Worm School’s first headline show at The Castle Hotel is anticipated by stellar support sets from Peace Talks and Moth Slut, a gaggle of handmade fan shirts, and of course, a giant stuffed worm laying across the stage. George from Manchester-based live music promoter Echo Chamber, who put together the event, describes the lineup as really “just Worm School and friends.” Indeed, the atmosphere is wholly collective and supportive, more like you’d stumbled across a secret club than a local gig.
The evening kicks off with immediate energy from Peace Talks, a multimedia project from Tommy Deedigan, who has been producing electronic dark-pop under the name since 2021. Joined by David Smith, they launch into boom-bap style tunes, heavily underscored by lush synths. Tommy’s voice swells into the high ceilings, creating an otherworldly mood during ‘ALLEYWAYS’ as David layers his own voice with high-pitched effects. The two make a haunting pair, but intersperse their set with lightness and laughs. Their use of a VHS television playing clips of old-fashioned interviews and adverts only elevates this contrast.
“You like the telly? It’s good innit!” David quips, before crashing into a powerful rendition of ‘SOMA’. Ivan Moon jumps on guitar for the end of Peace Talks’ set, which sees the band lean into distortion and psychedelia.
Up next are Moth Slut, a queer Manchester-based duo making a significant impression in the local Goth scene. The second that Nathan, ‘Mizz Moth’, and Florian, ‘The Twink of Darkness’, grace the stage, the venue is transformed into a deliciously camp haunted house. Nathan begins their set with a maniacal cackle before the two wrap the crowd in half an hour of dark wave synth goodness. Their performance is slick and intense, blending catchy riffs and half-time breakdowns with dark and droning vocals.
Moth Slut’s high-energy track ‘Forever Again’, induces a wave of dancing and head-banging, and ensures the room is packed by the time they conclude with their new single ‘Hellhound’. The audience is left spellbound, and almost certainly excited for Halloween.
The buzz for the final set of the night is palpable, not least because it is preceded by members of the crowd chanting Worm School’s name. This successfully splits everyone into those in the know, and those that desperately want to be in the know. The band have built up a reputation in a relatively short span of time, with nothing out on streaming platforms yet, but a tight resume of gigs on the Manchester circuit.
As Worm School emerge and begin with ‘Sparkle Motion’, suddenly all becomes clear. The crowd stands transfixed and enveloped in a wall of sound, as Worm School spend their time on stage exploring everything from shoegaze to grunge. Dan, on guitar, has classic dream-pop vocals akin to Neil Halstead of Slowdive and Mojave 3, which merges in perfect harmony with the ethereal voices of Liv on synths and Will on drums. Alongside Jordan on bass, the four navigate their setlist with a potent level of focus. ‘Electric Worms’ sees the band build a sonic landscape of beautiful fuzz, whilst ‘IIWII’ (It Is What It Is) has a clear sixties psychedelic feel.
Worm School are not afraid to both pick up the pace and instantly draw it back, which they do seamlessly throughout the latter half of their set. Their last song, ‘Spooky Mulder’, is a definitive highlight. Fans of X-Files will not miss this reference, and indeed, the track is supernatural. Liv’s soaring vocals shine during this heavy emotional number, bringing their set to a satisfying close… for some. One member of the audience can be overheard protesting: “They can’t be finished already, I was getting so into it!”
Worm School are on a brief hiatus from performing to carry out some long-awaited recording. Moth Slut’s new single ‘Hellhound’, and Peace Talks’ debut singles ‘SOMA’ and ‘OUR_PARENTS’ are available to stream. Peace Talks are also set to release their debut EP in the coming months.
