St. Mary’s, Stockport – Reside Evaluate

HENGE | Paddy Steer
St. Mary’s, Stockport
twenty ninth March 2025

HENGE, the intergalactic masters of Cosmic Dross, have fine-tuned their extra-terrestrial frequencies for his or her newest mission – a UK and Europe tour set to blast audiences into sonic orbit. Identified for his or her mind-bending fusion of house rock, techno and prog, the band rework St. Mary’s Church right into a launchpad for his or her euphoric, peace-fuelled revolution.

Let the cosmic carnival begin. Sound scientist Paddy Steer hits the stage like he’s simply tumbled off a sci-fi B-movie parade float – his wizardly beard poking out from beneath an alien getup that appears welded collectively in a Martian junkyard. His one-man band rig is an excellent mess of analogue synths, battered drum pads, vocoders and spaceship-wrecked devices. The sound? A glitch-fest of malfunctioning robotic orchestra vibes, like psychedelic deep house colliding with jazzy grooves, precision drums and wobbly synth swirls and bleeps. He’s glorious. As he shuffles off, he throws out a cheeky farewell: “Fancy gown grandad.” Iconic.

Beneath the vaulted ceilings of Reside at St Mary’s, one thing otherworldly is unfolding. The anticipation hums within the air, and the group is gathered in a collective orbit. As the primary quivers of synth shudder by means of the air, it’s clear that this isn’t a gig – it’s an abduction. HENGE materialise as if beamed down in a kaleidoscope of stardust robes, lunar headdresses and the type of celestial regalia that implies they’ve simply stepped off a mothership mid-warp. The group, already a swirling mass of vast eyes and open minds, is aware of the drill. You don’t simply watch HENGE – you give up to them.

The disorienting synth that opens Ascending isn’t only a sound – it’s a wormhole ripping open within the material of the venue. A sampled countdown – ‘10, 9, 8, 7…’ – rumbles by means of the room, rigidity tightening like a coiled spring. ‘3, 2, 1, We’ve liftoff!’ The monitor launches into full overdrive, high-frequency oscillations bending the air. Enter frontman Zpor, cloaked in druidic apparel, a plasma globe crackling on his head, grinning like a being who’s seen the sting of the universe and are available again enlightened. Slingshot ricochets in, with crisp, kinetic beats and spiralling synths, and the group is loving it.

HENGE are ingeniously good, arriving not as mere musicians however as interstellar voyagers – Zpor (Matthew Whitaker) on vocals and guitar, Goo (Pete Turner) on synth and bass, Grok (Roy Medhurst) on synths and Nom (Sam Draper) smashing out the beats. Their musicianship? Subsequent stage. Technical wizardry meets mind-bending creativity and originality. They beam down their signature Cosmic Dross straight from the fringes of house to us people, as an invite to go away earthly considerations behind and embrace the interstellar dance ground. Mushroom One drifts in like a cosmic spore, its twangy guitars curling round psychedelic synths that wobble as if caught in zero gravity. Zpor’s melodic spoken phrase is much less a vocal and extra a transmission from the mycelial community of the universe itself. HENGE’s providing is otherworldly, prophetic and simply the correct facet of ridiculous. Then Ra blips into existence, a pixelated 8-bit odyssey that feels just like the soundtrack to a recreation that doesn’t exist (but). If HENGE haven’t already pitched a platformer the place you dodge malfunctioning robots and accumulate mushrooms to energy up, they’re significantly lacking a trick.

The frantically robotic Tardigrades is adopted by Self-Restore Protocol, and the venue is swallowed by a vortex of glitchy 8-bit synths, warped vocals and instrumentation chaos The monitor unfolds, telling the story of a malfunctioning robotic stranded on a distant planet. On stage, the band channel pure extraterrestrial presence and the group can’t assist however dance. Get a Wriggle On bursts in like a zany ‘70s TV journey recreation present on turbo mode. There’s no standing nonetheless – solely flailing, grinning and gleefully shedding your thoughts within the mayhem.

HENGE hit like a technicolour ice-pop to the mind, melting into the senses with pure, psychedelic pleasure. It’s a headfirst plunge down a helter-skelter, glittering with color and light-years forward of anything on the market. When you’re in, there’s no going again. The HENGE hive simply retains rising, glowing and grooving. Welcome to Voltus is a full-blown, theatrical house odyssey. Prodigy-style synths rip by means of Zpor’s closely manipulated vocals, lifting the group increased because the chords ascend. “Breathe within the sonic rays,” Zpor instructions, in a delightfully unearthly accent – his native tongue, after all, hailing from a far-flung planet. The lights minimize out. Silence. Then, Zpor’s transmission crackles: “Mission profitable. We’ve landed on Voltus B. Take within the environment. Breathe in.”

From there, it’s pure intergalactic bliss. Goldilocks is spacey, Monolith pulses with Japanese techno mystique, whereas Altered State bounces off the partitions, all blasting out joy-inducing frequencies. Then, the mighty New Planet arrives – a spectacular conflict of house rock, throbbing techno and trippy prog. It seems like Ennio Morricone hijacked a Commodore 64 and jammed with Hawkwind and Ozric Tentacles in a pixelated galaxy. The band are all-in – Zpor, the final word rock warrior, wields his guitar like a weapon of nebular fury. Grok, a synth-raving maniac, thrashes with hair flying as the entire crew locks in tight, razor-sharp, but all the time playful. It’s monumental.

“What do you consider the spaceship?” Zpor teases, eyes glinting mischievously. “We’ve disguised it as a church.” The group roars with delight, totally onboard for the sermon. He goes on to talk of visiting the ‘lengthy water.’ A dramatic pause. With a sly grin, Zpor hoists a jar of murky liquid, declaring, “The river Goyt!” – Stockport’s personal earthy stream. Moments later, In Reward of Water flows in, an irresistibly danceable chiptune tribute to life’s most primal want, sending the group right into a frenzy. Demilitarise is available in as Grok flashes Dylanesque prompt-cards, urging the group to chant for peace and to ‘colonise house‘ – the phrases cementing themselves like a mantra. After which, as if main his personal galactic revolution, Zpor wades into the throng, his glowing employees held excessive. He weaves by means of the group and a conga-line of disciples kinds, snaking joyfully across the venue. It’s like a ultimate communion earlier than HENGE depart, leaving their message of peace and unity. It’s enjoyable and unforgettable.

By the point the ultimate notice dissolves into the ether, the room feels prefer it’s vibrating on a special frequency. HENGE don’t do encores – there’s no want. They’ve already cracked open actuality and let the stardust in. Because the earthbound shuffle out, one factor is evident: regular life will really feel impossibly uninteresting after this.

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HENGE could be discovered at their web site | Instagram | Fb

Paddy Steer could be discovered at his web site | Instagram | Fb

Phrases by Clare de Lune. You could find Clare on Instagram and Fb

All pictures by MK Bennett, you could find his writer’s archive right here plus his Twitter and Instagram