Rock City has long been home to some of the most legendary acts in music history — from Green Day to Nirvana — and countless artists have spoken fondly about their experiences playing its iconic stage. As November opened, it was time for another powerhouse to join that legacy: As December Falls...
As December Falls brought along an impressive lineup of support acts on their tour, kicking things off with The Hara — a powerhouse trio from Manchester made up of Josh Taylor (vocals), Zack Breen (guitar), and Jack Kennedy (drums). From the moment they hit the stage, The Hara delivered pure energy, firing up the crowd with tracks such as Trophy, which had the mosh pit swirling within minutes.
No strangers to sharing the stage with big names, having previously supported bands like Sum 41, The Hara proved exactly why they’re one to watch. In true Halloween-weekend spirit, they even brought out someone in a panda costume, adding a fun, chaotic twist to their set.
The highlight came when Josh split the crowd down the middle, sprinted into the pit, and joined the chaos while still singing — a move that sent the crowd into overdrive. As support acts go, The Hara didn’t just warm up the audience, they owned the stage and left a lasting impression.
The next support act, RedHook, brought chaos, colour, and pure entertainment to the stage. The Australian quartet (Emmy Mack (vocals), Craig Wilkinson (guitar), Alex Powys (drums), and Ned Jankovic (bass)) kept the crowd on their toes with surprise after surprise, from dramatic costume changes to a bubble machine during their hit Hot Tub.
Frontwoman Emmy Mack commanded the stage with electric energy. Her theatrical costume changes perfectly matched each song’s mood; at one point she stormed out in a straitjacket, moving like a zombie, fully embracing the Halloween spirit. Later, she reappeared covered in fake blood, with it dripping from her mouth and splattered across her dress. A bold visual that had the crowd roaring.
RedHook closed their set with the fan favourite Bad Decisions, showering the crowd with beach balls and good vibes. But what stood out most was their heart: when a fan got hurt in the mosh pit, Emmy immediately paused the show to make sure they were okay before carrying on. It’s moments like that — the balance of chaos and care — that made RedHook’s set memorable.
Hailing from Nottingham, headliners As December Falls took to one of their city’s most beloved venues for a night that was nothing short of unforgettable, both for the crowd and for the band themselves. As December Falls revealed that choosing Rock City was a deeply personal decision; it’s a venue they’ve cherished since their teenage years. So when it came to capturing a milestone moment, there was no better place to record their first-ever live DVD and album than on their home turf.
Opening with their hit Go Away, the band wasted no time in making a statement. In the kind of spectacle most bands save for their finale, confetti cannons erupted across the venue. From that moment, it was clear this wasn’t going to be an ordinary gig.
Guitarist Ande Hunter took a moment during the set to thank the fans for turning the night into something unforgettable. Not much more than a year earlier, in 2023, the band had played Nottingham’s smaller Rescue Rooms, and back then, performing on Rock City’s legendary stage had felt like a distant dream. Now, with the venue completely sold out and the crowd buzzing with energy, that dream had become reality.
Ande also gave the audience a glimpse behind the scenes, proudly sharing that As December Falls is entirely self-managed — no label, no management team, just four dedicated members: Bethany on vocals, Ande on guitar, Kieran on drums, and Timmy on bass. Every tour, release, and show is organised by the band themselves — a revelation that earned cheers from the crowd and deepened the appreciation for just how much heart goes into what they do.
Glow sticks were tossed into the crowd, and sparklers lit up the stage during several songs, creating a dazzling atmosphere that pulled the audience right into the experience. The band made it clear they wanted their fans to be part of the show, not just spectators.
Halfway through the set, Bethany was joined by a surprise guest — a mysterious figure wearing a skull mask — who took to the stage to perform a choreographed dance with her. The unexpected moment added a fun, theatrical twist to the night and perfectly matched the gig’s Halloween-weekend vibe.
At one point, Ande took a moment to soak it all in, telling the crowd, “If we don’t play another show again, we’d be happy knowing we played Rock City. This is amazing — you’re all amazing. I just can’t believe how good this show is. We grew up here, we know how incredible you all are.”
He went on to share a story from the band’s early days, when they didn’t even have enough original songs to fill a set, and to make up the numbers, they’d throw in a few covers. That led to Timmy on bass stepping up to sing for the first time alongside Ande for a rendition of Blink-182’s I Miss You.
As they launched into the cover, Ande jokingly asked the crowd whether Timmy should keep singing for the rest of the tour, prompting a loud, unified chant of “Timmy! Timmy!” that filled the venue and showed just how much the fans were loving every moment.
One of the night’s standout moments came when Emmy Mack, the powerhouse vocalist of RedHook, made a surprise return to the stage to join Bethany Hunter for a duet. The chemistry between the two was electric: two dynamic frontwomen feeding off each other’s energy and sending the crowd into a frenzy. By this point, the venue was a whirlwind of crowd surfers and cheers, and the band made sure to give a heartfelt shout-out to the Rock City security team for keeping everyone safe while the chaos unfolded.
Between songs, the band kept things personal and lighthearted. Bethany and Timmy shared a story about how they used eto live together in a tiny apartment “no bigger than the Rock City stage”, a joke that earned plenty of laughs from the crowd. It was a nostalgic reminder of how far they’ve come, from cramped beginnings to headlining one of Nottingham’s most iconic venues and selling it out completely.
As the night drew to a close, the band teased the end of the show with a playful twist. Normally, Ande explained, they’d leave the stage and wait for the inevitable chant of “One more song!” before running back out for a final encore. But this time, he grinned, they decided to “save time” by making that speech part of the plan... meaning they could squeeze in two final songs instead of one. The crowd erupted in approval, and as confetti rained down one last time, it was clear this wasn’t just another gig for As December Falls. It was a milestone celebration of everything they’ve built together.
As December Falls aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Their tour continues well into the new year, carrying their high-energy shows across the country as they head into 2026. If you’d like to dive deeper into their story, check out our recent interview with the band, where they talk about their latest album and what it means to headline Rock City.
As December Falls performed at Rock City on 1st November 2025.
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