom power to those swirling melodies. That all said, I don’t want to give an impression of a dour performance, the band grinned, nodded and interacted to get their timings right, and Jake spoke with the audience. Hints of taciturn with the music and style perhaps, but there is no solid glass wall between band and listener.

It can only be a matter of time before split and indeed Martial Arts are playing the bigger venues, and there is something particularly special about catching a huge band in a small venue. Splint are a must see.

* words and images by tiggerligger.