THE DEVIL’S ARSE MEETS OLD SCHOOL COOL - Stereo MC’s light up one of Britain’s most unique concert settings.
- Phil Thorns
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Peak Cavern, 23rd May 2026
WORDS AND IMAGES PHIL THORNS
There are music venues, and then there’s Peak Cavern, better known to generations of locals as the Devil’s Arse. Sitting beneath the looming remains of Peveril Castle, this vast natural cave carved into the limestone hills of the Peak District has long been one of the most atmospheric places in Britain to see live music. Damp stone walls, cold underground air, bats hidden high above in the darkness and a natural reverb no sound engineer on earth could recreate, it’s an experience before a note has even been played.
It’s not the first time I’ve photographed a gig here and hopefully it won’t be the last. Truthfully, being right on my doorstep in the beautiful Peak District, I never tire of it. Every time you make that walk into the cavern it still feels slightly surreal. Of all the venues I’ve worked in across the UK, this might genuinely be my favourite. There’s simply nowhere else quite like it.
Tonight’s visitors were Stereo MC's, pioneering British groove merchants whose sound instantly transports people back to the early 1990s. Formed in Nottingham before becoming closely associated with the London scene, the group was built around vocalists Rob Birch and Nick Hallam, alongside long-time collaborators Cath Coffey, Owen If and drummer Cesare during various eras of the band’s evolution.
Their breakthrough began with 1990 single ‘Elevate My Mind’, a track that blended hip-hop, funk, electronic beats and dancefloor energy into something distinctly British yet impossible to pigeonhole. But it was 1992’s Connected that changed everything. Released on Island Records and produced by Stereo MC’s alongside Nick Hallam, the album became a worldwide success, eventually winning two Brit Awards in 1994 for Best Group and Best Album. More than thirty years later, those songs still carry serious weight.
And what made tonight special was how naturally those grooves fitted the surroundings. The basslines bounced around the cavern walls while condensation dripped from the ceiling overhead. It felt raw, earthy and strangely intimate despite the size of the place.
From the opening moments, the crowd were completely invested. There were plenty of people reliving their youth, but equally a younger audience discovering these songs properly for the first time. That’s always the mark of music that lasts. I spoke to fans who had travelled from all over the country for this one, some making full weekends of it in Castleton purely because of the venue itself. More than one person told me they’d never seen anything remotely like The Devil’s Arse before. Even seasoned gig-goers seemed genuinely blown away by the setting, and combining that unique underground atmosphere with a band like Stereo MC’s made the whole night feel like a real event rather than just another stop on a tour.
As expected, ‘Connected’ produced one of the biggest reactions of the night. The second that unmistakable groove kicked in, the entire cave came alive. Arms in the air, people dancing wherever space allowed, huge singalongs echoing off the rock face. It remains an absolute monster of a tune and one of my favourites of all time.
‘Step It Up’ carried the same energy, all swagger and rhythm, while ‘Creation’ sounded massive underground, its hypnotic groove almost tailor-made for a venue like this. ‘Ground Level’ brought a slightly moodier edge, showing the depth of the band beyond the obvious hits.
Older fans were clearly delighted to hear ‘Elevate My Mind’, a reminder of just how innovative the band sounded when they first emerged at the turn of the decade. What struck me most throughout the evening was how effortlessly the band still deliver these songs. Rob Birch remains a charismatic frontman, prowling the stage with the same laid-back confidence that made the band stand out in the first place.
But an enormous part of the band’s identity still comes from Cath Coffey’s contribution. Her distinctive backing vocals remain woven deeply into Stereo MC’s groove-heavy, soulful sound, still shining through every bit as powerfully all these years later. It was genuinely lovely to watch her weaving her way around the stage, adding warmth, soul and texture to the performance with that unmistakable voice. At times her vocals almost floated around the cave itself, perfectly suited to the natural acoustics of the venue. She brings far more than backing vocals; she remains a huge part of what gives Stereo MC’s their character and emotional depth live.
There’s no forced nostalgia here. No desperate attempt to recreate the past. Just musicians completely comfortable in their own skin, playing songs that still connect with people decades later.
And in a venue like this, the atmosphere almost becomes part of the performance itself. The lights cutting through the cave mist, the low ceiling amplifying every beat, the occasional chill drifting through the audience from deeper underground, it all added to the feeling that this was far more than just another gig.
By the end of the night, hundreds of happy souls slowly wandered back down the winding path into Castleton, still buzzing from the music, continuing the evening in the village’s many welcoming pubs and hostelries. Laughter drifted through the streets beneath the dark outline of the castle above, while the sounds of ‘Connected’ probably continued looping around people’s heads long into the night.
Some gigs are memorable because of the artist. Others because of the venue.
Tonight had both. Stunning evening, catch the band or the venue, you won’t be disappointed.
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