Puscifer played Manchester Academy on Sunday 8 November 2026, one night after their London show at British Airways ARC. It was the second date of a short UK run, and both concerts belonged to the European leg of The Normal Isn’t Tour, which supports the band’s latest album, Normal Isn’t, released in February 2026. The American comedian and musician Dave Hill appeared as the special guest. The line-up promised comedy, experimental alternative music and elaborate visual presentation, and the evening kept that promise.
Dave Hill opened the night and set the tone at once. His performance joined comedy with live guitar, and his ridiculous outfit announced the character of the show. The lyrics were deliberately absurd and mixed with sharp observations, and many of the jokes were aimed at the Manchester audience.
A song about coughing was one of the highlights. His Manchester-themed number was another, with random references to local districts and bus routes and little concern for geographical accuracy. The crowd responded especially well to one more song, which needed very little explanation to reach its intended effect.
Behind the comedy stood a capable musician. His guitar work was excellent, with some impressive playing and a particularly good solo, and he used effects extensively to give the arrangements variety. The rhythm section supported him solidly, and the exchanges between the bass and the drums were entertaining. Hill spoke to the audience in a natural way, and his remarks about Manchester kept the crowd involved. Near the end a bicycle became part of the act. Hill climbed onto it and rode off the stage, a fitting and ridiculous finish.
Puscifer offered a completely different experience. Maynard James Keenan leads the project alongside Mat Mitchell and Carina Round. Keenan is best known as the vocalist of Tool and A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer gives him room for a wider range of musical ideas.
The album Normal Isn’t formed the base of this tour, which brought the band to London, Manchester and Glasgow. The record continues their interest in experimental alternative rock. Electronic and industrial influences appear alongside darker arrangements and unconventional structures.
The first notes of ‘Thrust’ made clear that this would be an unusual concert. The set included ‘Normal Isn’t’ and ‘The Algorithm’ from the new album, and ‘Pendulum’ followed. These fitted naturally beside older favourites such as ‘The Remedy’ and ‘Momma Sed’, and ‘The Humbling River’ belonged to that group too. The band moved between musical moods, textures and rhythms, and the set kept a shape of its own.
The stage arrangement drew attention early. Puscifer placed the instrumentalists across the front of the stage, while Keenan and Round performed from an elevated platform behind them. The layout resembled a theatre, with the musicians in the pit and the singers on the stage above, and it kept the musicians central to the performance.
Maynard James Keenan and Carina Round sang. Mat Mitchell played guitar and Josh Moreau played bass. Gunnar Olsen was on drums. Electronics and synthesizers played an important part, and the sound was dense and carefully controlled.
The visual presentation was as unusual as the music. Both singers wore distinctive costumes and striking make-up, which gave them an almost theatrical appearance. Round was especially impressive in a beautiful, elegant gown that contrasted with the darker elements of the production, and together with her careful make-up it made her an important visual focus. Keenan also had a distinctive look, with a costume and make-up that added to the identity of the show.
The singers often exchanged lines and built harmonies, and their voices answered each other like two speakers in one conversation. They shared the performance evenly. Round’s expressive delivery matched Keenan’s more restrained and recognisable style.
Strong lighting and powerful strobes were part of the show. Extensive multimedia sequences accompanied the music, and the images moved with it in the same way that a film score follows a film. Mobile phones and recording were prohibited throughout the performance, and photographs and recordings were allowed only during the final song. It was a refreshing approach at a time when many concerts are seen through hundreds of phone screens, and it kept the attention of the audience on the stage.
Puscifer was difficult to categorise. Alternative rock gave a starting point, and electronic music mattered just as much. Broken rhythms and unexpected changes were central to the show, and some passages were almost hypnotic while others had a distinctly psychedelic character. The synthesizers were essential to the identity of the band.
Older songs such as ‘The Remedy’ and ‘Momma Sed’ gave established fans familiar points of reference, while the newer material showed the direction of the album. ‘Grand Canyon’ offered another look at the band’s approach to atmosphere, and the closing ‘Public Stoning’ brought the performance to its end.
Manchester Academy was full, although the music was experimental. The crowd looked different from a conventional metal audience, with plenty of Puscifer shirts and some Tool merchandise, and the atmosphere suggested people with varied musical interests. Keenan remained an intriguing frontman. His delivery was controlled and distinctive, and he moved easily between restrained and more forceful moments. His work with Round was one of the strongest parts of the show.
Puscifer brought an unusual audiovisual production to Manchester for the second stop of their British tour, and the full hall received a performance that tested the usual expectations of a rock show. Dave Hill gave an entertaining and funny opening, and Puscifer delivered something more ambitious. For fans of Tool or A Perfect Circle, the show offered a different view of Keenan’s musical interests. It was a demanding concert and certainly an interesting one, and for many in the room it was an evening that makes live music worth exploring.
