Fu Manchu & Year Of The Cobra Live 9/14/25
Live at The Sinclair in Cambridge, Massachusetts USA *September 14th 2025*
The last time I saw Fu Manchu live was almost exactly a year ago on September 15, 2024. They opened for Clutch and Rival Sons at the Hampton Beach Casino in New Hampshire (read the show review here). Although it was a great show, it was not a true representation of what the band is all about live. Fu Manchu are legends in the heavy underground music world and have inspired countless bands that are playing heavy stoner/ desert rock today. I witnessed the band live for the first time exactly 23 years ago with Scissorfight, at Chantilly’s in Manchester, New Hampshire. It was an amazing experience! I remember my ears were ringing for days after that show and the energy was unbelievable too. Fu Manchu are definitely a headlining act and I was excited when I saw Year Of The Cobra as the supporting band on this bill.
YEAR OF THE COBRA
Year Of The Cobra are a two-piece, husband and wife duo, from Seattle, Washington. Consisting of Amy Tung Barrysmith on bass guitar and vocals and Jon Barrysmith on drums, the band are unbelievably heavy, despite only being two members. Formed in 2015, Year Of The Cobra have released 2016’s …In The Shadows Below, 2017’s Burn The Dead EP, 2019’s Ash And Dust, and their latest third record, 2025’s Self Titled album (review here). I really love their latest album and was wondering how the band would sound live, compared to the full sound they achieve on their recordings. I am not too familiar with their past catalog yet, but I am a huge fan of their latest. We arrive at the Sinclair around 7:30 and went to the merch booth where Amy was there selling their stuff. I introduced myself to her and told her that I was a fan of their music. She was very cool and appreciative and I was grateful to meet her. I bought a t-shirt and got some stickers and we proceeded to make our way to the front of the stage. At promptly 8:00pm, Year Of The Cobra took the stage.
They opened their set with the first two tracks off their latest Self Titled record, “Full Sails” and right into “War Drop”. It was incredible on how massive they sounded! They also played “The Darkness”, “Alone”, and “Daemonium”, if I’m not mistaken, all from the 2025 Self Titled. I wasn’t familiar with the other songs but everything sounded great. Amy had two full Ampeg bass cabs and a pretty elaborate pedal board that she was using. Her black Rickenbacker bass sounded great and she is an amazing talent. I remember on one of the songs, she was using a pick and her fingers at the same time. I was amazed on how she was able to play her bass, either with corded strumming or just using her fingers. The sound was quite deafening and I needed my earplugs in the whole time. Jon was an animal on the drums! He kept everything as tight as possible and complemented Amy’s playing perfectly. Together, they kick a lot of ass and put on a great performance. Her vocals sounded really good too and overall, I was very impressed with their set.
https://yearofthecobra.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/share/14JAnuhRebE/?mibextid=wwXIfr
FU MANCHU
Fu Manchu came out right around 9:00pm and blew the roof off! They were phenomenal and didn’t disappoint one bit. Consisting of Scott Hill on vocals and guitar, Brad Davis on bass and backing vocals, Bob Balch on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Scott Reeder on drums and backing vocals, the band was absolutely on point with their set and performance. Being thirteen plus albums into their career, the band played a great mix of songs from most of their catalog. When the crashing noise and feedback subsided, they cranked out “Eatin’ Dust”as the opening song and the place went wild from that point on. “Evil Eye” from 1997’s The Action Is Go, was the second track played and the energy was insane. “Loch Ness Wrecking Machine” from last year’s 2024’s The Return Of Tomorrow (review here) was next, and it was awesome! “Hell On Wheels” from 1999’s King Of The Road proceeded, along with “The Falcon Has Landed” from 1996’s In Search Of. The band really put on a clinic with how fantastic they were live. The one two punch of “California Crossing” and “Mongoose” was a great surprise to hear.
They played “Hands Of The Zodiac” and “Roads Of The Lowly” both off their latest, with “Laserbl’ast!” (from The Action Is Go) sandwiched in between. A big surprise to hear was “Superbird”, from their debut, 1994’s No One Rides For Free. “Clone Of The Universe”, “King Of The Road” and “Saturn III” rounded out the set, before the encore happened. The final two encore songs were “Weird Beard” and “Boogie Van”, both from the classic King Of The Road record. In total, Fu Manchu ripped through sixteen songs and converted my wife to becoming a fan.
I was very impressed with their set and we proceeded to get t-shirts after the show. The buzz I feel carries me through, days later. There is a reason why Fu Manchu are such a legendary and remarkable band, for over thirty years and counting. They rule! The band delivers an amazing performance and the crowd was all in on what they were doing. The good vibes and excitement from this show was incredible to feel and experience. I love this scene more and more from shows like this one! Fu Manchu are true pioneers and still bring the fire to their music. I am happy and grateful that I got to witness their greatness once again and I will always look forward to seeing them live.
