Puscifer - A Surreal Collision of Dark Theatre, Musical Brilliance and Beautiful Absurdity At Manchester Academy
Manchester Academy, - 8th November 2026
WORDS AND IMAGES TONI SLATER
Atmospheric Heavyweights pack a punch in Manchester
Some gigs are about the music. Others are about the experience. And then there's Puscifer, who seem determined to exist somewhere entirely outside the boundaries of a conventional live show. Manchester Academy played host to an evening of wonderfully strange entertainment on Sunday night, with comedian Dave Hill setting the tone before Maynard James Keenan and company took to the stage. It was an unusual pairing, but somehow entirely appropriate.
Opening duties fell to Dave Hill, whose support set brought plenty of offbeat humour and eccentricity to the evening. His delivery was unconventional, occasionally bizarre and certainly not your typical warm-up act. Rather than simply filling time before the main event, Hill provided an entertaining introduction to a night that was never going to be entirely predictable. His wonderfully peculiar approach proved a fitting appetiser for what was to follow.
I have been a fan of Maynard James Keenan and his various musical projects and his collaboration with the stunningly talented Carina Round is high up on my list of anticipated gigs of the year.
It is hard to describe Puscifer…..quirky, intriguing, dark and dramatic, they are one of MJK’s most experimental and playful of his musical projects.
There is a strict “no phone policy” this is drummed in to the crowd with a series of announcements before the main act take to the stage. This is something Keenan enforces in all his concerts; however the crowd is often invited to film the last song to experience the song in a different way.
From the opening notes of 'Thrust', it was clear this wasn't going to be a straightforward rock concert. Puscifer have always occupied their own musical territory, blending alternative rock, industrial soundscapes, electronic experimentation and theatrical performance. Live, that combination becomes even more compelling.
Maynard James Keenan remains an intriguing frontman. Never one to play the conventional rock-star role, he brings an understated, almost mysterious presence to the stage. Alongside him, Carina Round is a mesmerising performer whose commanding vocals provide an essential counterpoint to the band's distinctive sound.
The chemistry between the two is central to Puscifer's live appeal. Their contrasting vocal styles weave around each other, shifting effortlessly between haunting, atmospheric passages and aggressive, driving peaks. It's a partnership that gives the music much of its depth and character.
The set moved fluidly between newer material, including 'Self Evident', 'Bad Wolf' and 'The Algorithm', and established favourites such as 'The Remedy', 'Bullet Train to Iowa' and 'The Humbling River'.
While the heavier tracks delivered plenty of impact, it was the band's mastery of atmosphere that really made the performance stand out. Puscifer understand the value of tension, space and timing. Not every song needs to be a wall of sound, and some of the evening's most compelling moments came when they allowed the music to breathe.
The visual presentation added another dimension, making the performance feel as much like a piece of surrealist theatre as a traditional gig. Crucially, an unmistakable sense of humour runs through everything Puscifer do. That self-aware, absurd edge prevents the spectacle from ever becoming too serious or self-indulgent. The stage is split into two platforms which the vocalists and musicians move between to create different viewpoints, symmetry and a visual feast.
There is something refreshing about a band that can move between dark, brooding musical passages and moments of outright absurdity without ever losing its identity. Puscifer manage to make the bizarre feel entirely natural.
The closing moments brought one last unexpected twist as Dave Hill returned to the stage to deliver a guitar solo during 'A Public Stoning'. It was a wonderfully unexpected crossover between support act and headline band, and a fittingly ridiculous climax to an evening that had consistently defied expectations.
What makes Puscifer so rewarding to watch live is their complete refusal to conform. There is no obvious attempt to chase trends, deliver predictable crowd-pleasers or simply reproduce a studio album on stage. They operate entirely on their own terms, combining musical precision with theatrical eccentricity and a healthy disregard for convention.
It wasn't your typical Sunday night in Manchester. It was strange, occasionally unsettling, frequently funny and musically fascinating.
Puscifer don't just put on a show; they create an experience that is entirely their own. And in a world of increasingly predictable live performances, that's something worth celebrating.
Puscifer Setlist
Thrust
Self Evident
Bad Wolf
Normal Isn't
Algorithm
Quiet Parts
Pendulum
Horizons
Mantastic
Bullet Train to Iowa
The Remedy
The Humbling River
Impetous
Momma Sed
Seven One
Grand Canyon
Conditions of my Parole
A Public Stoning
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