LE LAMB + SWALLOWTAIL + VERONICA + RESTLESS TAXIS – THE HOPE AND RUIN, BRIGHTON 10.10.25
If you’re hungry for fresh sounds and rising talent, Hidden Herd’s Brighton new music discovery nights are the place to be, shining a spotlight on the most exciting emerging artists and hidden gems. Their second show this October featured another brilliant and diverse lineup which included Brighton based artists Le Lamb, Swallowtail and Veronica along with Londoners Restless Taxis.
Headlining were Le Lamb, a Brighton-based 5-piece band consisting of Mia (singer), Jeric (guitar), Emmanouil (guitar), Elliot (drums) and Jeremy (bass). They are known for their mysterious, art-rock sound and theatrical, 60s-inspired performances, blending psychedelic, avant-rock, and psych-noir musical elements with a dynamic stage presence.
That stage presence was clear from the start. As the band began playing, singer Mia made her entrance through the crowd in her distinctive sheep’s outfit complete with a ram’s skull headdress. Once on stage, she sang to minimal accompaniment at the start of ‘Bonds Girl’. The thumping drums were the prompt for the song to build. Mia’s strong vocals with a French psychedelia note added to the James Bond cinematic feel. The strength of her voice was matched by her strong theatrical movements and wide-eyed stares. The ritual at Le Lamb shows off the bleating call and response between Mia and the audience. On their second song, ‘Healing’, comparisons between Mia’s voice and Shirley Bassey wouldn’t have been too wide of the mark.
There was a bleak almost unsettling opening to ‘Sirens Call’ as Mia starkly repeated the lyric “Clip Clop”, before her explosive vocals later. As she sang the lines “I’m more powerful than man”, all the guitarists played on their knees, as if to highlight Mia’s sentiment. Each of the musicians had a moment in the spotlight later in that song with a solo part. Le Lamb closed a refreshingly odd and very good headline set with ‘Boy Unnamed’ with a heavier rock sound and an excited tone to Mia’s screamed vocals.
Le Lamb:
Mia Mottier – vocals
Jeric Harding-Barns – guitar
Emmanouil Lekkos – guitar
Elliot Vickers – drums
Jeremy Thurgood – bass
Le Lamb setlist:
‘Bonds Girl’ (unreleased)
‘Healing’ (unreleased)
‘Sexy Suicide’ (unreleased)
‘Sirens Call’ (a 2025 single)
‘Boy Unnamed’ (unreleased)
Swallowtail are a Brighton-based quartet whose sound fuses the gauzy distortion of shoegaze with the angular intricacies of post-punk, crafting a sonic landscape that’s both atmospheric and abrasive. At its heart lies a vocal sweetness that floats above the grit, offering contrast and clarity. The band’s latest evolution sees Lucy (vocals, guitar) and Bella (bass) join founding members Caleb (guitar) and Drew (drums).
That distortion was evident from the start of their opening song ‘Thin’ with Caleb playing guitar with a violin bow. Along with Drew’s cymbals, it gave their sound a dark eeriness. By contrast Lucy’s vocals added a wonderful softness and sweetness. This was a key feature and highlight throughout Swallowtail’s set, with the juxtaposition complementing not fighting against each other. The emotion in her voice cut through the noise so well. While on the balance of the sound, Bella’s bass was more distinct than on their previous Brighton outing, adding to the depth of the band’s performance.
Their unforgiving sound on ‘Jitter’ featured a rapid wall of noise as if the guitar and drums were in competition. The violin bow was back for the start of ‘Idles’, this time with a starker more industrial feel. The distortion on the guitars was contrasted beautifully with the vocals. Lucy maintained that sweetness even as the tempo increased. After the fast paced ‘Squeel’, Swallowtail returned with the more haunting sounds of ‘Time Sig’ for their final number. The song’s atmosphere was enhanced by the use of the bow on the guitar, and the more ethereal vocals from Lucy. The sound rose and fell across that song, giving more space for the vocals. A great way to close a special performance by Swallowtail; their best with the new line up in my opinion.
Swallowtail:
Caleb Ryde – guitar
Drew Vickerstaff – drums
Lucy Darke – guitar vocal
Bella Sofia – bass
Swallowtail setlist:
‘Thin’ (unreleased)
‘The Bathe’ (unreleased)
‘Drench’ (unreleased)
‘Jitter’ (unreleased)
‘Idles’ (unreleased)
‘Squeel’ (unreleased)
‘Time Sig’ (unreleased)
Originally from Milan, enchanting singer-songwriter Veronica has been captivating audiences with her dark, hauntingly beautiful storytelling and cinematic songcraft since moving to Brighton in 2023. Her signature sound is both ethereal and alluring. On stage, she was joined by Annie (keys), Olive (drums) and Eva (bass).
Veronica opened with their latest single ‘Rose’ which began with the soft twinkling keyboards and the operatic quality of Veronica’s voice. There was a mystical hypnotic note to her vocals, plus a real strength. Next up ‘Hurt You Most’ was more up-tempo with a poppier feel, without ever compromising their mystical feel. On ‘King Of The World’ the haunting beauty in Veronica’s voice drew you in like a siren’s call, while on ‘Haunted’ there was a wonderful playfulness in her voice. That vocal light-heartedness sat so well with the song’s more sinister feel. Veronica said ‘Haunted’ is out for Halloween, when appropriately they headline the Folklore Halloween Party at Folklore Rooms, tickets HERE.
As well as Veronica’s vocals, her band, who she introduced as her fairies, deserve a special mention for creating mesmerising, dreamlike soundscapes. Annie’s keyboard, often like a traditional piano rather than electronica, was a key element of that classical mystical sound.
Before ‘As Dancers’, Veronica joked “This is our last song, so if you want to shout ‘one more song’, now is the time”. ‘As Dancers’ began softly yet dramatically, floating beautifully and building effortlessly with Veronica’s wonderful spellbinding narrative. It perfectly encapsulated their sound and the essence of the band, closing an absorbing performance. Veronica has been compared to renowned artists such as Kate Bush, Tori Amos and Aurora. From her performance at Hidden Herd, she and her band deserve those flattering comparisons.
Veronica:
Veronica – vocals
Annie Frazer – keyboard
Olive Jane – drums
Eva – bass
Hattie Waters – violin (not present)
Veronica setlist:
‘Rose’ (a 2025 single)
‘Hurt You Most’ (a 2024 single)
‘King Of The World’ (unreleased)
‘Haunted’ (unreleased)
‘Black Magick’ (unreleased)
‘As Dancers’ (from 2023 ‘Just A Dream’ EP)
Opening on Friday were London quartet Restless Taxis. They are a DIY, queer and POC-led outfit from East London, whose lineup features Michael Asukyle (vocals, guitar), Jess Nwosu (vocals, bass), Dylan Haynes (drums), and Tash Smith, whose interpretive dance adds a visual dimension to their performances. Their entrancing sound encompassed elements of shoegaze haze, rave chaos, and punk grit.
Before the first song started Tash could be seen limbering up with a stretching routine and putting on knee pads. This indicated something a little different compared to the standard four-piece band line up. That first song ‘Panderdander’ started as a sweet shoegaze number with Michael’s laidback vocals. As the music increased in volume, Michael switched to screaming and Tash’s dancing became more dramatic. Next up ‘Slugs’ was more up-tempo and began with faster drumming, while there was a change in pace on the slower ‘Migraine’. On these and other songs Michael and Jess shared the vocals with Jess adding a more ethereal note.
Tash’s interpretive movements had ballet and modern dance influences. She was often writhing on the stage floor as well as forming shapes and poses between the two vocalists. Throughout she had a distant blank expression, as if lost in the band’s sounds.
Restless Taxis mixed up their shoegaze rave sounds well. Later in the set there were bursts of rock guitar with hints of Guns N’ Roses. Laced across the set were elements of Caribbean sound system and reggae cultures. Their closing number ‘Crazylazyhazydazy’ was a good example of the variety in the band’s sound having a softness with bursts of noise before climaxing in an alt-rock crescendo.
Restless Taxis:
Michael Asukyle – vocals, guitar
Jess Nwosu – vocals, bass
Dylan Haynes – drums
Tash Smith – interpretive dance
Restless Taxis setlist:
‘Panderdander’ (unreleased)
‘Slugs’ (a 2025 single)
‘Migraine’ (a 2021 single)
‘Truth’ (a 2025 single)
‘Sandy’ (unreleased)
‘Don’t Call It Cute’ (unreleased)
‘Crazylazyhazydazy’ (unreleased)
Brighton’s Hidden Herd nights continue to showcase the next wave of artists. Don’t miss your chance to catch them early, as you may well discover your next favourite band. News of their forthcoming shows and tickets is available HERE.
