Cherry Glazerr

Following the likes of España’s Hinds and New Jersey slackers Pinegrove, Cali noise-rock wasteoids Cherry Glazerr became the latest unlikely international band to journey up the beaten path to hit the stage in Norwich, in support of their latest record Apocalipstick.

First on, Access To Music duo Vaudevue are steeped in grungey angst, their teen nihilism reverberating heavily with the mostly teenage early-comers. Lyrically there’s work to be done but the music is surprisingly well developed, drummer Ben solidly backing up guitar and vocalist Kate’s gloomy melodies.

Main support Dream Nails combine a take-no-bullshit attitude with upbeat indie tunes. The quartet’s feminist ethos takes the spotlight, their songs tackling issues like cat calling and reproductive rights, and a cover of Bikini Kill’s enduring anthem Rebel Girl is the perfect embodiment of what these women are about. Their own material tiptoes around the line between twee and punk, similar to Kate Nash and fellow musical activists The Tuts.

Few could have predicted just how out of place Cherry Glazerr’s Clem Creevey would look, crawling like a feral animal up to the mic stand on the floor of OPEN’s club room. As her glamorous cohort whirl up a noise-rock intro to Sip O’ Poison, she embodies the manic energy of her band. “Shut up! Shut the fuck up!” she snarls during the first applause, in an unhinged manner that seems a little too real to just be stage persona. There are chicken impressions, off-the-cuff comments about what’s been ingested this evening, and from nowhere a remark that “Willie Nelson just died”. He didn’t. This is rock and roll; manic, drug-fuelled and effortlessly fantastic.