Paradise Lost & My Dying Bride
St George’s Hall – Bradford.
14th December 2023
The St George’s Hall in Bradford hosted numerous thrash bands in the 80s and rock royalty in the 70s, it’s a very cool place and is the perfect venue to host this idyllic celebration of two of Yorkshire’s finest metal exports.
Up first, the unbelievable My Dying Bride, with Aaron Stainthorpe, so much more than a vocalist, he’s a storyteller and he croons and bellows like a warlord. From the bands classic second album released back in 1993, “Turn Loose the Swans”, we are treated tonight to the title track and “The Songless Bird”.
“The Cry of Mankind” particularly enraptured the audience. Closing with a thrashy, “The Forever People”. It’s a strikingly sophisticated set and it’s absolutely made for the theatre.
The chants of, “Yorkshire!” are already echoing off the walls as Paradise Lost take to the stage to give us a full play through of their classic, “Icon” LP. Nick Holmes quips that they won’t need to shout out the songs. Tonight is a jovial affair with Nick’s bone dry wit and dour delivery, this is proper Yorkshire! “Embers Fire” and “True Belief” stun with 30 years of experience shining through. They finish their Icon set with a tremendous “Christendom” leaving the sold out crowd in reverence.
The band encore with a tribal, “Sweetness” and 2015’s, “No hope In Sight”, introducing this track Nick retorts “Would you like another song with a negative title?” For a negative title it’s a jubilant track here tonight! Then seeing us out we have 1992’s, “Pity the Sadness” and the stunning, “Ghosts” with that eldritch style vocal delivery…For Jesus Christ!
That was more joy than you’d expect from these dark hearts.
They say we’re grim up north but we truly like it that way.
Review & Images By George Miller
My Dying Bride
Paradise Lost
