(Review by Jess Kemp)
‘VARIOUS ARTISTS’ – FEMROCK ALL DAYER, ARCOBALENO, BRIGHTON 31.8.24
Arcobaleno (Italian for ‘Rainbow’) is our venue for the day and night for the very first time. It opened in 2022 as a physical home built with inclusivity and connection at its heart, with a sense of community and acceptance. The venue billed itself as Brighton’s favourite new gay bar. Over the past two years, Arcobaleno has continued to fulfill its original remit providing not only food and drink, but also workshops, mental well-being sessions, live music, poetry events, drag nights, book launches, performances by local talents, art, and fashion shows, and more. Tonight, it was hosting the eleventh ‘FemRock All-Dayer’.
The “Ultimate DIY night centring women in music”, FemRock celebrated their tenth anniversary in 2023. For over a decade, the night has been used as a stepping stone for bands such as Nova Twins, Dream Wife and The Tuts. If, like us, you are always interested in finding new musical talent then FemRock is one of the places to see it. We were looking forward to the line-up for the all-dryer featuring several acts generating a buzz.
We arrived just after 3pm to ensure we got an advantageous position with a view of the bands and the rest of the venue for the duration of the all-dayer, we could not have chosen better. Having only been once before it was a pleasure to receive a friendly welcome from the staff and relax in the bright and welcoming space they have created. The FemRock team were also on hand to offer information and help as well as ensuring that the event went without a hitch.
GAY SKELETON CLUB – (4:16pm – 4:45pm)
First on the full day’s line-up was the queer, pop-punk, indie trio Gay Skeleton Club. The London DIY band’s music pulls inspiration from politics and mental health to DIY music culture blending witty lyrics and catchy tunes to imbue contentious or sensitive topics with humour aiming to ensure that the listener has a fun time while raising pondering bigger questions.
The trio opened with ‘206’ a song discussing the number of bones in the human body and cleverly explaining the band’s choice of name. We are all just dancing skeletons covered in flesh. Before the next tune started the trio apologised for their “imaginary keyboard” which should have been present, but would be sitting the set out due to a lack of the right lead. The second song of the set was ‘Kaos’ and was about “People asking bloody stupid questions”, one to put on when humanity tests your last nerve. ‘SSRI’ is a track that makes the thorny topic of mental health light and accessible. Key to its relatability and humour is the listing of potential medications and other solutions suggested either by the medical profession or the well-meaning when not feeling quite yourself. ‘Eyelash’ was a nice little riff on a traditional love song format.
Firmly entrenched in the DIY ethos, the band kept everything back to basics, lending their lyrical content clarity and provenance over the musical composition. Tapping the vein to the Mouldy Peaches in terms of delivery they also have the same feel-good factor. They know when to lighten the mood when things threaten to get a little too real. They cleverly inserted their song about cats ‘2 Cats’ as a “palate cleanser” after ‘Summertime (Free Palestine)’ which ended with the audience singing along, a testament to the band’s deceptively simple lyricism. A fun “Queering of” McFly’s ‘5 Colours in Her Hair’ had everyone singing along.
Before starting the final songs of the set, the trio took the opportunity to thank FemRock for including them in the line-up. After their final number, a tuneful ode to not being as good as “Wet Leg”, the band took the opportunity to tell the audience about the ‘First Timers’ initiative.
The initiative is for people of any ability who want to be in a band but cannot find other members together with others. First Timers not only brought Gay Skeleton Club together, but also two other bands on the billing, namely, ‘Skutterfly’ and ‘Breakup Haircut’. If you would like to find out more about ‘First Timers’ click HERE.
SKUTTERFLY – (5:00pm – 5:41pm)
The second band on the day’s lineup are London trio, Skutterfly. They are also the second alumni to have formed at First Timers. The alt/punk/grunge/rock trio play hard and heavy. They had played Brighton a few times before, at The Pipeline. They were happy to be back to catch up with friends and perform for the first time at Arcobaleno. The three-piece takes inspiration from The Velvet Underground and the Stooges. They sometimes cover the latter. They also add a dash of the Pixies and Hole. They blend these influences into their songs, as each track segues from punk to grunge to alt and back again. Their subject matters cover shoplifting, nightmares, and Korean children’s songs.
Their cover of No Doubt’s ‘Just A Girl’ was vastly different from the original. It was grimier, making the lyrics hit harder. The taut, panicked vocals and anguished screams resonated in a way that Stefani’s just do not. It was not until after this cover, the third song in the set, that the band engaged with the audience. Asking “How was that?” The audience answered in the affirmative.
Their cover of Jefferson Airplane’s ‘White Rabbit’ was confident and assertive. It would have been foolhardy to try to match Grace Slick’s vocals. Instead, they reworked the song with the whole band joining in on the vocals towards the end. The last song of the set, ‘Island Baby’, takes its jumping point from a Korean children’s song. Their version is Bleach-era Nirvana or the Muffs. If Skutterfly sounds like your bag, catch them next on 12th September at the Cavendish Arms in London.
DAFFADILDOS – (6:00pm – 6:30pm)
Another trio, this time from Brighton in the form of the Daffadildos. These queer punks play DIY anthems. They aim to tear down the cisgender, heteronormative, capitalist patriarchy. No small task!
Taking the stage, the question of how to start, “Straight in…?” with no response from the others, the band leapt into their first song, ‘No Room’. Everything about the trio was pure old-school punk. The presentation, the low-slung bass, and most crucially, the music. The tempo of every song is blisteringly fast. The drummer hammered throughout the set.
The second track, ‘Heartbreaker’, had a slower start. It had a clearer vocal and a washy guitar. Then, it ploughed into a faster chorus and ended with an abrupt outro.
On introducing ‘Get Away From Me’, the band asked the audience to move forward. When they did not oblige at once, the bassist shouted, “Everyone who doesn’t move forward is a Tory”. This did the trick, the audience moved towards the stage. The first half of the song continued in the same punk vein before segueing into a heavier rock sound and the vocals are more shouting than singing. Their latter songs segue from punk to heady rock to rockabilly.
‘Never Enough’, a shorter track, released as a single on the previous day, makes use of military-style drums and a repetition of the song title as a chorus, as does ‘No One Hears The Screams’. ‘Transphobic Trevor’ was the first of what the band called “name drops”. The band asked if there was anyone in the audience called ‘Trevor’.
After happily confirming there were no transphobes in the crowd, called Trevor. The band continued. “There’s only four chords, same as the last one”. Again, one should expect nothing less of a genuine punk band. The song was based on a true story.
The rest of the set continued in much the same vein musically. The energetic performance sustained for the whole of their set. The band’s humour kept things light during the political lyrics. The audience loved the set, often singing along whether asked to or not. The Daffodildos have an EP out on 4th October with an EP launch gig at a TBC venue on the 13th October.
BREAKEUP HAIRCUT – (6:50pm – 7:20pm)
The Breakup Haircut quartet formed for First Timers Fest 2024 and were the third alumni of the night from the First Timers initiative. The band described themselves as sometimes pop, sometimes punk. They were pleased to make their Brighton debut at FemRock. The band have been to Brighton previously, socially, but this is the first time they have ever played. The large audience for the local band had dispersed. The crowd was slow to return. But, it was not long before the first song, ‘Out Of My Way (I’m Not Getting On The Nightbus)’ pulled the crowd back in, getting everyone to sing the catchy chorus.
The band is both likeable and engaging. Their fun, relatable songs have a strong political and ethical core. Their sound recalls ‘Parquet Courts’ and ‘Malkmus and the Jicks, Skating Polly or the Donna’s. The fourth song ‘Can I Borrow A Feeling’ has a nice vocable hook. The band are all great musicians; their vocals are well suited to the pop-punk/ grunge sound. ‘Mum, I Wanna Be A Greaser’ is about one of the members wanting to be a Biker when she was growing up, (they now work in IT). The song itself had a traditional rock ‘n’ roll lit, more suited to the subject matter. ‘No Excuses’, a song about social anxiety returned the set to a pop-punk sensibility. ‘Pit Culture’, discussed the rules of the moshpit.
The lead told the audience “We’ve got two songs left, if you’re gonna wanna jump around now is the time to do so” before launching into ‘I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend’. A song about the excuses people have to use to deal with unwanted attention. They weren’t wrong, the heavy drums and bass line were perfect for a good pogo.
Before leaving, the band thanked FemRock. They added, “This is an awesome way to play Brighton for the first time. Also, big up to all the Brighton Bands who supplied our back line”. They ended the set with a cover of Dolly Parton’s ‘9-To-5’. Everyone in the venue tried to sing along, but most failed due to the fast tempo.
‘Punk Dancing For Self Defence’ , the debut album from Breakup Haircut is available now.
THE GLITTERBOMBS – (8:00pm – 8:30pm)
The Glitterbombs, a trio from Brighton, are the “Pub band who pumped the Ska into Skate Park”. The bassist from the Daffidildos returned to the stage to play with his second band, as promised. His bass slung just as low as before.
Their first song, ‘Emo My Life Away’, delivered the promised Ska. It had a rockabilly vibe, plus a rock guitar solo, to underscore the ‘Emo’ part of the title. The band’s latest single ‘Smother’ followed. It opened with everything cranked up to the hilt. The tempo stayed at breakneck speed throughout. Though again there was another guitar solo which was more hair rock than punk. Though in general, the song has a feel of early Green Day more than anything else.
The band told us that the single also has a video viewable on YouTube. After the second song, the band thanked the audience for their enthusiasm and for staying to see their set. They confirmed that ‘Emo My Life Away’ is a bonus track. Only available on physical copies of their ltd ed, signed, and numbered EP. Before starting ‘Together Alone’, a request to check the guitar levels. The rock guitar solo in the song confirmed why. The jump from punk to rockabilly could be jarring. But the mix of styles made the songs memorable.
The bulk of the songs in the set were from the band’s EP with a few bonus tracks added for good measure at the end of the set. ‘LGB (With TNB)’ was an upbeat, fast song. It hid a message of trans acceptance within the LGBTQ+ community. It is one of the catchiest of the set. The titular space repetition chant in the chorus is effective. It makes the song memorable and danceable.
Many of the songs in the set are as punchy as they are short (1-4 minutes), finishing abruptly. None more so than ‘The Landlord’s Raising The Rent (Again)’. It captures a feeling we all share in that situation. After playing the EP ‘Take Two’ from start to finish, the band informed the audience that they could buy it from the merch desk at the back of the venue. It’s easy to find. “It’s the one with Keir Starmer’s face on it. Support your local band!… support all bands, support music.”
After playing the EP in full, they kept their promise of bonus tracks. They started with a cover of ‘All Small Things’ by Blink 182. They finished with a tour de force: ‘Make Your Own Kind of Music’ by ‘Mama’ Cass Elliot. Only accomplished musicians would dare to cover such different songs. But, they nailed both for a feel-good finish. It was impressive. To end on a high note, the band said that, at the back of the venue, the Ltd ed copies of the EP, stickers, and more merch were for sale. If there was one criticism of their set, it was ‘Less is more.’
‘Take Two’ is out now, available as a limited-edition hard copy and from all your favoured streaming services.
BABY SAID – (8:46pm – 9:10pm)
The Baby Said quartet are now ones to watch on the UK music circuit. They played many of the summer festivals this year, including Rebellion in Blackpool which we covered. They released their debut EP ‘Who Gives A Rock’ in June and their debut album is scheduled for release in 2025. Sisters Veronica and Jessica Pal started as a duo. They began playing guitar at just 6 and 4 years old, respectively. The duo earned their chops as covers band Astro Moda in a local pub. They have also toured the covers band performing over 200 gigs across the UK with the act.
They use Astro Moda to fund the Baby Said, continuing with Astro Moda at the weekends. Holy Knowles (rhythm guitar, vocals) and Maddie Hackett (drums) joined the sisters on tour. They rounded out the band’s live sound. The band has diverse influences. They range from Måneskin, whose song inspired their name, to Arctic Monkeys and Nirvana. The band’s skill and vocal range were only betrayed by their references. Their instrumentals mix grunge indie and classic rock. Their vocals, though, are a mix of classic rock and pop.
The changeover between the two bands was swift. The newcomers used the time to check that everything was secure.The first song of the set ‘Sweet Talk’ set the pace for the rest of their set. Baby Said are accomplished and polished! The early and continued live training is clear in their phenomenal skills base. They did not hang around. The first song got the audience’s attention and raised the bar from the start. The three vocalists have pristine harmonies. They swap the lead from song to song. Hitting high notes is no issue for the sisters no matter who takes the lead.
The second song of the set ‘Mouth Shut’ bounced along with crunchy guitars and pounding drums. The lyrics discuss fading attraction. After this track, the band urged the audience to come closer. They said, “We don’t bite…this always happens”. The quartet quickly replaced their drummer’s kick pedal (that’s how hard they were pummelling them). Then, they sprang straight into the rest of the set. Cutting ‘Overload’ and ‘Panic Attack’ from the ten-song set the band barely stopped for breath.
Highlights included ‘Fight’. It was their first single in 2023. The song details the struggles of female artists in the music industry. The sisters faced their share of misogynism, hinted at in the lyrics. ‘Mean Girlz’ was, as the sisters said “A Banger!”, confirming again what a tight outfit the band are. Like the other acts, the band pointed out their merch before the last two songs. ‘Burn’ will be their next single so keep an ear out for that dropping. Bridging the final leg of the night Baby Said provided the boost of energy those staying for the entire day had been waiting for.
ANTIFA SUPERSOLDIER – (9:30pm – 10:00pm)
The band members had been visible since the start of the day. They were helping wherever needed. They were about to assemble and then effectively disappear. They would don balaclavas to deliver their set. The band is inspired by “American post-punk hardcore, with the Manics’ lyricism”. Their references were spot on. They played a heavy sound, reminiscent of Husker Du and Fugazi, with a dash of Shellac.
Most of the audience had taken a break after Baby Said left the stage. But, the band’s energy and musicianship drew many back in. They moved to the front to mosh along. The lead apologised if they were sounding a little rough. It was the band’s 4th show in a week, and it had begun to take its toll. “We’ve been to Canterbury, we haven’t slept. We have mixed reviews of the former. It’s a long story, should you buy me a drink later I might explain further”. Despite the music’s ferocity in volume and speed, the band was charming and humorous. They stopped to interact between songs. Those who vent their frustrations are often very approachable.
At times, the presentation and lyrics were confrontational. But, this only served to engage the listener more. At one point the performance was so fevered that the sound engineer took the opportunity to gaffa tape the Mike to the stand to ensure “that it doesn’t end up halfway across the building”. The band were another welcome surprise from the day’s lineup. They were unexpectedly accomplished and engaging. The band’s ensemble chanting/singing offered still more power to the already heavy delivery of the later songs.
At the end of the set, the lead singer made an impassioned and unexpected speech. They thanked FemRock for giving them a space to find themselves since they first attended in 2017. Resolutely political, the band finished with a song about the Labour Party. At the song’s end, the singer joined the front of the audience. They had been throwing themselves around for the whole set.
linktr.ee/antifa_supersoldier_band
PINK SUITS – (10:15pm – 10:45pm)
The last up for the night is the duo who go by the ‘Pink Suits’. They had been sitting behind us in costume on their merch desk for most of the earlier act. The queer punk band from Margate always engage the crowd with their visuals. The livid fuchsia of their outfits takes after their name. Given the power and polish of the earlier two acts the transition to a low-fi punk duo was a little jarring. Their act is more live art than a musical one. They call themselves, “A little bit c*ntry, a little bit Rock and Rage”. Formed in 2017, they have performed at Chaka Khan’s Download. They also performed with up-and-coming favourites like Panic Shack, Big Joanie, The Menstrual Cramps, and the Lambrini Girls.
The duo’s second album ‘Dystopian Hellscape’ was released in 2024. Like the other acts, the duo’s songs have a strong political slant. They are open about their opinions and alliances. They weave statements into their lyrics. The back-to-basics instrumentalists claimed to be “like the White Stripes”. We assume their tongue was firmly in-cheek. The message is the medium with the musical efforts from the duo. The songs are humour-filled and borderline parody in delivery.
But, this should not detract from the message. ‘Self Care Is Punk’ offers valuable advice often overlooked. “Are You Gay Yet?” a reply to the never-ending question from strangers and old schoolmates. A particular favourite was ‘Kimberly May’, neatly raising unexplored and lamented life choices. Once we had adjusted to the change of pace ‘Pink Suits’ became a lot more enjoyable. Vocally, think ‘Little Nell as Columbia duetting with Meatloaf as Eddie from the Rocky Horror show’ far less than The White Stripes era Jack White, but maybe a little Meg drumming-wise. Having said all of this, we would love to see the duo again, and chances are if you happen across them you will too!
It has been a wonderful experience with truly lovely people and we can’t wait for the next installment!
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