Shortly before Arcane Roots were to hit the stage at Gloucester Guildhall they announced that the band would shortly cease to exist.
The band released a statement on social media stating:
It is with heavy hearts, that we announce the end of this chapter of Arcane Roots.
Over the last 12 years, we have achieved more than we could have ever dreamed of and seen more of the world than we could have ever known. The smiles & voices of each of our fans from all over the world have been such an incredible source of light for us, that I don’t think we could ever truly impart the gratitude we have for all of your love & support over the years. Thank you. Always.
Thank you to everyone in our team & those who ever pulled their sleeves up for us, you were our backbone and we will never, ever forget all that you gave us.
Now, it is time for us to look inwards and take on new long term projects and begin to fully realise the hopes, dreams & ambitions we have for our own lives & careers.
We hope you’ll join us for some very special evenings in October,
All our love,
Andrew, Jack & Adam
Whilst the atmosphere was always going to be intense for this gig with a passionate local fan base, thanks to frequent shows at local festival 2000 Trees Festival, you could sense the increased anticipation and expectations from the audience from the offset based on the statement they had read a few hours earlier.
Before Arcane Roots hit the stage, Bath-Based Novatines entertained audiences with their passionate blend of rock and roll and blues music, a similar vain to the early Kings Of Leon sound. It took a while for the crowd to get into the set as it was quite a contrast to the two bands that were set to follow but frontman Jamie Beale worked hard to get the audience anticipation by encouraging a singalong. The band seem to have mastered arena size choruses and played a solid set.
Following up came local post-punk trio I, The Lion who understandably seemed to have a lot of fans in the audience. Having caught the band a few times before, including last year in this venue for Underground Festival, they are really becoming a live force to reckoned with as they put their all into this performance and come into their own. Their sound is a mix of heavy bass lines, intense guitar riffs and melodic vocals that feels both comfortingly familiar and unique.
Next up was the main event as Arcane Roots hit the stage to rapturous applause, opening with “Off The Floor” a song from 2017’s “Melancholia Hymns”. It’s the perfect opener as it displays both the strength of the band’s songwriting with the song exploring the current state of the world and also their diverse sound. The song starts off with a slow build before heading straight into the intense riff heavy territory that the band have become so loved for.
Lead Singer Andrew Groves is note perfect throughout and his vocals really shine on tracks such as “Arp” and “Matter“, two tracks that are usually more synth orientated but are given a more guitar focused outing today, with basssit Adam Burton and drummer Jack Wrench backing him up throughout the set, with all three displaying that they are proficient and accomplished musicians that have really honed their talents over the course of the last 12 years together.
The band spent the rest of the hour weaving through their strong back catalogue, changing between melodic prog-rock and math rock effortlessley. The energy from the band didn’t seem to point to the band fizzling out but rather going out on a strong note, enjoying what they do and putting their all into their final shows.
They’ve got a handful of dates left in October, so if you haven’t had the opportunity to catch them yet – there’s still time and I’d recommend it.
Photos by CJS Media
