Cinematic Cowboy Rock’n’Roll Meets Psychedelic Garage Rock
Published
I’d been meaning to go to a gig at the Norwich Arts Centre for ages. And by ages, I mean I’ve lived in Norwich for four years, and the Murder Mystery Tour gig was my first visit.
I’m actually quite glad because this line-up was absolutely perfect for the venue – housed in a church dating back to the fifteenth century, the atmosphere is so different to other venues. It’s easy to see why it was voted “Britain’s Best Small Venue” by NME last year. After a pint in the garden surrounded by fairy lights, I made my way inside into the dimly lit hall to await the first band. I didn’t know what to expect – I’d listened to the bands but never seen them live.
First on stage was Pink Lizards. You would never guess this band originally hails from Brighton – striding onto the stage, they threw themselves straight into powerful, sleazy, psychedelic rock you’d expect to hear in a dive bar in the southern states of America. Frontwoman Daisy Coburn has a particularly impressive stage presence, swaggering in cowboy boots and belting out vocals whilst shredding guitar. It’s impossible not to move along to downright sexy songs like 'Settle For Lust', with beautiful distorted guitars and drawn out vocals.
Next up was Saint Agnes. Again, you’d never guess this band are from London. Haunting harmonicas, punchy guitars and echoey vocal effects conjure images of hot deserts, cowboys and sleazy saloons - a world away from bankers in suits and depressing journeys on the tube. One of the stand out elements of their performance for me was the raw chemistry between the band – it was electric. The way Jon and Kitty played together during 'Old Bone Rattle' was really quite something. I don’t think my words will do it justice, so as my friend Sara described it on the night: “I bet they’re going to hate-fuck each other when they get home”.
Bad For Lazarus were the final band to take the stage, full of energy and enthusiasm from the start. I was happy to hear my favourite song 'My Muddle', opening with instantly recognisable jaunty keyboard sounds. They aren’t a band you can define with one genre – psychedelic garage rock with a theatrical flair; they provided a really fun, dynamic end to a truly unique gig.
It was a really great line-up in a venue perfect for the unique sounds of cowboy rock’n’roll and psychedelic rock. I’ll definitely be listening to all three bands a lot more and keeping an eye out for more shows, particularly Saint Agnes. The one thing that disappointed me about the gig wasn’t the band themselves, it was the crowd – they tapped their feet a little to Pink Lizards, tapped their feet slightly harder to Saint Agnes, and even moved around a bit to Bad For Lazarus. Apart from a couple of people, the crowd just wasn’t very enthusiastic or interactive, and stayed quiet away from the stage. I think Norwich crowds can often be (don’t hate me, Norwich) a little… boring? Reserved? But these bands deserved more from us, and I know we can do better!
To find out more about the Murder Mystery Tour click here.
Words and pictures by Carla Morris
