If there’s one thing I pride myself on, it’s my memory; be it an important date or an aside about what you had for tea on Tuesday two weeks ago, I can generally be relied upon to recall things I’m informed about without much effort. So, you rightly ask, why was it that I nearly didn’t make it to deathcrash’s show at YES’s Pink Room on Wednesday, a concert I knew I was going to about two months in advance?

An explanation that isn’t just ‘because I’m a scatterbrained dimwit’ (and I really should leave it at that) could go something like this: I have two concerts in April, this one and another at the end of the month, at The White Hotel. Somehow, I may have inexplicably swapped the two venues around in my head. Hence, the whole ‘I should be on the guest list’ and, afterward, the “well, that was weird” I chuckled to the friend I’d dragged to The White Hotel, the definitely correct venue, and, once we entered, the ‘hmm I wonder why this gig is seated’ and ‘wait why is there a bed and a kitchen sink on stage’ and, finally, ‘oh’.

And yes, a few drinks were also consumed beforehand.

Luckily, this embarrassing realisation came to me in time for us to powerwalk over from the wrong venue to the right one, where, upon arrival, we had time to spare before the support act came on. Having led my friend all across town, I spent this grace period wisely, buying him a pint to compensate for the Uber he’d booked to take us from the Ford Madox Brown Spoons (which, of course, is just up the road from YES) to said Salford venue.

But we made it in the end, and I’m glad we managed to catch the support’s set, because interestingly – and it isn’t too common a scenario, but it can happen, as this night demonstrates – I found them to be more compelling than the headline act. That’s coming from a long-time deathcrash fan, too.

I don’t mean to imply that deathcrash were disappointing: as musicians, they were really impressive (the live performances of their songs sounding practically identical to the recordings) and, reflecting the lighter and, for lack of a better word, happier sound they’ve adopted on their latest record Somersault, they seeemed happy to be there performing for us. Admittedly, my preference for deathcrash’s previous material over their more recent output probably factors in my conclusion, but I do think Glasshouse Red Spider Mite stole the show.

Now, you may be thinking what I too am thinking, and first thought upon encountering this four-piece. That name is…a choice. I mean, it’s unique, so they’ve got that going for them. Doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue though. Maybe I’m just being a bit square. Anyway, their music is certainly good enough to beckon popularity, mouthful of a name or not (and, in any case, the Talk Talk shirt one of the guitarists was wearing on this night brought me swiftly on side).

I’m pretty sure the songs they played for us were the four off their debut EP, ‘What Do You Mean The Monster? … Hahaha’ released last May. For me, the standout from their set was its opening track, ‘Everyone Loves You’. The vocal harmonies between the guitarist and the bassist were gorgeous, their lulling quality enhanced by the rubato drum beat and expressively-strummed chords provided by the group’s other two members. The rest of the tracks on the EP – ‘Ant Mill’, ‘Time for Change’ and ‘I’m Batman’ – are similarly beautiful, each one presenting another lush instrumental that builds to a hair-raising crescendo, and they were delightful live.

Armed with a stunning set of compositions and a good deal of charisma (I’m sure many people in the crowd appreciated the drummer’s divulgence of the fact that they ‘had a good feeling about Manchester’), I think Glasshouse Red Spider Mite are en route to greater success; maybe, they’ll eventually end up with enough of a following to call them ‘GRSM’ for short, à la ‘BCNR’. Judging from the quality of their show tonight, I’m certain it’s possible.

As for deathcrash! I mentioned earlier that I wasn’t too fond of their latest record, which represents a departure from the slower, heavier rock sound they achieved on ‘Return’ and ‘Less’, their first two records from 2022 and 2023 respectively. That said, the songs they played from ‘Somersault’, including ‘NYC’, ‘Triumph’ and ‘Stay Forever’, they played well and with passion. They just don’t do much for me as songs, so I don’t have much more to say, but great vocals (provided by both guitarists and the bassist) and musicianship overall.

I have more to say about the earlier material they played, though. For one, I was so chuffed that they played ‘Empty Heavy’ from Less, because genuinely, I’d see them for this song alone. That progression, from sombre, muted electric guitar chords into the softly-sung refrain of ‘be safe, give up’ before the searing line ‘I was biting my tongue/you were pulling it out’ heralds an explosion of heaving, shuddering noise. The recorded version is a visceral listen, so, as you can imagine, hearing it live was a transcendental experience and my personal highlight of their set.

Also on Less, deathcrash included ‘And Now I’m Lit’ in their set, a meditative, melodic slow-build, as well as the thunderous tracks ‘Unwind’ and ‘American Metal’ from Return. Again, in preferring this material to the newer stuff, it’s natural that I would prefer these performances to the others, but they were genuinely wonderful; vocals and instrumentation, on point in every one.

I would’ve liked to hear more from the band, but they didn’t really engage with the audience; perhaps partly why I felt more of an affinity towards the support. Ultimately, though, your main takeaway should be to tap in to Glasshouse Red Spider Mite, whose first EP I have returned to several times since this show. Do also check out the latest deathcrash album – you may enjoy the happier tone more than I do!