Comedy in music is a particularly difficult juggling act, with many self-described comedy bands winding up more irritating than amusing. Attempting to apply witty lyrics to grindcore— a genre infamous for its short track lengths, extreme tempos and lack of interpretable vocals— should be a project doomed to fail: Raised By Owls stand in stark contrast to that line of logic, keeping their songs brutal and heavy without sacrificing on the bonkers, nonsensical humour that sets them apart from the competition. Having only just seen them open the main stage at Bloodstock 2024, it was refreshing to check out the band in a much more intimate setting as Nottingham’s alternative scene crammed into the Ye Olde Salutation Inn for a Christmas party like no other.

Opening up one of the most outlandish shows of the year was two-piece act Rogue Limb, bringing their own brand of energetic hardcore into the mix. In spite of the poor acoustics of the venue, the pair’s sound was surprisingly thick and punchy, with the guitar managing to find a comfortable spot above the pounding drums— though the mix wasn't the clearest, it suited their unhinged playing well and allowed each track the gravitas and heft it deserved. Both Greg Blakeley and Thew Adams were a sight to behold, throwing themselves into every moment— Adams was particularly enjoyable to watch, acting exhausted but still managing to plow through a ferocious set of unstoppable double-kick (and while singing too!). His declaration that “this is my first show without a f*reskin” certainly became a sign of things to come.

The band’s set did grow a little monotonous as it went on, with the constant breakdowns and stop-starts blending many tracks together— a lack of melody certainly didn’t help as a fair few of the songs from the group’s debut release ‘Actus Reus’ could easily be mistaken for one another. Rogue Limb were also by far the least comedic band of the night; it’s certainly no criticism of the two-piece, though their set lacked a little identity compared to their peers as a result. Despite our nitpicks though, we can’t deny that the wall of sound the band were able to create with only two members was admirable, setting the rest of the night up for success.

Bringing the ‘Christmas’ to this Christmas party were ZILF, who had chosen to dress up in full Santa outfits for their performance: the members were surely sweating in those, which might explain why the drummer stood out in his Hawaiian shirt and shorts. The four-piece continued the in-your-face barrage of riffs where Rogue Limb left off, adding on some more melodic lead parts to inject much appreciated variety to the show— though things could, at times, grow quite exhausting, touches of diversity did wonders to keep the audience engaged and grooving along with the band. Frontman Joe’s talking between songs (in a Santa voice, of course) also added the first hints of comedy to the night, and were greatly appreciated.

Some moments of the show could grow a little scattershot, with the band even admitting “I think I f*cked that solo up”— it’s a relatively small complaint though, seeing as the non-serious mood and on-stage antics were the real draw. ZILF weren’t the funniest band of the night, nor the most musically engaging, but they sat in a perfect medium of the two that made enjoyable the show quite effortless. The closing ‘Red Snow’— described as “a real proper Christmassy one”— brought the best out of the group, with its infectious lead lines and powerful grooves ending things out on a high. When all was said and done, ZILF went down as a delightfully quirky addition to the lineup.

Next up to bat were Footprints in the Custard, who’ve played with Raised By Owls before— watching their mixture of outlandish lyrical displays and crushing riffs, it’s not hard to see how the two bands have ended up supporting one another. Though the group were down a guitarist at this show, Footprints’ infectious rhythms were hardly affected as the band earned the first mosh pits of the night (a risky decision, given the cramped space in the venue, but one that worked out for the better). Russell Gregory’s gravelly vocals drew multiple comparisons to Chris Bowes— the entire band could easily be compared to Alestorm if you swapped out pirates shenanigans for the antics of a group of drunken Christmas elves— which suited the bonkers, off-the-wall approach the band have to songwriting.

Playing such masterpieces of lyricism and social commentary as ‘Willies Are for Weeing,’ ‘Whams to the Slaughter’ and the particularly anthemic ‘Don’t Be a ‘C*nt,’ the group were keeping the jokes coming thick and fast, with none of the band’s members able to keep a straight face for even a single second— Gregory was particularly in-tune with the crowd, parading around the entire venue to deliver his gruff bellows up-close-and-personal. Though Footprints in the Custard’s riffs didn’t stand out as much as those from Rogue Limb or ZILF, the group’s show and comedy undeniably elevated their show, and the group were the perfect fit to support Raised By Owls.

Our biggest take away from the night’s headliner set was that Raised By Owls are more than just a comedy act: they are, first and foremost, a UK grindcore outfit, and though we’ll detail the group’s hilarious antics later, it feels fitting to praise their songwriting and performance first. Opener ‘Comedy Metal is a F*cking Embarrassment’ set the tone brilliantly, opening the show on a barrage of blazing tempos, guttural screams and groovy riffs that had the audience erupting into pits— the moshing didn’t really stop from here either as the band kept the energy up for the entire show. Whether it be the dark black metal melodies of ‘The Dark And Twisted Realm In Which Fred Durst Resides,’ the brutal beat-down style of ‘Going For A Pint With Corpsegrinder’ or the surprisingly touching ballad ‘None of This Will Matter in the End,’ the band’s furious riffs refused to drop in intensity from the moment the show began: the crowd certainly responded, carrying a member of the audience around the entire venue and moshing furiously throughout.

It also didn’t hurt that Raised By Owls were the funniest band of the night as well, cementing them as the rightful headliner, and our favourite act of the event. Sam Fowler’s dry delivery makes him the perfect frontman for the group, keeping the crowd in the palm of his hand from start to finish— his antics as Santa Clause were particularly brilliant, as various challenges had audience members winning increasingly outlandish and vulgar t-shirts. The band were also joined by their mascot Mr Blobby (dildos in tow, as ever) as well as a new character called Mr Nookie, who was surely an instant favourite for anyone with a heart. Raised By Owls recently out out a beautifully ironic cover of Limp Bizkit’s ‘Break Stuff’ as a charity single: it was no surprise, them, to see Fowler dress as Fred Durst for the encore. We have to imagine that very few bands could get such a positive reception to that particular cover, but the song went down a treat, putting a brilliant capstone on the whole show.

There’s an increasing sense of seriousness that’s been growing in metal for some time, whether it’s legacy acts like Iron Maiden writing more grounded and pertinent lyrics than ever before or new bands like Sleep Token taking themselves deathly seriously. Raised By Owls and Footprints in the Custard have clearly taken a look at that approach and walked the other way, turning their shows into 50% metal, 50% pure comedy— when you don’t know whether to head-bang or laugh out loud, you know the band you’re watching must be doing something right.