FemRock Brighton DIY music event featuring The Tuts – a resounding success.

The Tuts Green Door Store 12.5.17.

The charismatic Green Door Store (concert venue/late bar/nightclub) situated underneath Brighton Railway Station played host to this months FemRock Brighton outing. The Green Door Store, which opened in January 2011, prides itself on being able to offer something for everyone and so has fast become a hub for DIY music in the local community. There’s certainly no airs and graces here, just friendliness – just like the FemRock Brighton organisers.

In this day and age of profit profit profit, it is very refreshing to come across a group of individuals who give their time and energy towards something just for the love of it. This is the case with FemRock Brighton as they come together once a month with their not-for-profit showcases to simply bring people’s attention to women in music. It’s not a clique whatsoever, everyone is welcome, no matter where one may consider they sit on the gender spectrum. A proud fact highlighted by the temporary signs placed on both of the Green Door Store toilet doors tonight. You walk in and a person might be in there, it could be a lady or a chap. So if you may be a shrinking violet, then you are prepared before you enter. Clearly the FemRock Brighton events are a success as they are apparently the longest running of their kind in the city.

Punters tonight paid their very reasonably priced entrance fee and were treated to three decent musical acts, all of which were trios – (Three is the magic number and all that!). The headliners for tonight’s event were the stupendous multi-cultural three girl pop-punk trio known as The Tuts, who hail from West London. In support of them were awesome Bristol punks Caves and a three-piece an American outfit based in London intriguingly called Charmpit.

First up tonight were Charmpit, who are Anne Marie on bass, Rhianydd on guitar and Alex on drums. It is fair to say that they are versed in DIY pop-punk tunes that are less than 3 minutes in length, but there is no hint of Extreme Noise Terror in there, if you catch my drift. They warmed the crowd up by playing songs from their self produced debut EP entitled Snorkel, which can be found on Bandcamp. They performed several other tracks and interacted with the crowd rather well as they seemed rather nice people and so successfully managed to set the tone for the night.

Next up were the west countries finest, Caves. They were mainly promoting tunes from their brand new April released long player Always Why. The album is their seventh release during an eight year period. I must say that I was truly blown away by this combo, so much so, that I felt that The Tuts might be in a bit of bother as they might not be able to top that. Mind you, its not a competition whatsoever, so what was I thinking? Anyway, Caves are now off to gig in France, Germany, Spain and Italy before returning back to the UK to play at Edge of the Wedge (Wedgewood Rooms aka The Wedge to the locals) in Southsea, Portsmouth on 5^th June. They were that good tonight that I am rather temped to venture into Hampshire to see them.

So to the headliners, The Tuts who were certainly bringing their girl power to town as part of a ten-date People Power tour in support of their recent Update Your Brain album. The Tuts are Nadia Javed on vocals and guitar, Harriet (Hat) Doveton on bass and vocals and Beverley Ishmael on drums.

These ladies are fiercely independent and have been climbing the music ladder ever since their inception in 2011. They do everything themselves and do not need the services of a manager. They tried one once, but he apparently had outdated contacts and was stuck in 1982 according to the Tuts ditty.

My mates and I have now been fortunate to see The Tuts play live four times and each time they have not failed to deliver. The themes of their sharp tongued infectious guitar led punk-pop songs tackle serious subjects including sexism, feminism and have an anti-Tory stance.

These ladies sure pack a punch with Nadia’s and Hat’s splendid harmonies and Bev’s fiery drumming, their enthusiasm knows no bounds, especially Nadia’s. Endearingly, if they were characters from Mr Men & Little Miss books, then Nadia would be Little Miss Feisty ((as in ‘of a person, typically one who is relatively small) lively, determined and courageous’); Hat would be Little Miss Flexible (as she is also a member of the Colour Me Wednesday band) and Beverley would be Little Miss Rhythm (for her perfect drumming style) or even better Little Miss Buns (because of her super-cool hairstyle tonight).

As the bands were running slightly behind schedule tonight, it meant that there was alas no time left for a Tuts encore. The soundman was adamant due to the curfew. Did this stop The Tuts? Like heck it did! They simply paraded off of the stage right through the centre of the enthusiastic audience, marching past the bar and toilets and simply carried on their set outside the venue, but acoustic stylee! I raise my bottle of beer to you girls, I’ve never seen that one before and I have been to hundreds of gigs.

I was lucky in managing to acquire Nadia’s setlist which has some interesting notes on it (see below) and for me personally I wish (to gloss over a certain cover tune that has nearly 250 million YouTube views and would like) to bring your attention to their self penned standout tracks of the night, which were Tut Tut Tut, Worry Warrior, Dump Your Boyfriend and Something Worth Voting For.

So in conclusion a great, great evening. Thank you to all concerned and let’s hope for more of the same very soon.

For more information on tonight’s artists click here:

https://charmpit.bandcamp.com/releases

www.caves.bandcamp.com