CREEPER BRING THE ‘OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!’ TOUR TO THE UK with Calva Louise + Starbenders THIS OCTOBER
October is already the natural habitat of Creeper, and this year the Southampton goth-rock storytellers will make it even darker with four UK headline shows accompanied by Calva Louise and firm The Riff favourites Starbenders.
Formed in Southampton in 2014, Creeper have spent more than a decade turning punk rock into something increasingly ambitious, theatrical and gloriously macabre. Every new chapter has arrived with its own characters, mythology and visual identity, taking the band from the horror-punk urgency of their early material into a world shaped by glam rock, gothic excess, heavy metal and full-scale rock opera.
Their latest album, Sanguivore II: Mistress Of Death, was released through Spinefarm Records on Halloween 2025. A direct sequel to 2023’s acclaimed Sanguivore, the record pushes the band further into their vampiric universe, mixing colossal melodies, duelling guitars and unmistakable 1980s gothic grandeur. It is precisely the kind of material built to grow fangs on stage — and the appropriately titled Off With Their Heads! ! Tour should give it the suitably dramatic setting it deserves.
Joining them will be Calva Louise, one of the most unpredictable and visually inventive bands currently emerging from the UK alternative scene. Formed in 2016, the trio brings together Venezuelan vocalist and guitarist Jess Allanic, French bassist Alizon Taho and New Zealand-born drummer Ben Parker.
That multicultural background runs throughout their music. What began with the more indie and alternative-rock foundations of 2019 debut Rhinoceros has gradually mutated into a restless collision of metalcore, electronics, punk and Latin rhythms. Their latest album, Edge Of The Abyss, arrived through Mascot Records in July 2025, combining bilingual lyrics and sci-fi storytelling with songs capable of jumping from a bright melodic hook into a crushing metallic breakdown without asking permission first. Their elaborate visual universe is largely created by Allanic herself, making Calva Louise a band whose ambition extends far beyond the music alone.
Completing the bill are Atlanta’s Starbenders — a band that should already require little introduction for regular readers of The Riff. We have followed them closely through album reviews and from the front row, and every encounter has reinforced the same conclusion: Starbenders are not merely reviving glam rock’s glitter, swagger and danger; they are bending those ingredients into something unmistakably their own.
Led by the magnetic Kimi Shelter, the band combine towering classic-rock hooks with glam, punk, gothic romance and the occasional shimmer of synth-driven nostalgia. Their live shows add another dimension entirely, with Shelter’s commanding presence at the centre of a band that looks, sounds and moves as though rock ’n’ roll might still be a beautifully dangerous occupation.
Their latest album, The Beast Goes On, was released through Sumerian Records on 27 February 2026. Introducing drummer Qi Wei on her first full-length recording with the group, the album moves between raw guitars, moody alternative pop and widescreen, highly infectious choruses. Songs such as the title track, Nothing Ever Changes and Summon My Heart demonstrate a band continuing to evolve without sacrificing the decadent spirit that made us fall for them in the first place.
Creeper may be leading the procession, but with the genre-smashing intensity of Calva Louise and Starbenders’ intoxicating glam-rock magic opening each night, this is one of those rare tours where arriving late simply is not an option.
The Off With Their Heads! UK Tour visits:
8 October — Tramshed, Cardiff
9 October — O2 Forum Kentish Town, London
10 October — Manchester Academy, Manchester
11 October — SWG3 Galvanizers, Glasgow
Tickets are available through Creeper’s official tour listings.
The Riff Collective
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