A View From The Back Of The Room: Death By Amaro, The Aide & Amongst Strangers (Spike)

Death By Amaro, The Aide & Amongst Strangers, SPACE Studios, Norwich 10.10.25

It’s always exciting to see new venues opening in Norwich, especially given how many we’ve lost in recent years. SPACE Studios is one of those welcome new additions, an intimate gig space, small enough to put you right in the middle of the action and perfect for a night of raw, emerging talent. With Amongst Strangers, The Aide, and Death By Amaro on the bill, it was a night that promised variety and it absolutely delivered on that.

Amongst Strangers (9) opened the evening, and for me, they were the band I was most looking forward to seeing live after reviewing their Strength Of A Few EP. The setting suited them perfectly. The small space meant there was no hiding, and they didn’t need to. You could tell immediately that they were having fun, laughing with the audience, trading jokes on stage, and keeping the atmosphere light. Introducing one of the guitarists as “Keith Richards’ babysitter” set the tone early, but when they launched into their set it was all business.

Tracks from the EP (Strength Of A Few) were delivered at breakneck speed, but every riff and every word was sharp and deliberate. Punk might still carry that “three chords and chaos” stereotype, but Amongst Strangers proved it’s much more than that. Their songs were focused, biting, and full of purpose. And while I could talk about their energy all day, it was their confidence and self-awareness that really stood out. This is a modern take on punk, smart, furious, and very, very alive. Throw in an unexpected detour into the history of garment manufacturing in Norwich, and you’ve got a band that’s not afraid to do things their own way. They deserve to be higher up the bill, and I’ve no doubt that time will come.

Next up were The Aide (6), who brought something completely different to the evening. They had an enthusiastic core of fans in the crowd, and musically, they were impressively tight, a technically strong band with clear ability and a distinctive blend of genres that at times bordered on post-punk, but with flashes of alternative and indie influence.

Stage presence, however, was a little uneven. Three of the four band members came on in pyjamas, the lead singer clearly didn’t get that memo and while it gave the show an eccentric touch, there was no explanation or even acknowledgment of what it was about. The singer was a blur of movement and energy, throwing himself fully into every song, but the rest of the band were largely static, which created a strange contrast. There was a little bit of banter between them between songs, but very little connection with the audience. Still, their musicianship carried the set, and they definitely have something unique going on sonically. For me, it just needs a bit more cohesion live.

Death By Amaro (6) headlined, and their set was another sharp turn in tone. A duo of singers performing with a laptop providing the backing tracks, their approach felt more like a performance art piece than a traditional gig as it was couple to vampire bartender personas. The music itself was well-constructed, moody and layered but somewhat electronic at times, however their presence was undeniable. 

For me with so much of the music pre-recorded, it created a sense of distance that felt at odds with the raw immediacy of what had come before. They had the visuals, the energy, and the ideas, but in a venue as personal as SPACE, where proximity amplifies everything, I felt that the digital barrier dulled some of the impact. Still, they closed the night with conviction and gave the audience something completely different to walk away with.

Overall, the night was a reminder of just how much musical diversity there is bubbling under the surface in Norwich right now and how vital spaces like SPACE Studios are to keeping that alive. Three very different bands, three very different takes on what live music can be and proof that, despite everything, the local scene still has a real heartbeat.