PEST
The Blossoms, Stockport
1st June 2024
The Hertfordshire nu-metal duo PEST make their debut appearance ‘up North’ after building a solid reputation in the South East.
Cameron and Harvey aka PEST have been together for around 2 1/2 years with Louder Than War first covering them almost 2 years ago upon the release of debut single Nicotine/Wake Up.
Since then they’ve realised a handful of singles and recently received praise from Manchester’s own Gutter Punks, The Battery Farm, following them playing together in Luton. The aforementioned were so that impressed they’ve invited PEST to make the journey up North to play with them in Manchester in September.
Tonight though it’s the duo’s opportunity to make enough noise at Blossoms Hotel to rattle the windows of the 192’s passing on the A6. The upstairs function room is the traditional \room above the pub’ with heavy curtains blocking out a rare, sunny northern day. With a handful of people in the room it’s hot… with a crowd, it’s gonna be roasting.
PEST take the stage in their trademark green boilersuits and are bathed in green light. They are loud. Fucking loud. The duo know exactly what they are doing as they launch into their 10-song, 30-minute set, beginning with In Purgatory from their 2022 EP of the same name. As I said this is their first appearance up North but watching the reaction of those watching they’re making a few fans. They continue with ‘familiar’ tracks, Safe, Nicotine and Empire. The former is from the aforementioned EP but the others singles. PEST have been working hard and in the studio to record some new tracks, the first of these, Plague hits the spot.
The heat is getting to Harvey who has by now stripped out of his boilersuit, sweat pouring from him. He’s been putting a shift in though, the self-taught drummer has a style which can only be described as Animal mixed with Keith Moon. Cam leads the line, unbothered by the heat, staring intently into the crowd as he sings.
They’re as tight as fuck. No one in the room had seen the band live before, and many wouldn’t have been familiar with the songs, but it’s a testament to their professionalism that whilst the set is mixed of old and new, no one would have been able to tell them apart. Run, Butane and Step By Step By Step follow with more approving head nods from the
The penultimate track 0121DO1 makes me laugh, I do wonder if they have some aversion to Britain’s second city. It’s not, but it will be interesting to see how it’s received when they get there. All too soon Cam announces Warriors, Witches and Women, a track in praise of females. The breakdown during the track offers the opportunity for audience participation as we’re given the opportunity to kneel ahead of the song’s finale. I’ll be honest I snuck off to the side as there was no way I’d be getting down and up again! I would love to see them do this with a room of a few hundred as opposed to the 30-40 people watching tonight.
A great Northern debut from a band I’ll be going to watch again.
~
All words by Iain Key. See his author profile here or find him on X (Twitter) as @iainkey
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