Hearts and Hand Grenades – Three Bands, One Stage, and a Bloody Brilliant Night of Live Music

Support from – Molly Karloff and To Nowhere

Where – The Cluny, Newcastle

When – 3rd June 26

Review and Photographs by Linda McDermott

Who knew that The Cluny in Newcastle was the place to be on a Wednesday night? A favourite haunt for students and music lovers alike, the venue has a main bar and two separate rooms hosting live music, catering for all those who had ventured out on a school night. For me, the place to be was Room 2 for a night of rock music from three cracking bands.

Room 2 at The Cluny is small and intimate, with raised seating at the back behind the sound desk, making it easy to see what’s going on from wherever you are in the room. The only small complaint was that the bar was closed tonight, meaning a walk up a couple of flights of stairs and around the building was needed if you fancied a drink.

Kicking things off were Newcastle’s own To Nowhere, a band I’ve seen several times now and one I’d always recommend catching live if you get the chance.

Despite a couple of line-up changes for the night, including drummer Connor stepping in on bass duties, you’d never have known. The five-piece were on fine form from the first song, mixing newer material in with familiar favourites and giving us a taste of what’s to come with their soon-to-be-released single Flood, which went down a storm with the crowd.(separate review coming soon).

I’m always pleased to hear songs from their EP Violent Kicks & Dirty Sounds, a release that deserves far more attention than it gets. Bloom remains one of my favourite tracks, as it twists and turns beautifully, moving between melodic verses and angst-filled choruses that always hit the spot. Robbie’s voice is one of those that you instantly recognise, and it suits the band’s sound perfectly.

Before the final song he encouraged everyone to move a bit closer to the stage. I happily obliged with enthusiasm, thinking everyone had followed suit but when I turned around most people seemed perfectly content where they were! Their set flew by, which is usually a sign that I’m enjoying myself, and I reckon they picked up a few new fans by the time they left the stage.

Next up were Molly Karloff, another band I’ve seen several times over the years but not for a while. I’d forgotten just how much fun they are to watch live.

Starting with She Said, before launching into Do You Wanna? and Do It Again, they quickly got everyone warmed up. The crowd lapped up every minute of it, helped by plenty of banter from Simon between songs that added to the relaxed atmosphere.

The three-piece make everything look easy, even when faced with the odd technical fault, with everyone laughing when Tyler suggested we talk amongst ourselves as he didn’t have enough chat to fill the void. Simon soon got things going again and is very much the driving force behind the band, delivering songs that make you think while still getting your foot tapping along to the beat.

What I love about Molly Karloff is how infectious their music is. Before long I was completely wrapped up in the performance and, once again, their set seemed to disappear in no time at all.

Last up on a school night were Hearts & Hand Grenades, who had travelled all the way from the USA as part of their current UK tour. As Tyler from Molly Karloff jokingly reminded us beforehand, “that’s in America, don’t you know!”

Fresh from an appearance at Call of the Wild Festival in Lincoln the previous weekend, they arrived in Newcastle ready to make an impression.

Lead Singer Steph, a pocket rocket of power was impossible to ignore. She has an amazing voice and when she lets out one of her trademark roars it’s enough to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. The rest of the band matched that intensity throughout, creating a huge wall of sound that filled every corner of the room.

Opening with My Sickness from Turning to Ashes, they immediately set the tone for what was to come. There was no let-up as they powered through a set packed with heavy riffs, big choruses, and enough energy to keep everyone transfixed from start to finish.

Highlights included Blame It on the Rain and a brilliant version of Human. If you’re going to cover a song, make it your own, and Hearts & Hand Grenades have absolutely done that. Their take is heavy, powerful and miles away from what most people would expect.

I also loved I Just Want My Rock from their 2024 album Where I Begin. A mix of country, rap, and heavy rock sounds like it shouldn’t work, but somehow it really does. By this point in the set the band were firing on all cylinders, and I suspect Steph’s voice will have earned a well-deserved rest by the end of the tour.

Breathe Into Me showcased another side of the band, mixing melody with intensity, while Turning to Ashes was another standout moment in a set that never dipped in quality. Before long, the inevitable announcement came that there was just one song left. Closing with Burn, Hearts & Hand Grenades brought an excellent set to a powerful finish and rounded off a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

The only disappointment of the night was the turnout, because all three bands deserved a bigger audience. Those who stayed away missed out. Speaking on behalf of those of us who were there, we had a bloody brilliant night.

Go check out all three bands on the usual platforms, get them into your playlists, give them a follow, and support their music, because they deserve it.

Hearts and Hand Grenades

Website https://www.heartsandhandgrenades.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/heartsandhandgrenades

Video

Burn https://youtu.be/gWBaXNjjEl4?si=wOWW2Rr6IExSGv3N

Molly Karloff

Website https://mollykarloff.co.uk

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MollyKarloff

Video

Fearless https://youtu.be/BT04fy-TN-A?si=OQqtXlLM35htTdNu

To Nowhere

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/tonowhereband