Live Review: Voyager, Caligula’s Horse, Troldhaugen, Without Parachutes - Factory Floor

Without Parachutes' sonic waves of wah-wah guitars and heavily rhythm-driven tracks make for a massively atmospheric opening. Confident and undeterred by technical difficulties, the trio retained a clear sound, combining indie-rock leanings with more progressive tones. Select cuts include epic finisher, Why Should I Care.

Troldhaugen's wacky theatrics make them one of the most entertaining live bands. The Simpsons theme preluded the sharply dressed – in sunglasses and a horse mask no less – showmen's mishmash of Scandinavian folk metal meets carnivalesque show tunes. The crazy eyes and madman dances featuring ghoulish haunting and electrocution complement tracks off their upcoming album that turn synth-pop and operatic vocals into phantasmagoric stomping extravaganzas, alongside whimsical and jazzy older digs.

Caligula's Horse are an ambitious embodiment of power and progression. Their sound's grandeur is an amalgamation of unpredictable time signatures and each member's precision and control. The band's strengths are most evident in those songs conveying punchier sections, The City Has No Empathy and Dark Hair Down, though the rarely performed Into The White got a play-through due to the support slot for “a band as eclectic as Voyager”.

Voyager have outdone themselves this time, touring on the back of their fifth release, V. The prog metallers rock out in full force, churning out scintillating solos and engaging interaction between members and with their audience. Fans clearly appreciated the scales being tipped towards the heavier side of their fresh take on the genre, with moshpits starting up, as well as crowdsurfing for the first time in Voyager history. The highlight turned out to be a special edition of their covers medley, featuring Troldhaugen's Reventüsk, which included a particularly rousing rendition of Highway To Hell. The memorable set wrapped up nicely with lush anthem, I Am The Revolution's soaring melodies and the “legitimately unplanned” encore, White Shadow.