Featured image: Press
It’s the day before Valentines, and soft red lighting illuminates the bleacher style seats in The Lodge of The Deaf Institute, bouncing off the seemingly out of place disco ball. Waiting for the show to kick in, it puts you in mind of an awkward Year 6 school disco.
A guy in a cap comes on stage to spray the room in haze, as three young lads step up to warm us up. DieKaiDie announce they’re from Rusholme, their unconventional setup giving them a mysterious edge. There are three guitars and a single kick pad accompanying their unapologetically abrasive cacophony. It’s Scott Pilgrim vs The World in the best possible way, and Paddy Murphy sings with incredible vigour.
As of yet, the only song released by the trio is ‘Swiss Army Knife’, a fantastically catchy song flicking between crunchy hyperpop and melodic punk. They’re hugely promising, a refreshing reminder that not all Fallowfield boys get Pioneer DJ decks.
Enter Brixton trio, Alien Chicks, who stand front and centre, egging on their support. There’s no nonsense here. Beginning with ‘Frames’, it’s a mash of genres, flicking between heavy math rock, bossa nova and rap.
The theatrics are simple but effective. You can’t look away. Joe (guitar/vocals) bounces between gibberish, screaming and melodies with fascinating vitality and range. They’re incredibly polished, to the extent that Martha loses a drumstick and immediately picks up another without missing a beat. They joke that their next song will be ‘Martha has an allergy to her drumsticks’.
A lot of love has gone into this, each song practised and passionate. In this cosy setting, they’re out of place; Alien Chicks deserve a sea of moshers. No two tunes are the same. ‘Cowboy’ echoes the refrain “I was nervous”, taking us on a journey of anxiously paced riffs.
Closing the show with their debut single ‘27 Stitches’, they weave the bossa nova influences into the hard rock. Exiting the stage, bassist Stefan whips out a suitcase full of merch. It’s incredibly down to earth and handmade. Each shirt has artwork from their singles, abstract yet slightly unsettling paintings.
While the upcoming EP doesn’t yet have a release date, it’s worth staying tuned for. Alien Chicks offer a whimsical dive into genre weaving; a blistering and baffling show for a Tuesday night.
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