Massive Wagons | The Virginmarys | Harrison Rimmer
The Great Hall, Lancaster University
19th September 2025

Lancaster’s Massive Wagons play the ultimate homecoming gig at Lancaster University’s Great Hall, gracing the iconic venue for its first rock gig in 40 years.

Reviewers are sometimes fortunate enough to witness something very special, to be part of something that’s far more than a mere gig, and tonight’s one of those nights. In the pre-arena 1970s, if a band of any stature toured the UK they played Lancaster University Great Hall. Early years saw Pink Floyd, The Who, and Paul McCartney’s Wings among others. Later there would be Queen, Eric Clapton, The Clash, U2 and many, many, more. Beginning life as a student at the university, promoter Barry Lucas put on almost 500 gigs over 15 years.

The Hall’s also a place of blurry teenage memories (and beyond) for your reviewer. There are too many to recount but a few hold special memories: Traffic, Bad Company, a special St Patrick’s night gig by Van Morrison, and the seemingly perennial John Martyn.

Tonight, Massive Wagons are playing the first of two nights at the venue, celebrating its rebirth as a rock venue after four decades of mostly classic music, and recording a live album to mark the occasion.

Arriving early, I watch as crowds wander into the hall. The majority are in their late 30s and 40s, some with small children. Massive Wagons T shirts proliferate but there’s another generation present too. They’re silver and white haired, a few looking as though they haven’t seen a barber since watching Hawkwind here in 1972. Many arrivals pause, looking around, taking everything in, no doubt reminiscing and re-living memories from their distant youth. Perhaps astonished that they’re back here after so many years.

Tonight’s a celebration and Massive Wagons have brought along friends to support them. First up is singer songwriter Harrison Rimmer. Musically there’s a classic heartland Americana feel here, circa later years John Mellencamp but with a voice and infectious stage energy similar to Frank Turner. As crowds wander in, his enthusiasm and stage presence grabs attention. He’s got some impressive songs too, with I’m On Fire being a standout.

Sometimes less is more. I last saw The Virginmarys as a trio a decade ago and, to be honest they didn’t really impress. Now performing as a duo, with just guitar, vocals, and drums, they’re a better proposition. Their 40-minute set’s drawn mostly from current album, The House Beyond The Fires and, live, there’s a rawness and urgency here that impresses. Hopefully the recorded output hasn’t been diluted in a studio; definitely one to investigate.

Tonight’s about celebration and nostalgia in equal measure with a great vibe pervading the event. There are smiling faces everywhere. From the queues outside and into the hall itself, old friends are hugging, shaking hands and re-acquainting. I’ve never encountered so many smiley, happy security and bar staff at a gig. It’s as though everyone is drinking in the atmosphere, revelling in being part of something special. Between bands, the PA’s soundtrack takes us back to rock’s golden era. From Lynyrd Skynyrd and beyond, the playlist feels like a roll call of The Great Hall’s finest moments.

So, you’re a local rock band with a homecoming gig celebrating an iconic 1970s rock venue. How do you introduce yourselves? It may have become a TV producer’s and football ground cliche over the years, but Thin Lizzy’s The Boys Are Back In Town couldn’t be more perfect.

Massive Wagon‘s opening number, Back To The Stack, comes replete with choreographed heads down boogie. It owes a debt to early Status Quo and American Southern Rock; a pastiche for sure, but it all adds to the party. From here on we get some classic Massive Wagons. Big riffs, even bigger choruses, and some epic incisive guitar breaks.

Pressure ups the pace and energy levels as vocalist Baz Mills charges back and forth, urging us on. His mic stand flies wildly around him, a real danger to any photographers daring to get too close. Tokyo ushers in more melody before Missing On TV brings the first of many highs and the onset of singing. A.S.S.H.O.L.E. has a riff that Black Sabbath would be proud of, and who can resist singing a chorus of, “Hey you, yes you. You’re an Asshole.”

We all need to pause for breath and Please Stay Calm and Night Skies are classic mid-paced ballads. The latter also touches on social themes that imbue much of the band’s philosophy. Tonight’s gig features a slot for Andy’s Man’s Club supporting men’s mental health and promoting local meetings. The band also tour local schools spreading an anti bullying message, and at this point I need to confess to false reporting. Tonight’s gig isn’t actually the venue’s first rock gig for forty years: that took place this morning when Massive Wagons played to a packed hall of local primary school children.

A little later, and by a quirk of fate, I find myself on the balcony standing next to Barry Lucas, the guy who booked those iconic acts all those years ago. As Generation Prime segues into Bob Marley and The Wailers’ No Woman No Cry, he bursts into spontaneous applause, his passion clearly still undimmed. And in case you’re wondering, yes he booked them too: Lancaster was the first date on The Wailers, Catch A Fire tour in 1973.

As the gig rolls on there’s a feeling of travelling through musical time. Tonight’s opening tracks owe much to 1970s/1980s classic rock. Though no less enjoyable, tracks later in the set, like Fun While It Lasted and Bangin In Your Stereo, have a much more indie rock feel.

But Massive Wagon’s roots lie in rock and metal so it’s fitting that closing number, In It Together, brings us back to to the genre with raw rock n’ roll vocals and guitar-driven melodies.

Inevitably, they’re back for an encore. Nails hits like Metallica, while eventual closer, Fee, Fi, Fo, Fum is just great rock ‘n’ roll. As streamers envelop the crowd, the band, beaming with smiles as they’ve done all night, say their farewells.

It’s been a great gig but so much more too. Massive Wagons have delivered a performance more than worthy of the occasion, taking their place among the icons who graced this stage decades earlier. Hopefully the forthcoming live album will bear witness and do justice to what we’ve witnessed tonight.

As I wander into the night, I wonder, was this a last hurrah, a coda to all those glorious nights from decades past? Or a new beginning? It would be wonderful to see new music in The Great Hall but would it be a disappointing dilution of what’s gone before? In an age of arenas, Lancaster would surely struggle to attract performers to rival the stature of those who once flocked to play there.

I guess only time will tell.

Massive Wagons can be followed on Facebook | Instagram |and their website

The Virginmarys can be followed on Facebook | Instagram |and their website

Harrison Rimmer can be followed on his website

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Words and photos by Trev Eales. More work by Trev on Louder Than War can be found at his author’s profile.