Hatebreed was like a bomb going off in a Grade II listed building. On an off night from the Killswitch Engage tour, they somehow shrank the noise of a band that wrecked shop on the mainstage of Bloodstock & Download into a single room. The Outbreak-branded event was short notice, and the upstairs room at the Star and Garter only holds about 200 people, which made the whole thing feel deliciously claustrophobic. Many of the lucky few to get tickets to the 30-second sellout did remark that it would be a miracle if actual damage were not done to Star and Garter. With that in mind, Hatebreed did their damnedest, bringing along Impunity for the ride in a career-defining moment for Outbreak 2025 alumni.
Impunity
Guitarist Conor Hehir, as well as vocalist Derv from the NYHC (that’s Near-York Hardcore) act were chatting with members of the Manchester Hardcore scene as though it was just any other night at Star and Garter. This was a true milestone set composed mainly of their 2023 demo, with ‘Atmoshphere’ being a standout, both for its prowess as a track and for the pun. As mentioned, they band rumbled the foundations of the BEC at this year’s Outbreak as well, but Star and Garter in support of the Connecticut legends was a different kettle of fish. This set did not mess around, as in “done in 20 minutes”, classic hardcore energy. The crowd were more than game for it, with Derv offering the mic out to the crowd and one overzealous mosher nearly clearing the whole pile of them in trying to dive over for it. A cover of Bogmonsta’s ‘98% Fake’ is nestled in the middle of the set. Although it’s not the only borrowed material to cause some chaos. The room completely erupts for the final 30-some seconds of the set with Impunity’s rendition of ‘Go Go Gadget’ from their demo. As a means of bringing out the spin kickers, this was one of the most bizarre but brilliant calls to arms. There was much made of Impunity being the sole support for this show, and it was very much justified.
Hatebreed
Judging by setlists taped (and later trampled) on the stage, this set was largely due to play out like all others on the Killswitch tour thus far (maybe sans Ball of Death). The band’s hymn sheet was in open view of the crowd, and many assumed “Second verse, same as the first”. The intro track of Accept’s ‘Balls to the Wall’, seemed to galvanise that theory, with fans being ushered back a few paces as the band walked from the side room and onto the stage. Matt Byrne‘s journey to the drum set was a particular highlight given the size of Hatebreed’s amps and kit on such a cramped stage. Then Jamey Jasta strode out and immediately deviated from the printed material. Compared to other sets even this week, the band sprinkled in some extra tracks from early records, Satisfaction is the Death of Desire & Perseverance. The Star and Garter’s long history of hosting punk and hardcore nights meant the crowd already knew how to behave, but that extra enthusiasm of having 5 legends on stage truly made the Manchester venue feel at bursting capacity. The band seemingly played the set by ear, which they had a penchant for doing during the 2010s. Frank Novinec noticeably mouths ‘Live for This’ from The Rise of Brutality to Jasta, out of sequence from its place on the list, for Jamey to then announce to the crowd. An equally enthusiastic but violent response comes from ‘Everyone Bleeds Now’ being dusted off at an indoor UK show for the first time since 2019. At the time, that was also in Manchester, over at Academy 2, but there’s no greater place to see it than in the attic of this pub.
There is a specific instance to laud Wayne Lozinak on his return to the stage, and being in this sweaty little box means it hits so much differently to the large halls of their main UK endeavour. The crowd are in complete adoration of all five on stage, but the love poured out for Wayne in that moment feels particularly poignant. Jamey also waxes lyrical about “sweaty balls and sweaty tits” (he wasn’t wrong), and about how Hatebreed thought they had played every hole in the wall the UK had to offer. Then someone mentioned Star and Garter, and it had to happen. They clearly have intentions of caving the place in as well, as bassist Carl Schwartz is called upon to rumble through the intro of ‘Destroy Everything’, Manchester do their best to live up to the title.
Old favourites like ‘Smash Your Enemies’ from Under the Knife and ‘Proven’ from Satisfaction Is the Death of Desire go down a storm with a crowd that clearly call Outbreak their home. But there is equal love for the latest single ‘Make The Demons Obey’ and the final song honouree ‘Looking Down the Barrel of Today’ from The Concrete Confessional. For a room this size, the dynamics were brutal and beautiful, and only added to by the fact that once they were done, it wasn’t a case of walking off stage right and disappearing into shadow, the band had to walk down off stage and through the people once more to their green room, clapping hands as they went. There was an element of true surrealism in the chaos Hatebreed brought to Manchester with this one. It was the kind of small venue moment that proves why the Star and Garter still matters to this scene, and why Outbreak as an entity is one of the perfect people to carry it.
