Shame, Sorry, Hotel Lux and Drug Store Romeos Review (So Young)

Shame, Sorry, Hotel Lux and Drug Store Romeos Review
So Young 10/5/17

So Young put on a successful night at The Joiners. Despite it being a Wednesday and a school night, a large crowd of adolescents hovered within the dingy walls to watch the exciting talent the night had to offer. One factor that couldn’t go unnoticed was the inclusive atmosphere from the audience. With young girls feeling safe enough to get stuck in with the moshing form the get go, and friendly faces all around, it proves that the kids are actually alright.

Drug Store Romeos were first on the bill and are a three-piece from Fleet. With similar vibes to Sunflower Bean shining through their cool, first impressions, they bought a sense of experimental, psychedelic indie to the night. The dream pop genre was combined with a slacker-vibe that seemed to be digested well by everyone in the room.

Hotel Lux were next up and this London band were easily the highlight of the night. With only one song on their Spotify to listen to, ‘Envoi’ was the crowd pleaser amongst every other track they played. If Fat White Family had been fronted by Johnny Rotten and had a much heavier bassline, the outcome would be Hotel Lux. The screaming of “You sick, twisted bastard, you’ve ruined his life” over the sensual melody that was combined with the attitude of The Damned, made for an unforgettable performance. With Hotel Lux contenders for one of the best and most memorable performances I’ve ever seen, showing hints of The Cramps with a coating of Nick Cave, they are not ones to be missed. If you get an opportunity to see them- do it. Your life will change forever.

Sorry were the third band and are a four-piece from London. By creating the grunge twangs found in Wolf Alice and conveniently combining it with soft, yet forceful female vocals, Sorry have mastered that popular sound. With grunge moments leaking through making them the post-punk, slackers everyone wishes they were as cool as, it was no wonder the room had packed out so much for them. With their sound being described as “acid-washed”, the vocals then jumped between a hypnotic river of mumblings and a more-scratchy tone that kept the audience on their toes.

Shame were the final band of the night and the ones that everyone had been waiting for. With the audience eager to get moshing, the atmosphere was incredible. Two notes in and the place erupted. It was a safe yet hectic environment for every age and gender. With sweaty bodies being pushed around to the rash, in-your-face punk coming from Shame it was impossible not to end up covered in beer and sweat. With tops coming off just two songs in due to the temperature rise in fans and the band, the post-punk twangs and possessive drumming kept the fans tanked up until the very last minute. They closed their set with ‘Gold hole’ and the teasing intro lured the crowd into a false sense of security before the Drenge sounding vocals and guitar knocked through sending everyone in the room mental.

Photo by África Pombo.