On the 22nd of September upcoming Riot Grrrl outfit LOXZ headlined the notorious Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham, with support from Trust Club and Nightshade. Another DYAF special, this gig once again showcased niche genres, as well as female and queer artists.
Kicking off the night was Nightshade. As soon as this 4-piece hit the stage, there was a sense of darkness and an almost mystical aura. The lack of lengthy introductions and the
almost abrupt nature of this band, added to their depth and complexity. A shoegaze-tinged post-punk band; Nightshade approached each track with a sense of comfort and ease, despite this actually being their first live performance. This unbothered confidence bodes well for the group as it illuminates huge potential. Despite not having any songs released yet, Nightshade did treat us to a flurry of original music. Their sound combines ambient, ethereal tones with gothic, solemn vocals. Their approach to each track is bewitching and the audience almost feels enchanted with their sound. Currently at the start of their musical journey, Nightshade is a refreshing addition to Birmingham’s alternative rock scene. You can likely catch the band playing upcoming local gigs, and fans hope to be treated to a debut single soon.
After a small break, there seemed to be a great shift in the aura of the gig, from the mystic, darkened sounds of Nightshade to the pop-punk sounds of Trust Club. Referring to themselves as ‘Chonky Indie Rock, from the Midlands’; to me this outfit undoubtedly took on a more pop-punk approach with upbeat, bouncy drumbeats, relatable lyrics, and classic pop-punk guitar jumps. A set packed with original tracks, and yet Trust Club managed to lull the crowd into a sense of comfort with their warming, uplifting sound, hence the name being a widely appropriate choice for this group. Trust Club did come with some surprises though, near to the end of their set the band’s vocalist hit the crowd with an intense scream, could there perhaps be a heavier side to Trust Club that we can look forward to? Currently Trust Club have their debut single ‘Unintelligent Behaviour’ released on all major streaming platforms, and with the amount of original material played on Thursday hopefully Trust Club will be releasing new music very soon.
And finally, the headliners, LOXZ. Describing themselves as a ‘Female-fronted Lesbian Band’, LOXZ are experimental, passionate explorers of Punk and Riot Grrrl. ALTESCAPE spoke to LOXZ prior to the gig in a short interview (coming soon) about how they were feeling before the gig, upcoming shows and the idea of a debut album... Having released their debut EP, ‘Third Eye’ earlier this year, frontwoman Lauren is an active songwriter and appears to constantly be on a mission of creating new music. Teasing a new album suggests LOXZ have been pretty busy in the studio and have an array of new tracks for fans to hear. When LOXZ are on stage you can’t help but want their set to carry on just a little bit longer, hence the tremendous chorus of ‘one more song’ after their final track.
Favourites of the night of course had to be ‘Lesbian Moshpit’ and ‘Third Eye’ but also their satirical, political love song ‘PS. I Love You Theresa’. With assured confidence and belonging on the stage, LOXZ have an immense presence and with ease filled and mesmerised the room. Desperate to start a well-deserved mosh, friends and fans surged the centre of the room, with a small group dancing, headbanging and moshing to every track. Completely enthralled in the sound of LOXZ, it seems only appropriate to highlight the doubtless potential and exciting future ahead of this band. Representing female and queer artists in the city, LOXZ are a must see for all alternative fans.
You can find out more about LOXZ in our upcoming interview with the band... Coming soon. You can listen to their debut EP ‘Third Eye’ on all major streaming platforms now.
All photos taken by Court On Camera.
Trust Club- Spotify, Instagram.
Nightshade- Instagram.
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