WORDS CHRISTIAN GOULD / IMAGES ALEKSANDRA HOGG
Tonight we’re at the O2 Institute in Digbeth, Birmingham for Bloodywood and their “Return of the Singh Tour”. The O2, formerly the Digbeth Institute, located in the heart of Birmingham’s cultural district, began life as a church in 1908 but was converted to a jazz club in the early 1950s. Since that time hundreds of bands have played across its 3 stages – for some it’s the culmination of a journey and for others it’s a pitstop on the way to selling out arenas.
Bloodywood were formed in 2016 but 2019’s Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot) put them on the map, its fusion of Indian folk instruments and nu-metal a big hit across social media. 2022 was a breakout year for the band and they’ve embraced every opportunity since then to drive forward and bring their brand of metal to a wider audience.
We arrive at the Institute before the doors have opened and are treated to the sight of venue security struggling to corral a line of metalheads so long that it’s blocking traffic on 3 streets. Sometimes it’s difficult to judge the atmosphere of a gig until the headliners take to the stage but tonight is not one of those nights. Bloodywood shirts are in abundance and it’s uplifting to see so many South Asian fans in the queue, a reminder of the power of representation and visibility. Bloodywood were last at this venue in 2023 when they played the O2 Institute2, a much smaller hall with a capacity of 600, but tonight we’re heading to a sold-out main stage with 1,500 other fans.
But before Bloodywood it’s time for the support acts and joining them on their travels across Europe are Demonic Resurrection and Calva Louise. The lights dim, the crowd cheers and its Demonic Resurrection who are up first. Bloodywood may have renewed interest in metal from the sub-continent but Demonic Resurrection have been blazing a blackened trail since their founding in Mumbai back in 2000. Demonic Resurrection draw heavy influence from Indian mythology and theology, bringing their own cultural stories to new shores accompanied by pounding blast beats, intense growls and impressive rhythm and lead guitar work. They only have 30 minutes tonight but it’s enough time to give an unfamiliar audience a crash course in their rich discography with a particular focus on 2017’s Dashavatar. The intensity of Krishna – Cow-Herd splits the crowd and the first mosh-pits of the night whirl under the direction of vocalist Sahil Makhija. Demonic Resurrection finish on The Unrelenting Surge of Vengeance, a song that manages to describe the intensity of its riffs through its title and it feels as though we’ve just seen the headliner rather than the 7:30 opener.
Following on from Demonic Resurrection it’s Calva Louise. I’d never heard of Calva Louise until the night before this gig and my YouTube research did not prepare me for the chaos and the aggression that this group embodies. An eclectic mix of nationalities all brought together in London, Calva Louise have struggled over the last few years to establish themselves – their latest album, The Edge of the Abyss, a reflection of how many times they’ve come close to disaster. Calva Louise have established themselves on the UK circuit as a live tour-de-force and I’m now experiencing it for the first time. Venezuelan vocalist, Jess, is pulling triple-duty tonight as she somehow shreds riffs, plays a keyboard and smashes out banshee-esque screams – often all at the same time. It’s hardcore meets electronic with a heavy dose of nu-metal and the flailing limbs and flying bodies emerging from the mosh pits reflect the aggression and the energy of their riffs. It’s a performance good enough to put them on my future playlists.
As a well-rehearsed tour crew busy themselves prepping the stage, a sold-out Institute is now so full that those of us standing are crushed together shoulder-to-shoulder. The lights dim one final time and Bloodywood charge the stage and launch straight into a storming version of the anthemic Dana-Dan, a call for action against sexual harassment and assault. Karan, Jayant, Raoul, Sarthak and Vishesh are lined up across the stage, dominating the small space and feeling the energy of the crowd. As Dana-Dan draws to a frenzied, staccato finish there’s an explosion of pyro that releases the tension in the enthralled crowd – welcome back to Birmingham, Bloodywood.
This tour is in support of new album, Nu Delhi (2025), but at only 35 minutes runtime tonight’s setlist is going to be a bit of a balancing act. After introducing themselves with an old favourite it’s time for a new track, Nu Delhi, a chaotic homage to the city Bloodywood call home. Nu Delhi the album does tend to be heavier than previous entry, Rakshak, and this effect is very noticeable live with the relentless pounding of both the drums and the dhol.
As Nu Delhi concludes it’s time for some reflection as the band move into Aaj. Bloodywood have been open about their social values, aiming to raise awareness of mental health issues and other social problems. Aaj is an ode to hope, a powerful anthem about possibility. Raoul is a compelling speaker as he introduces the song and it is powerful to hear these thoughts being expressed openly. Mental health is one of the problems of our time and Bloodywood are doing good work in using their platform to shine a spotlight.
Following on from Aaj is Tadka and what I think is a bit of a missed opportunity. Bloodywood are engaging with the crowd but they are also running through a script. Birmingham has strong, established cultural links with India so hearing Jayant ask the crowd if they’ve ever eaten Indian food has me suppressing an Axl Rose scream of “Do you know where you are?”. It just feels like a missed opportunity to directly acknowledge the city they’re playing in, but I also realise that modern tours leave little room for going off-piste. Tadka is infectiously catchy but it does feel like the weakest track off the new album, Bloodywood are at their best when they are channeling their rage about real issues and Tadka feels like it misses the mark.
We’re back to mental health with an emotional rendition of Jee Vherey before pivoting back to another new single with Bekhauf. Unfortunately Babymetal aren’t in attendance for this collaborative effort but a backing track suffices. There’s now an established pattern of old, new and it’s time to go back to the old with the raging anthem, Machi Bhasad. Swirling circle pits give way to storming mosh pits as Bloodywood swagger through the song that drew so many people over to festival stages in 2022.
Bloodywood tease a finish to New Delhi opener, Halla Bol (Raise Your Voice), a brutal and raging anthem about India’s bloody history before closing with an encore rendition of Gaadaar. The relenteless, martial beat of the drums, the driving, downtuned riff of the guitars and Jayant’s raw growls combine to transform the crowd into a sea. A surging wave of bodies presses against the barriers before flowing back into the last, chaotic pits of the evening. One last shower of sparks, one last explosion of smoke and it’s all over.
At the start of the review I said that the O2 Institute is a goal for some, a pitstop for others – you get the sense that the next time Bloodywood come back to Birmingham they’ll be stepping up again. The men from New Delhi are destined for big things.
SET LIST
1. Dana Dan
2. Nu Delhi
3. Aaj
4. Tadka
5. Jee Veerey
6. Bekhauf
7. Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot)
8. Halla Bol
9. Gaddaar
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My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
