WITCH FEVER, KNIVES & BIRDWITCH
A cracking night of post-punky, riot-grrlesque, doomy catharsis.
After a mixed bag at Epic on Thursday and a more than decent night at Space Studios yesterday, it is down to Voodoo Daddy’s for Saturday Shenanigans.
Due to bad planing in my part, I arrived a touch late and so missed the first five minutes of BIRDWITCH but what I caught was immense. A powerful, emotional mix of doom and shoegaze. Vocalist Raya-Mhari was in fine form, mixing atmospheric “clean” vox with feral, grunts, growls and roars. Guitarists Grant Mackay and Jade lay down doomy, dark riffs. Kieron hammers the drums with power and aggression. New bassist Sam (formerly of Femme Dé) fits right in. I can’t wait to see ‘em again supporting Nø Man at the Holloway later this month.
Bristol’s Knives deliver a corking mash up of post-punk, hardcore and metal. On the downside, Jay Schottlander’s vocals were a bit too Joe Talbot-does-nu-metal for my tastes, but that is a personal thing I can overlook given how much I enjoy the music. Drummer Erin Cook’s powerful and inventive and assist Ben Marshall live-wire antics warrant particular mention.
WITCH FEVER absolutely kill it. Before the gig, I had seen comparisons to Sabbath, Savages and early Nirvana. Whilst I get those comparisons, I’d throw in the sheer intensity of Killing Joke. Indeed, guitarist Alisha could fill in for (the late, great) Geordie Walker. Drummer Annabelle and bassist Alex are tight as hell, with a definite hit of dub that so influenced post-punk. Amy has a hugely powerful voice and, whilst her stage act is a touch unpolished (in a good way), and huge charisma. A properly, properly good mash up of post-punk, goth, alt.metal and riot grrl. Witch fucking Fever indeed.
