Skygaze Showcase 2025
- Sep 25, 2025
- 7 min read
On the 20th September, The Night Owl opened its doors to the Skygaze Showcase, a one-night collision of shimmering shoegaze, gritty grunge and beautiful noise. Part celebration, part discovery - Skygaze was headlined by Love is Noise and backed by a hand picked lineup of rising underground acts that shook Digbeth.
The Night Owl is nestled perfectly in Digbeth’s creative quarter, and its reputation for intimate gigs made it the perfect venue for the showcase. Although it doesn’t boast the biggest stage, the familiarity of The Night Owl brings you closer to the act. The atmosphere felt more like a gathering of dedicated fans rather than a large-scale gig.
The lineup set the tone with a mix of emerging acts and some very familiar names. Doors opened at 5pm and it took no time for the venue to start filling. It was refreshing to see so many people turn up for the opening act. It’s all too common for opening bands to face only a handful of attendees, so it was encouraging to see fans arriving early for this independent event and showing their support.
Each act had their own flare and I could tell that the organisers had really thought about this lineup carefully. Every band felt confident and established, and it really helped to keep the energy high throughout the night. Transitions between sets were seamless, a rare feat for independent events of this scale, and with such a small team running the show, the execution was particularly impressive.
I’ve been lucky enough to catch some of these bands over the last few years, so it was nice to see how far they had progressed. At the same time, some acts were completely new to me, and it was exciting to discover some fresh blood. Here’s my rundown of the night:
Terminals
Terminals are a band I was really looking forward to seeing. The three-piece are a rising force in the Birmingham scene, blending a huge, immersive sound with elements of shoegaze, grunge, and post-hardcore. They hit hard with towering riffs that are unapologetically in your face, yet seamlessly pull you back with smooth, clean vocals. Their sound feels both unique and familiar at the same time. You can clearly hear specific influences, but they’ve truly made the sound their own. The riffs gave me strong Deftones vibes, and the contrast between their instrumentals and vocals is reminiscent of Loathe.
Terminals’ set was tight, an obvious group of very capable musicians. Their frontman handled huge, rhythm-heavy riffs while singing, which was incredibly impressive. Their bassist laid down a thick base and made each riff hit you so hard, while the drummer kept things incredibly tight. I spent a lot of the set in awe of the groove, yet also stunned explosively heavy the music could become in an instant.
A fun fact is Terminals’ first ever show was actually alongside a band I used to be in, sometime around 2022. I remember watching their set and being blown away chatting to them after when they told us that was their first time playing on a stage together. It was obvious that they were going to be successful in some way. From that impressive debut, they’ve come a long way. Over the years they have obviously found their sound and continue to build on it with each release. I’m excited to follow their journey and urge anyone craving face-melting riffs to catch them as soon as possible.
Other Half
Another 3-piece but this time from Norfolk, a long way from the stage in Digbeth, Other Half is a name I’ve heard thrown about. I’ve got a couple of their tracks lurking in playlists, however I’ve never caught them live and I feel like I’ve been missing out. They boasted a strong sound of post-punk and alt-rock, with incredibly melodic riffs and harsh emotional vocals.
Their set was packed with energy and they really knew how to keep the crowd engaged. Comedic anecdotes and a recurring theme of making the crowd laugh, they are obviously set on having a good time at their shows. A similarity with a long time favourite band of mine Gaffa Tape Sandy comes to mind, but some bigger comparisons would probably be Pixies and Fugazi. It’s a tried and tested sound but they really know how to work it.
Other Half have 3 LPs, which is a really commendable amount of material for a band of this size. I had a listen through their discography and they’re an incredibly consistent group of musicians. It seems they found their sound very early and they’ve stuck by it. I’d love to see them back in Birmingham now that I've had the chance to explore their music some more, and I think their angsty sound fit perfectly into the Skygaze lineup.
Labyrinthine Oceans
This female fronted four-piece, with members from Newcastle and London, have a very distinct niche. To say they put the gaze in Skygaze would be an understatement. This young group of musicians who only formed in 2023 have a massive, reverb rich sound that calls back to some of the most notable shoegaze bands. It’s that ethereal sound that is so familiar but done so tastefully.
The guitar sound was a ferocious blend of effects, that beautiful droning sound that makes shoegaze so dreamy. The bass was clear and punchy, driving the rhythm beautifully and the vocals were drenched in reverb, making The Night Owl feel like it was floating through space. There are some very distinct influences in Labyrinthine Oceans’ sound, I can clearly hear julie and Planning for a Burial. Although they made a very obvious shoutout to one of their influences through a cover of When the Sun Hits by Slowdive.
Looking into them further I can see that they have had a packed few years together, even taking their music as far as Belgium. They are an incredible band to experience live and I see big opportunities for them as they ride the wave that shoegaze is currently making in the music industry. For a band who said they haven’t ever visited Birmingham, let alone played here, they really made a mark in the city and hopefully we’ll see them pass through sooner than later.
TNL VZN
If you haven’t heard this name thrown around, you must live under a rock. A band local to Birmingham, TNL VZN brought the alternative rock and grunge straight to The Night Owl. A mix of aggressive riffs, huge melodies and a melancholy angst, they’re on the rise in the scene and this performance just solidifies why they deserve it.
The vocals were a huge stand-out, able to shift from melody rich verses into some huge and powerful choruses. This tension made the hooks striking and catchy all at once. Their songs are obviously driven by emotion and you can hear it in both the lyrics and instrumentals. Between the walls of distortion there were moments where the music was left to breathe, before crashing back in with a crushing intensity. The heaviness was welcome at Skygaze and it really helped ramp up the crowd ready for the headline. This maturity in songwriting goes beyond their years and their performance shows they are carving out something that is resonating far beyond Birmingham.
The crowd's reaction solidified my thoughts on this band. People were visibly locked in, nodding along to the grooves and cheering after each track. For a band still climbing, that kind of engagement says a lot about their future. It’s clear that TNL VZN already has a growing following in Birmingham, and with performances like this, it won’t be long before we see them pulling in some notable audiences across the UK.
Love is Noise
If you want a masterclass in performance, look no further than Love is Noise. This band has taken the UK scene by storm, and this headline proves exactly why. From the moment they opened the atmosphere in The Night Owl was electric, with anticipation for a wall of sound that was both crushingly heavy but so beautifully immersive.
Love is Noise carefully balances shoegaze ambience with a ferocious mix of grunge and metal. Huge guitar riffs, unbelievably tight drumming, a pounding bassline and a frontman who knows exactly how to move a crowd, they had me frozen in place at times. The vocals were full of raw emotion, moving from huge hooks to belting screams that shook the venue. The room’s energy was shaped out and they made sure not to let go of the momentum they had.
Although they are a seriously committed band, they showed that they aren’t scared to have fun on stage. Flanked by early 00s wrestling videos, they stopped a few times to comment on the action and the crowd absolutely ate it up. Speaking to their lead singer Cam after the set, he shows an unbelievably strong passion for what they are doing but I can see that it is important that they enjoy themselves too.
Love is Noise owned this headline, leaving no doubt that they are a rapidly rising act. I was able to catch them for the first time last year on their support run with Thornhill, and it was clear they were ready to break through. They released their debut album To live in a different way this year and it has truly been a catalyst to catapulting them into notability. Their influences are obvious, the lead singer sports a White Pony tattoo, but you can already hear Deftones throughout their discography. It’s a DIY sound that really gives me hope for new artists, although they have some very apparent influences, their tracks go from sing-a-long anthems to crushing breakdowns with ease. I think it’s important to own your sound and not get tied down into one genre so this is a huge breath of fresh air.
If you’re able to get your hands on a resale ticket, they are supporting Loathe this November at XOYO. It’s an incredible lineup and I don’t think there’s many other bands more deserving of this slot than Love is Noise. A serious band full of playful individuals, mark my words these guys will be making some significant moves in the coming years.
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