This is the 23rd entry in the Mayhem Virgins series where we showcase artists that have never featured in these pages before. This time it is the turn of a new band that I chanced upon at the Brudenell Social Club as a part of Leeds Live In The City last Saturday. They are called NECKBREAKERS and I knew nothing about them at all when my good friend and I Simon P wandered into the venue Community Room on Saturday evening. Based on the name I had assumed they might be a hard core metal band, but I was oh so wrong on that score. The band was formed in 2023 by three siblings; Max, Georgie and Ebony Palmer. Lead vocalist Ebony has just turned 19 years old, this is only remarkable because they play with a barrelful of maturity and skill. The band name derives from a nasty accident that befell Georgie during Fresher’s Week at University a few years ago. She broke her neck and was apparently incredibly lucky that it didn’t turn out worse. Max is the eldest of the siblings and had played in a number of bands before forming NECKBREAKERS with his sisters. The band now live in North London but grew up in Welwyn in Hertfordshire. There have been a few top musicians that have come from that area; Alesha Dixon (of Misteeq and solo fame) and Mat Osman (Suede bassist) to name just a couple.
NECKBREAKERS self released their first single “Waiting On Your Call” in April 2024 and expect to be releasing more songs next year while getting in plenty more live shows. As for their live performance on Saturday night, to say we were blown away would be an understatement. They played with passion, power, soul, emotion and huge energy and they exuded confidence in everything they did. My review of that set will be published soon. But here is a highlight “Their harmonies could split a million atoms, and their songs are so perfectly formed for a young band. Imagine a universe where the Mamas and Papas sing heavenly harmonies for a first-class metal band and then turn up your expectations to the stratosphere. Even then you might not understand just how good NECKBREAKERS are.” I have heard it on good authority that they are very hard working band and that much is clear from that performance in Leeds. Earlier this year according to a paper published in the journal Nature Astronomy, scientists found what could be the brightest known object in the universe: a quasar produced by a massive and voracious black hole. It’s estimated to be emitting light that’s 500 trillion times more intense than Earth’s sun. Well that is the kind of bright future I predict for NECKBREAKERS!
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