Curtis Allen

Friday was one of those long, layered days—the kind that wraps work, grief, music, and friendship into one emotional journey.

I was up at 6:30am, loading up for a day with Wonderdome, delivering our portable planetarium show to a school in Kidderminster all day. Watching kids get wide-eyed at the universe never gets old, even if I am powered mostly by caffeine by the end of those sessions.

Straight after, I headed to Highbury Hall for Leila Antony’s funeral and wake. I’d known Leila in that way many of us know each other on the scene—a warm, familiar face for 15 years, always part of the same beautiful chaos. I was lucky enough to cross paths with her, even if not deeply, but always known her as a pillar of the local rock scene from her days in the band Gundogs, and her various musical projects since then.

There were performances by members of her old bands, including a beautiful moment where Cheryl —a close friend of Leila’s and organiser of a few benefit gigs for Leila and her family—took the mic to perform in her place. Around the room were so many familiar faces—some I hadn’t seen for years—and a genuine outpouring of love, memory, and sound.

After that, I drove home for just long enough to swap the planetarium kit for my decks—and then off to Subside to DJ through the night.

Subside Friday – Setlist & Vibe

It was a solid night—great people, good energy, and one of those nights that lets the music do the lifting. I needed that.

Here’s the full setlist:

One Too Many – New Medicine
Capital G – Nine Inch Nails
Ecstasy – kik:
You Spin Me Round – Dope
C’mon C’mon – The Von Bondies
Lit Up – Buckcherry
Rock & Roll Queen – The Subways
Slither – Metallica
Do You Call My Name – RA
Hell Yeah – Rev Theory
Turns Me On – Cilver
City of Angels – The Distillers
Celebrity Skin – Hole
Not the One – The Offspring
Trapped Under Ice – Metallica
The Nameless – Slipknot
New Millennium Cyanide Christ – Meshuggah
SLAUGHTER THE MARTYR – Machine Head
Hail to the King – Avenged Sevenfold
I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Dropkick Murphys
She – Green Day
BETTER HELL – Bilmuri
Curse Me with Your Kiss – Holding Absence
DESTROYA – My Chemical Romance
Underdog – You Me At Six
Dear Maria, Count Me In – All Time Low
Just the Way You Are – Pierce the Veil
Scars – Papa Roach
Happy? – Mudvayne
My Curse – Killswitch Engage
Duality – Slipknot
Tentative – System Of A Down
Becoming the Dragon – Trivium
Supercharged – Ayron Jones
My Michelle – Guns N’ Roses
Very Ape – Nirvana
Would? – Alice in Chains
The Fixer – Pearl Jam
Somebody Told Me – The Killers
She Moves In Her Own Way – The Kooks
Take Her Back – The Pigeon Detectives
Cigarettes & Alcohol – Oasis
Get It On – T. Rex
Jailbreak – Thin Lizzy
Numb – Linkin Park
You’ve Seen The Butcher – Deftones
The Emperor – YUNGBLUD
Don’t Stop – Nothing More
Throne – Bring Me the Horizon
Sertraline – Artio
Fukstar – WARGASM
Bow Down – I Prevail
In Between – Beartooth
Gumshield – Don Broco
Get Your Brits Out – Kneecap
Choose Your Fighter – Nova Twins
Y’all Want A Single – Korn
First It Giveth – Queens of the Stone Age
Tear You Apart – She Wants Revenge
Jesus of Suburbia – Green Day
The Future Freaks Me Out – Motion City Soundtrack
Stacy’s Mom – Fountains of Wayne
Buddy Holly – Weezer
Rollercoaster – Bleachers
Everything’s Magic – Angels & Airwaves
A Favor House Atlantic – Coheed and Cambria
Rollin’ – Limp Bizkit
Halo – Soil
BLADED – VUKOVI
AUSLÄNDER – Rammstein
I WANNA BE YOUR SLAVE – Måneskin
Toxic – A Static Lullaby
Plug In Baby – Muse
The Bartender and the Thief – Stereophonics
Two Princes – Spin Doctors
Torn – Natalie Imbruglia
One Week – Barenaked Ladies
How You Remind Me – Nickelback
Porn Star Dancing – My Darkest Days
Deal With The Devil – Pop Evil
Blind Man – Black Stone Cherry
Bad Company – Five Finger Death Punch
Only For The Weak – In Flames
Dragula – Rob Zombie
The Fight Song – Marilyn Manson
Burn It Down – Linkin Park
King For A Day – Pierce The Veil
Famous Last Words – My Chemical Romance
Equip Sunglasses – Hot Mulligan
Stabs – Moray Pringle
Ain’t It Fun – Paramore
I Miss You – Blink 182
Popular Monster – Falling In Reverse
Enemy – Imagine Dragons
Paint The Town Blue – Ashnikko
Tell Me That I Can’t – NEFFEX
The Pretender – Infected Mushroom
Smack My Bitch Up – The Prodigy
The Island Pt. I – Pendulum
Get Up – Skrillex & Korn
Crawling – Linkin Park
Nothing – A
Holiday – Green Day
So What? – Metallica
Last Caress – Misfits
Hot Dog – Limp Bizkit
Spitfire – Prodigy
Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
The Bad Touch – Bloodhound Gang
Closer – Veronica Swift
Brickhouse 2000 – Rob Zombie
Break Stuff – Limp Bizkit
The End of Heartache – Killswitch Engage
Bring Me to Life – Evanescence
The Emptiness Machine – Linkin Park
Big Bang Theory Theme – Barenaked Ladies
High School Never Ends – Bowling For Soup
Fallen Leaves – Billy Talent
Toxicity – System of a Down
18+ – Scene Queen
Metalingus – Alter Bridge
I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – Arctic Monkeys
Just Lose It – Eminem
Yeah! – Usher ft. Ludacris & Lil Jon
Nobody – Skindred
Chop Suey – System of a Down
Just a Girl – No Doubt
Valerie – The Zutons
Mardy Bum – Arctic Monkeys
Stuck in the Middle with You – Stealer’s Wheel
Feeling Good – Muse
Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
Song 2 – Blur
Can’t Stop – Red Hot Chili Peppers
Beat It – Fall Out Boy ft. John Mayer
My Last Serenade – Killswitch Engage
All The Things She Said – Poppy
All My Life – Foo Fighters
Walk This Way – Aerosmith & Run DMC
You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
I Wish – Stevie Wonder
Men In Black – Will Smith
Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine
The Feel Good Drag – Anberlin
Too Close – Alex Clare
Sweet Dreams – Eurythmics
Black Velvet – Alannah Myles

Reflecting on the Day

From a school hall in Kidderminster, to a wake at Highbury Hall, to a crowded booth at Subside, Friday was a reminder of how music finds its place in every corner of our lives.

Even the unremarkable nights can feel full of meaning, when you see the connections underneath.

By the time I finally made it to bed, I’d been awake for over 25 hours—absolutely wrecked, but strangely wired too. That kind of exhaustion only hits when you’ve crammed a lifetime of moments into a single day.

Remember – if you want me to soundtrack your event with some good old rock music, hit me up.