Photo Credit: F. Scott Schafer
There are support bands that fill their role of warming the crowd up for the band at the top of the bill but there are also support bands that absolutely steal the show. Creeper are definitely the latter. This week on their UK tour supporting metalcore titans Ice Nine Kills, Creeper swaggered onto the OVO Hydro stage and turned an arena full of horror-electric punters into a sea of vampires singing in unison. From the very first notes of Mistress of Death, the Glasgow crowd were primed and ready to unleash their voices and channel their inner Lost Boys.
Will Gould stalked the stage like a Vampire Lord risen from the dead, equal parts pure theatre and magnetic menace — a frontman you cannot look away from. His swagger isn’t just stage confidence, it’s storytelling and wrapped up inside a dizzying combination of swirling riffs and shadowy glam. Behind him, Hannah Greenwood’s voice remains a revelation and her harmonies turning every moment into goosebumps.
Being the support band Creeper’s set was shorter than usual but packed more than a punch with a hit-heavy eight-song thrill ride that zipped through their latest gothic-rock epics and crowd favourites. Blood Magick (It’s a Ritual) had the crowd surge forward and roar their approval before Lovers Led Astray and particularly Headstones showcased Creeper’s undeniable ability to mix dark romance with foot-stomping gothic theatre. The Ballad of Spook & Mercy was next as they rattled through their gothic favourites. By the time they closed on Cry to Heaven, the Scottish crowd were fully in their hands, capes drawn and voices bellowing back every line. The Creeper set was packed with pomp, drama, and an intoxicating blend of goth-rock charm and big-chorus singalongs. Will Gould is a must-watch frontman and is utterly engaging.
After Creeper’s hour in the spotlight we, in the Glasgow pit, were primed and pumped for the carnage about to be unleashed by Ice Nine Kills who are what you would get if you chucked a horror movie and an arena metal show into a blender. This was our first time seeing Ice Nine Kills live and on this form it won’t be our last. They locked, loaded and fired a set that was glorious, gory, and guitar-heavy which was as brilliant to watch as it was to hear.
Kicking off with Meat & Greet — the band grabbed you by the throat and dragged you straight into the horrorcore whirlwind. The Hydro was bouncing by the time the colossal riffs of Funeral Derangements and the anthemic sing-along of Hip to Be Scared. All the while some of our horror movie favourites made appearances, and were disposed off, on stage. Musically the band continued to deliver slam dunks with Stabbing in the Dark and Wurst Vacation were ferocious live.
A quirky cover of Walking on Sunshine, followed next for a moment of cheery pop before the carnival continued with Rainy Day and The Great Unknown. Track of the night for us was the big hitting Ex-Mørtis which was followed by the haunting drama of Farewell II Flesh. The pace relented slightly for A Grave Mistake but the drama continued as did the onstage theatrics never let up with Ice Nine Kills highlighting their well-earned reputation as a band which understands how to perform as much as they understand how to shred.
The Shower Scene brought iconic Psycho terror to life before a glorious run to the encore of big hits Welcome to Horrorwood and IT Is the End. A brief break and a Glaswegian demand for ‘One more song’ and the band returned for a double helping of horror with The American Nightmare and A Work of Art which featured Creeper’s Hannah Greenwood onstage and even had a kilted Art the Clown perform a bagpipe mini-solo on Scottish soil.
It was a great night and there’s a case to be made that our final gig of 2025 might be our favourite. From the vampirish pomp and theatre of Creeper in their Sanguivore era to the horror theatrics and guitars and gore mash up of Ice Nine Kills – what’s not to love. 9/10
Written By: Eric Mackinnon
