Glazyhaze
I hadn’t been to Voodoo Daddy’s since I was a student (I studied photography at Norwich University of the Arts) and so I was excited to shoot a gig at one of the coolest venues in town. Tonight promised to be a diverse and entertaining evening of music from four bands, and it did not disappoint.
PINN
Local boys PINN got the party started in fine style. The quartet took to the stage to a warm reception from the audience and their underground rock vibe went down well. Their sound is fresh yet familiar, with great guitar riffs mixed with passages of calm and melancholy vocals. Imagine Nirvana and 30 Seconds to Mars mixed with the Stone Roses and you’re nearly there. They have a great 3 track demo on Bandcamp, and the songs (“Don’t Succeed”, “If You Let It” and “Hi Lo”) sounded as good live as the recorded versions.
I’m looking forward to seeing more of PINN!
Narcolepsy
Up next were Narcolepsy (not to be confused with the thrash metal band of the same name!). They describe themselves as “shoe gaze / dream pop” which is a pretty good description. The four-piece (again from Norwich) make some beautiful, ethereal sounds that blend with slick guitar lines and a great rhythm section. The vocals, awash with reverb and chorus, complement the music well, and her powerful yet soft voice, reminiscent of Harriet Wheeler from the Sundays, cut through and travelled across the appreciative crowd, who were definitely engaged and clearly into the music. Four songs didn’t seem quite enough, but they made the most of the time they had on stage.
GROS COEUR
We got a change of mood next as Belgium’s self-proclaimed “heaviest psych exports” GROS COEUR took Voodoo Daddy’s by storm. Their mix of psychedelic and Krout-rock went down well with the crowd as Jimmy, Adrien, Julien and Alex showcased songs from 2023’s “Gros Disque” and new album "Vague Scélérate" ("Rogue Wave”).
I really enjoyed their high energy set, and so did plenty of others judging by the dancing towards the end of the set. Julien must have loved that too, as he came out into the crowd while playing his bass - much to the delight of everyone there.
Glazyhaze
I think this was the first time I’d seen a band from Venice, and I’m glad Glazyhaze were that band!
After some technical difficulties with sound, which caused a bit of a delay, they came out to a very packed dance floor and an even more enthusiastic audience. Their sound was huge - and very loud!
They have an infectious sound all of their own. It’s not as simple as just shoegaze. There’s hints of Britpop and post-punk in there too, and it makes for some brilliant songs.
Vocalist Irene, guitarist Lorenzo and rhythm section “Seva” on bass and Francesco on drums blasted through a set taken from 2023 debut album “Just Fade Away” and this year’s “Sonic”, with the majority of tracks coming from the latter, and including singles “Romeo” and “Stardust”. They commanded the stage with loads of confidence and showed their maturity as a band, having toured extensively throughout Europe since their formation in 2021.
From opener “What a Feeling” through to closing number “The Other Side”, Glazyhaze had the audience in the palm of their hands, and definitely left their mark on Voodoo Daddy’s!
