Against The Current
On Thursday, I took my first ever trip to Norwich’s Epic Studios. From a punter’s point of view it’s a great little venue, but as a photographer, not so much, for reasons I won’t bore you with. The band headlining were Against The Current, from New York, but there were a couple of support acts first of course.
First to take the stage were Norwich band Crossing The Limits. This was another first, as I’d not heard of them before, but they made a lasting impression. Despite the small stage their set was packed with energy, and the crowd certainly got on their side from the off. Pop/punk is one of the most fun genres to experience live, as the songs are short and punchy, almost always great to jump up and down to, and there was quite a bit of that going on down the front. I hope they have some new fans now, because they’re damned good!
Coming all the way from Vienna, the second band was Hunger. They were like the filling in a sandwich, with the first and last acts being more pop/punk - the band in the middle were somewhat more melodic, with some big sounds and soaring vocals. Their sound filled the room, and could probably have filled a much bigger venue too. They were a lot more laidback than the first act, but it was an intense performance nonetheless, and the crowd certainly enjoyed them. There was a lot to like too, and I’m sure they walked off stage with more fans than they began with too.
Finally, the pop/punks from Poughkeepsie took to the stage. Poughkeepsie seems to produce a lot of great bands as a matter of fact, and they invariably end up coming over to the UK at some point too. Anyway, I digress. Against The Current are a class act, and despite Chrissie’s tender years she has a vocal range that many singers would be envious off. It’s powerful too, slicing through the crowd like a cleaver. She never keeps still, and she engaged with the crowd numerous times throughout the set. Their set whizzed by, in fact it didn’t seem like even 30 minutes had passed before they said their goodbyes and walked off stage. Time certainly does fly when you’re having fun. If you’ve not seen this band live, then you’re really missing out.
My first experience of Epic Studios was a good one, and although it’s not my favourite Norwich venue, it’s certainly up to the job of putting on intimate shows that allow the crowd to get close to the stage. It was all about the music though, and I honestly don’t think I can fault any of the performances throughout the night. To coin a phrase, “a good time was had by all.” Well, hopefully, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!
