Voodoo Daddy's Archives - Full Pelt Music

Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich

Thursday 15th February 2024

Follow us on Social Media

📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

NOAH AND THE LONERS – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

No matter where you look these days the world is a mess. The political landscape is bewildering, the news is horrifying, the economy is a disaster and communities are being divided for the benefit of those creating the mess in the first place.

It’s at times like these that communities need to stay resolute and, to steal from a popular post-punk band, use joy as an act of resistance. Punk has always led the way on this front and there are thankfully some great young bands out there building that sense of community back.

BROKEN PROMISES

It’s in venues like Voodoo Daddy’s in Norwich where this war is being waged, and that’s where we head tonight to witness the emerging force that is Noah and the Loners!

On first this evening are young sibling duo Broken Promises who embody the DIY punk ethos perfectly. Their career may be in the embryonic stages but their rough around the edges ruckus shows its own promise and gets a good response from the early attendees.

SETTLEMENTS

The main support slot is taken by local alt-rockers Settlements who represent a cleaner, more technical prospect compared to the rest of the bill. Their sound encompasses a number of influences but they give off real early-QOTSA vibes.

Yes, whilst they may appear and sound more straight-edge then our headliners, they still have an enchanting quirk that reminisces of Biffy Clyro at their ludicrous best. Their time on stage flies by, which is always a good sign and it will be interesting to see where the group can take their talents.

NOAH AND THE LONERS

There seems to be a consensus forming on where our headline act are going, with little doubt remaining that Noah and the Loners have everything needed to truly breakthrough. With their debut EP coming imminently, and a fanbase growing with every show, this has the potential to be one of those “I was there” moments!

The band only have four tracks available on Spotify but they already have a healthy crowd in a decent sized grassroots venue many of which are adorned in Noah and the Loners t-shirts. When you speak of good signs, this is absolutely one of the most trustworthy ones.

It doesn’t take long for the band to justify the hype as they blitz through their opening few songs with a youthful energy that will get even the most battle-tested old punk up and down the front.

And many do! The crowd clearly have their finger on the pulse and are up for a fun night of genuinely rallying punk rock stories of finding the way through the challenges faced by young people.

The closing run of ‘Hell of a Day’, ‘Crash Landing’ and ‘Protest Anger’ is as good as it gets and provides a glimmer of hope that for as long as communities such as this remain defiant, then there is still hope for the future.

Noah and the Loners will soon release that debut EP and those switched on enough to be here tonight will soon be able to proclaim “I was there” at the very beginning!

Share our review on Social Media

Check out our free weekly digital Magazine!

Find Full Pelt Music on YouTube!

Voodoo Daddy’s, Norwich

Tuesday 30th January 2024

Follow us on Social Media

📸 (c) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music

SAINT AGNES – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW

It’s Independent Venue Week and our lifeblood of grassroots music venues are celebrating the community and experience that these rooms provide us. Our escape from the scary realities of life, the breeding ground for the next big thing, without independent music venues the whole ecosystem of the industry is broken.

It’s incredibly tough out there for these venues, it’s becoming more and more difficult to survive and that is adding to the pressures on young acts trying to prove themselves. Not all is lost though and it’s incredibly refreshing to see this show is sold out!

Tonight is exciting for a number of reasons, of course our headliners Saint Agnes are an enticing prospect as is our support act BEX, but tonight is also the first gig at this newly relocated venue.

Voodoo Daddy’s has been building its name over the past few years and has now given itself an upgrade across town. Unlike the old venue with its music room upstairs, here we head down into the basement and can see the makings for an essential stop off for new acts in Norwich!

BEX

Up first is BEX, who immediately and ferociously grabs the crowd by the horns and commands their attention. The three-piece create one hell of a noise as they conduct a valuable test on the buildings infrastructure!

Last year’s cutting debut EP ‘SCUM’ is at the heartbeat of her set tonight and the likes of ‘Filthy’, ‘Trust No One’ and ‘SPDYD4 K1NG’ truly create a primeval connection between BEX and the energetic audience. Let’s face it though, it’s hard not to let go when faced with the otherworldly force emanating from the stage.

BEX ends her set with a new single and you’d imagine that 2024 is set to be a big one for an artist with the youthful tenacity required to thrive in the current landscape.

SAINT AGNES

Another band that has been thriving of late is Saint Agnes, our headliners this evening. Last year saw the group launch their new era with ‘Bloodsuckers’ and they’ve been building momentum ever since. It’s always good to see a show like tonight sell out and that indicates that their support slots with the likes of Skindred and their festival appearances are paying dividends in terms of new fans.

Of course everyone knows the band here tonight and as they propel themselves into opening duo ‘Bloodsuckers’ and ‘Animal’, you instantly feel the intensity levels turned up a notch.

The crowd have been up for it all night and they really ramp the energy levels up as the evening progresses. ‘Bloodsuckers’ really is an album built to be enjoyed live and the likes of ‘I Mean Nothing to You’ and ‘At War With Myself’ go down particularly well.

The Saint Agnes live experience is a visceral, in your face one and singer Kitty Austen is able to enthral the audience with mystifying ease. Indeed, the new breed of rock band is able to create a sense of something bigger than just the music, be that the community around the band or the aesthetic and presence of their artistry.

Our headliners seem to be well on the way with both of those points and again if you were looking to put your money on rocks next stars you’d have to think it’s more than worth a punt on Saint Agnes!

Share this review on Social Media

Read our review of ‘Bloodsuckers’ from Saint Agnes

The Full Pelt Music Podcast – Episode 32 – Saint Agnes

Find Full Pelt Music on YouTube!