My working week last week was bookended by two of the Endless Summer nights in the Hug and Pint, the latter featuring the darkly gothic shoegaze of Dusk Amadeus, the utter joy that is the experience of a Brenda show, and the first headline show for the angry riot grrrl punks, Brat Coven.
Dusk Amadeus
Events were conspiring to have me miss this gig, having firstly to turn for home realising I’d forgotten my wallet, then eventually getting to the station to discover my train was cancelled. Thankfully though, although I missed the start of Dusk Amadeus set, i did catch the second half. Apologies to the band, this was my first exposure to their music so I don’t know song titles, but there was plenty of cowbell action on the song they were playing when I arrived. What followed was an immense, and intense, set of darkwave/goth tinged shoegaze songs that hinted at influences from Disintegration era Cure, through to the heavy noise soaked end of My Bloody Valentine’s back catalogue. The cowbell was popular too, when the opportunity for a encore arose, there was a baying for “the other cowbell song”, which was duly played, and whether it had cowbells or not, it was an absolute head melter of a song.
Brenda
There is a huge buzz around Brenda just now, currently the band are recording their debut album due out next year, and I for one will be pre-ordering as soon as humanly possible. Brenda is a band like no other I’ve seen before, the trio mixing their hard to pigeonhole offbeat leftfield synth driven pop with a self deprecating wit and between song banter that just has the audience eating out of the palm of their hands. It is impossible not to fall in love with this band, such is the draw of the music, the warmth and almost a sense of vulnerability displayed by the band. Which is certainly not the case with somgs like Sleaze Dad. But tjongs like retuning the self described ”cheap” analogue synth, losing power to said synth, and dealing with a varying level of in ear monitor sound, everything was taken in their stride, and the aforementioned use of dark self deprecating humour added to the whole atmosphere of their set, which ranged from what was like Sleaford Mods on downers, to songs including joyous surf guitar influenced riffs and addictively upbeat synth rhythms.
Go and see this band. I demand it.
Brat Coven
Brat Coven first came to my attention with their three track EP featuring Not Ur Girl, 97 and Ugly, the follow up to their debut single White Noise. All four songs were played with a barbarous urgency tonight in what was an incendiary and enthralling set. Searing guitars, thunderous bass and the drums kicking up a storm at the back, this was a perfect foil for venomous vocals spat out with an unfettered rage. I was utterly bewitched by the accomplished set from this young Riot Grrrl band with such a feisty attitude, and an important message to portray. Especially in one of my favourite of their songs, 97, about smashing the patriarchy, and reclaiming the streets. As a parent of teenage girls, I don’t want to be the parent who tells my daughters they should cover up, be careful, not go out late on their own… I want parents of young boys to teach them respect and equality, to understand it is mens behaviour that needs to change, it is not a woman’s responsibility to change their behaviour to ensure they feel safe. Basically guys, don’t grow up to be an dick.
Brat Coven tonight absolutely smashed it. If I didn’t already know it, there is no way you’d have realised this was a debut headlining gig such was the slick performance.
One final word, and that is a massive shout out to the Hug and Pint for putting on these gigs. Between the two Endless Summer gigs I’ve attended, the number of non-male musicians far outnumbered the blokes. Proof, which I didn’t need, that DF and the like don’t need to keep putting on festivals that heavily lean on the testosterone fulled lad bands. There is life away from the godawful Gallaghers and the cringeworthy Kasabians of this world.