It’s a Tuesday night in January, it’s not even gone 7pm yet, but already modern deathcore icons Vulvodynia are whipping up a cyclone on the floor of the o2 Institute, and it’s only their opening song. Admittedly, their 2016 title track ‘Psychosadist Design’ makes for one hell of an opening move, especially when paired with fan favourite ‘King Emesis’. Granted, the band were only just here last year playing with Manchester slam progenitors Ingested, yet it’s quite easy to see why they’ve stuck in the locals memories. They suffer somewhat as the mix is a little all over the place as they start the night. Fortunately, getting better as they went on though and sounding suitably oppressive when they fire on all cylinders. Vocalist Lwandile Prusent had the audience in the palm of his hand for the entire set, encouraging mayhem to go alongside the band’s molten hot penchant for technical brutality and punishing breakdown beatings. Closing the set with ‘Unparalleled Insubordination’ leaving a powerful impression of how unhinged the rest of the night is going to be.
Hailing from Pennsylvania, it’s easy to see why One Step Closer have been selected to open this run of dates, even if their take on melodic hardcore falls on a crowd that could be aptly described as polite but not quite apathetic. As the quartet breathlessly hammer through a set mostly composed of material from their most recent endeavour All You Embrace, the riffs, hooks and breakdowns do snare a crowd, albeit one that’s slightly ever limp so to speak.
However, it’s not the band’s fault. In fact, from scanning the room and its collective attitude, it’s clear fault does not align with the population of Bristol tonight either. With the collective age of this room probably struggling to break the mid-twenties – or judging from the sparse bar, possibly legal drinking age – it wouldn’t be too hyperbolic to state that One Step Closer may be something of a new proposition for all those here unfamiliar with the styling of some of the more aggressive pop punk adjacent movements.
But whilst the explosive likes of ‘Deep Blue’, ‘Esruc’ and ‘Giant’s Despair’ may not incite the two-stepping and stage diving they typically invite, they are replaced with polite nodding and a small push pit from the notably young audience here. One Step Closer may not quite get the reception they typically deserve tonight, but it appears they have may have helped some youngsters find the pop punk to hardcore pipeline this evening.
Brighton’s experimental, noisy post-punk/no-wave five piece DITZ have been on one hell of a ride since dropping their debut album The Great Regression in 2022. From garnering widespread acclaim in mainland Europe supporting the likes of IDLES on extended excursions, opening for hardcore punk’s hottest prospect in Turnstile alongside countless high profile festival appearances across mainland Europe and the UK.
Whilst definitely seeing their stock rise in their homeland critically, 2024 saw sporadic UK shows outside of festival dates, but a notable opening slot last April for indie rock/art-punk legends Les Savy Fav. Now to celebrate the release of their astounding second album Never Exhale, DITZ find themselves at the end of a short album release run of in-store shows, with the dates acting in sorts as a little warm up for their upcoming six-week European and UK trek.
DITZ take to the stage to a heroic welcome, the band proudly work away with bassist Caleb Remnant alongside guitarists Jack Looker and Anton Mocock stirring the hypnotic, noise infused experimentations of intro track ‘V70’, a bubbling sense of unease permeating the room. It expertly collapses straight into lead single ‘Taxi Man’, the angular dance-punk beat coming as an unexpected release from the pre-built tension and getting the crowd moving early. It only takes until third track ‘Space/Smile’ for vocalist Cal Francis to embrace their notorious chaotic live persona, pacing through the centre of the crowd in menacing fashion and riling up the audience. All things considered they are rather tame this evening, though granted there isn’t much to climb to hang from in this small space.
Kentucky metalcore crew Greyhaven are currently on their first ever UK tour as the openers of this package, and they take to the stage with a confidence that would make you think they’re regulars to these shores. Vocalist Brent Mills and bassist Johnny Muench are the stars of the show, with the vocals sounding phenomenal and Johnny a live wire to watch, barely standing still for a second. Their brand of metalcore is a little more cerebral than most, with progressive flourishes and more than a smattering of post-hardcore in the mix. They can still go heavy though, proven when just a few songs in, they blow out their snare drum. With ‘Confined Collapse’ and set closer ‘Echo And Dust Pt. 1’ (The band’s biggest song and the one that gets their best response) proving to be the highlights of a high energy opening set, you just know it won’t be the last we see if them on these shores.
It’s an unassuming winter afternoon in Bristol city centre. Walking through the front doors of Rough Trade looks like an average, if slightly busy, Sunday lunchtime on the surface. However as you walk past the promo racks at the front of the shop something seems slightly strange. The same album is featured prominently on the welcoming shelves, adorned with insane variant names: “Gay Smurf Dick Blue”, “Golf Is For Idiots Green” and “My Grandma Died On This Couch Red”. This can only possibly mean one thing; Brighton’s hottest Riot Grrl X Noise Punk band Lambrini Girls are here for a pair of in-store shows and signings to promote their debut album Who Let The Dogs Out.
The live room tucked away at the back of the shop is jam packed with excited revellers. Within the darkened space is a wealth of tinnies and pints in hands, it’s easy to forget that it’s just gone 1pm as Lambrini Girls burst through the stage door to a tumultuous roar. They waste little time, a quick “how the fuck are we doing Bristol???” before launching into an old live favourite: ’Big Dick Energy’. It doesn’t take long at all for bassist Lilly Macieira-Boşgelemez to start climbing amps and for guitarist/lead vocalist Phoebe Lunny to abandon the stage, sink into the crowd and get everyone down on the floor.
Even just a year ago this would’ve been a high profile show for Lambrini Girls, but their popularity is rising so fast that this UK/EU in-store album launch tour is easy to define as “intimate” ahead of the massive step up in venues on their (damn near fully sold out) EU and UK tour this spring. With the primary core of the band being the duo of Phoebe and Lilly, they’re joined by guest drummer Demelza Mather for these dates, who does an excellent job battering the percussion, keeping the rhythm section running and encouraging the chaos. The front of house tech is doing an excellent job, the band sound clean and deceptively massive in this tiny space, with particular note going to Lilly’s pulverising bass tone rumbling through the room caked in dirt and distortion in the best way possible.
It’s quite hard to “review” the XOYO’s opening act Womb x Water, as it is a fairly unique affair. Paying tribute to Manchester DIY instigator, artist and icon of the scene Louise Bolla (formerly Woodcock), two fem/NB musical collectives they founded Womb and Water join forces to celebrate Louise’s legacy. Using a range of synths, guitars and feedback, drums and woodwind instruments to create ethereal and avant garde compositions over which Louise’s last poetry book TANK is performed spoken word. There are as many as eleven artists on stage and despite how abrasive some of these compositions can be, its an enthralling piece of performance art. Towards the end of the set, one of the speakers announces “anyone who is Fem or NB is welcome on stage and take our instruments”, encouraging crowd members join them onstage. Its a little messy and awkward as the participants shake off nerves and get into it, but turns into a heartwarming showcase of the artistic community spirit celebrating the life of someone taken to soon.
Opening the o2 Institute main stage for the final day is Cornish folk artist Daisy Rickman, who’s encouraged a healthy crowd to gather early on a Sunday afternoon. Performing as a four piece band, they open the set with “Falling Through The Rising Sun” from recent album Howl. It’s a very soft and soulful folk affair, incredibly emotive both musically and with Daisy’s stunning vocals. They’re rich and distinctive, sitting within the contralto vocal register, quite low and warm, feeling very distinctive. Rickman herself sticks to acoustic guitar for the set as her band members switch instruments between songs, either playing guitars themselves, or switching to a bass or banjo respectively. There are subtle harmonies everywhere, cultivating a rather ethereal and dreamy atmosphere, helped by the unique sound of hearing a bowed banjo. It’s a moving start to the Sunday and a perfect indicator of the level of talent in the alternative folk sphere on display at Supersonic’s final day.
