DEAFHEAVEN GET UP CLOSE AND POWERFUL AT LIVERPOOL’S ARTS CLUB
Deafheaven (Lucy McLachlan/Northern Exposure)
PHOTO GALLERY | DEAFHEAVEN | ARTS CLUB, LIVERPOOL | 1st December 2025 by Lucy McLachlan
American Blackgaze band Deafheaven return to the UK in support of their sixth studio album “Lonely People With Power“, their first with heavy metal/hard rock label Roadrunner Records.
A first for us to see, they’ve taken the barrier away at the Arts Club‘s Main Theatre room in Liverpool. Just for this show? We’re not sure but it seems Deafheaven want to get really up close and personal.
A good area of the main floor is filled with flight cases and touring paraphernailia and it’s feeling a little claustrophobic. Speakers line the edges of the stage and on the floor in stacks either side. This was a decent sized room, now it feels smaller than the Loft venue upstairs.
The California five piece played a set made up of all but three songs from their leaner, more aggressive sounding new album. A slight change in musical direction than previous releases, “Lonely People With Power” has grown their fan base, most dates on this tour completly sold out.
Already having the stage surrounded and boxed in with a wall of speakers, amps and cabinets, three risers were added along the front of the stage for band members to posture on top of whenever the vibe took them. Resulting in a scene almost like Deadheaven were climbing atop a mountain holding their instruments up like a sword or in vocalist George Clarke‘s holding arms out like Christ The Redeemer reaching out over all the adorning fans, it was quite the epic spectacle.
Creating quite the powerful atmosphere, they hurtled through “Doberman” and lead single “Magnolia” before diving into “Bought To The Water” from 2015 album “New Bermuda” and “Sunbather” from the 2013 album of the same name.
Highlights of the night included “Body Behaviour“, a track about experiences boys and young men have with older men that go on to inform their opinions surrounding women. Alongside the bone shaking crescendo of “Incidental II“.
The band’s usual set finisher “Dream House“is a fan favourite scream along which made final song “Winona” feel a little anti climactic but overall it was a decent set that allowed Deafheaven to flex some new, bigger rock god muscles in front of a lot of new fans.
Support came from Baltimore’s Zereul, dark, moody shoegaze we’ll definitely be looking up later. Alongside black metal Texans Portrayal of Guilt.
Deafheaven play 3rd December at Dublin’s The Button Factory, 4th December at Belfast’s The Limelight, then onto dates in Turkey and Istanbul.
