Palma Violets
Palma Violets at the Waterfront
Going into the Palma Violets gig on Friday, the fact that they’re one of my favourite bands ever (having seen them completely smash it with Slaves on the NME tour this February) left me nervous and intrigued to see if they could live up to this standard that I personally set for this loveable indie rock band from London.
A tour to pre-empt their new album ‘Danger in the Club’, released in the upcoming month of May, the Waterfront was packed out with the indie youth generation of Norwich, and as the first pluck of the drunken and ever charismatic Chilli Jesson’s bass filled the room, ‘Rattlesnake Highway’ kick started the show. A feel good, get-going song was just what Palma Violets needed to flow energy round the slightly tired looking crowd, and their entrance well and truly woke us all up.
Even though they played some of their new material, old 180 tracks were the songs that really got everyone singing and dancing; the new songs sometimes got a bit lost in their set and acted like a period of rest for the audience, who proceeded to make the most of Palma Violet’s old tunes, screaming lyrics and moshing.
The highlight of the evening was the 4 progressive songs in the last half hour of their set- ‘Tom The Drum’ followed by ‘Best of Friends’ and ‘Last of the Summer Wine’, to finish before the encore with ‘Johnny Bagga’ Donuts’. Those four songs in succession were personal perfection for me- some of the strongest written and performed songs I have ever seen live. Moreover, the crowd interaction from Palma Violets was absolutely superb, Chilli Jesson especially taking advantage of the hyped audience by crowd surfing, clutching to the fans’ hands and spouting football banter back and forth with some of my friends who came with me (jealousy being the correct emotion here!).
Palma Violets really did live up to the expectation I had for them, and if you ever get to see them live, please take the chance, because they are one of the most fun and enjoyable bands live I’ve ever seen.
