Seeing live music should never just be about seeing the arena-filling, stadium-headlining, festival-topping bands. All music starts off at a grassroots level. Every band was once a local band, playing local venues and every band is always somebody's mate's band. So, when your best mate tells you that their band are playing at a venue less than an hour's drive from you, you make damn sure that you make the effort to go. In this case, the band are Typan and the venue was The Metal Monocle, a steampunk-themed rock and metal bar on Braunstone Gate in Leicester, a short distance outside the city centre. It's the perfect setting to showcase bands who are bringing their own unique flavour to the alternative scene by dishing out great big slabs of proper heavy metal on a Saturday night, and providing a welcome distraction from the football as a useful aside. The billing on this occasion featured three bands, although we'd only stay for two, with the objects of our interest filling the second slot of the evening. One corner of Leicester is about to be given a lesson in rock and roll, whether they like it or not.
Beginning proceedings are SPEEDER, a quartet from Newcastle, who open things up with a short set of prog-tinged thrash. It's heavily indebted to the work of Megadeth and early Metallica, with big expansive riffs that almost feel like they belong on Ride the Lightning. They're not afraid to show off their doomier credentials either, slipping in a well-executed cover of Ozzy's classic Mr. Crowley to an appreciative showing from the crowd. Much of their work focuses on longer, heavier sections with prolonged breakdowns, allowing them to display their technicality, alongside urgent, stabbing vocals. Clattering, thunderously loud drums and buzzsaw riffing get the crowd in the mood for what's to come. Before too long, they screech to a halt to a smattering of applause. They've done a good job and, despite their short run time, the journey down from the north-east has definitely been worth it.
Bristol-based five-piece TYPAN have been plugging away for a while now, with three albums under their belts and numerous lineup changes since their formation. This current incarnation certainly seems best placed to drive them on to further success. Original members Kenny Guppy (vocals) and Matt Smithers (drums and admin) have added further technical prowess up-front, beefed up the rhythm section and, as a result, significantly added to the amount of hair on stage at any one time. Their sound is very much steeped in NWOBHM and old school rock and roll, with the energy, charisma and, most importantly, the songs to live up to their various influences. And what influences they are. Maiden-coded opener Keeper of the Gate kicks things off with aplomb, rampaging closer Midnight Man channels the speed and heft of Saxon, whilst Chariot of the Gods boasts the sort of power metal chorus you'd expect from Manowar and opens with a monstrous guitar riff that would make Muse fans weak at the knees. It's a rollicking good time from start to finish but, beside all the fun and games, Typan aren't afraid to get political. Demagogue shakes an angry fist at tyranny and division and Harp from Hell comes complete with a gang-vocal style, bile-flecked chorus that hints at barely repressed rage regarding the state of, well, everything. They're also not frightened of showing off their proggier chops. Mid-paced stomper Strike Back has several changes of tempo that hint at more grandiose possibilities.
Power and fury aside, there is time and space for emotional weight. Not to be outdone by their predecessors on this stage, a really rather good cover of Bark at the Moon gives way to Blade in the Dark, written on the same evening that the Prince of Darkness himself shuffled from this mortal realm. There's a deeply personal touch too. Fight for your Life, was written by, and is dedicated to, former guitarist Adam, who tragically died in 2025. Its inclusion in the setlist carries an extra poignancy and is a really nice touch that the band should be commended for. Throughout the set, the songs explore a gamut of emotions. But it's all very well having the songs if you don't have the ambition and ability to pull them off. Thankfully, Typan have both, in absolute bucketloads. Lead guitarist Joe 'Showstopping' Topping is a real force to be reckoned with, peeling off one blistering solo after another and then spending his down time pointing his guitar into the crowd like an AK47 with a hair trigger. Behind him, Matt covers his drum kit like a mechanised spider, propelling everything along like a heartbeat, whilst carrying a face that simultaneously radiates calm and looks a bit like he can't be sure whether he locked the front door on his way to the show. The rhythm section are locked in seamlessly. Guitarist Dan's riffs and licks are underpinned by Steve Mercy's rumbling basslines. In and amongst all of that, frontman Kenny is never still, making the most of every inch of the, admittedly small, stage space afforded to him. Vocally, it's a stellar performance too, with an impressive range. His low notes are reminiscent of Messrs Halford and Dickinson, whilst his higher register lands well in the vicinity of Robert Plant and Rush's Geddy Lee. The heft and passion behind the lyrics is conveyed with a real heartfelt enthusiasm. And the same is true throughout the band. They're clearly having the time of their lives. This is by no means the biggest venue, or the largest crowd, that they have played, or will play to but they're clearly enjoying sharing the fruits of their labour with a select few on a balmy night in the East Midlands. By the time their 40 minute stint is over, they've absolutely garnered more than a few new fans from amongst the watching throng. Typan have been doing this for a long time and deserve to be much, much bigger. Gigs like this are the perfect opportunity for bands to shine and do what they do best, as well as supporting grassroots music venues and giving potential new fans the chance to find their new favourite band. Big riffs, cracking songs and genuinely strong performances, alongside the fact that they happen to be a belting bunch of lads, should be more than enough to see Typan filling much bigger rooms than this and, much like the snake for which they are named, getting their teeth right in. Catch them whenever you can. I promise you that you won't regret it. If nothing else, make the effort to see your mates bands, and support them in any way that you see fit. They'll appreciate it and so will you.
Typan Setlist
Keeper of the Gate
Demagogue
Harp From Hell
Strike Back
Bark at the Moon (Ozzy Osbourne cover)
Blade in the Dark
Fight For Your Life
Chariot of the Gods
Midnight Man
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