NORWICH ROCK FEST ’25 DAYS 1 & 3

For the fourth year in a row, Ash and Drongo Records have brought us Norwich Rock Fest, three consecutive evenings of some of the best heavy, underground music around. Like a mini ArcTanGent, previous years have seen the likes of CLT DRP, St Pierre Snake Invasion, Alpha Male Tea Party, Ditz, Sugar Horse and Mountain Caller grace the Voodoo’s stage and blow me away. This year, I don’t make it to all three nights but still have my face melted off (in a good way) on the Thursday and Saturday.

Saturday opens with something a little bit different by Rock Fest standards: up-and-Coming local rapper $EBBUKU. Now, I have to be honest, this kinda thing isn’t my usual bag but $ebbuku is an entertaining and likeable performer. Backing him, Nic is a most excellent drummer and guitarist Dec adds an edge that - in my limited experience - is missing from most hip-hop. At its best, this comes close to dälek or Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, which is a very good thing indeed, and Stay Mad, What I Need and closer Hyperviolen are as heavy as anything else on offer over the weekend.

SETTLEMENTS play melodic, heavy, relatively fast rock that makes me think of early Wildhearts without the pop smarts or a heavier take on second division Britpop acts like Shed Seven or Longpigs. Like Chicanes on Saturday, they seem to be good people and can play but what they do doesn’t do it for me. That doesn’t stop a fair few of the audience going mad for them - as always, music is a very personal thing...

From Cork, Ireland come THE LAST VINCI. With heavy effects on the vox and some samples (or is it live looping? Or both?), they bring an intensity bordering on metalcost and bring to mind an almost nu-metal take on the mighty Therapy? style drums. Cracking stuff.

Guitar/vox and drums duo BICURIOUS are the band of the night for me. Trying to describe what they sound like is nigh on impossible, combining as they do grunge, punk, math-rock, post-rock and pop, even adding touches of surf and pop. I’ve found my self suffering a bit of a malaise so far in ’25 and Bicurious are the first band I have found truly exciting this year.

I have to take a night off from the Rock Fest on Friday so miss Behind The Sun Collective, Rave On The Dole, Cabiria and Waldo’s Gift. I love the first two and am told that Waldo’s Gift were immense, so I am sad to have missed out.

I am back on Friday in time for Norwich based 5 piece BIRDWITCH and their melodic, gothic/doom metal. Recalling the likes of Paradise Lost, Sacrilege and Amenra, they make an immense racket. I think it is still early days for this lot and the only criticism I have is that they have yet to write anything truly memorable but I am mightily impressed.

CHICANES weigh in with some thumping late 80s/early 90s metal: musically - if not vocally - reminiscent of Almighty and Soundgarden. I don’t hear anything original and they don’t do it for me but they get a strong response, even provoking a circle mosh. As with Settlements on Thursday, I feel the antipathy to them is mine and mind alone. And, as with Settlements again, they seem decent people and know how to play.

It is my first time seeing EAT YOUR OWN HEAD for about a year and they remain as immense as ever. Ash is in perhaps the finest voice I have heard from him. The drumming is properly superb, the bass is seething and, with Jord and Ash’s guitars meshing superbly, it all combines to make glorious math rock with groove and soul. At its best, music like this is angrily, soul cleansingly cathartic. EYOH are that but there is also a joy in what they do tonight that I have not necessarily picked up on before and I find myself smiling so broadly I think the top of my head may fall off. Possibly having the most fun I have seen them have on stage, EYOH are utterly superb

Closing things off GOD ALONE, another bunch that have travelled from Cork. The hyperactive guitarist is off the stage and stomping through the crowd during first song. With twin lead hardcore scream-vox, God Alone sound like how I imagined Mr Bungle sounded before I actually heard Mr Bungle. If Extreme Noise Terror went math-rock playing Zappa songs with 60s garage/70s space rock/80s rave keys, it would sound, well, probably nothing like this but it is the best comparison I can summon up. Utterly barking mad but also utterly enthralling.

Huge kudos to Ash for getting this together. Here’s to next year!