Tuesday, 18 June 2024

A View From The Back Of The Room: Sweatbox (Live Review By SJ)

SweatBox, MondoWave & The Oversights, Le Pub, Newport, 14.06.24

Another great line up at Le Pub! This was my first time watching any of the acts, so I was excited at the prospect. I did appreciate the small gesture of free ear plugs from the venue. We’ve got to protect our ears to be able to listen to all this great music, right? Even before the music started there was a sense of comradery among the crowd and the acts who were all chatting over drinks.

First up were The Oversights (8), an indie rock band. It can be difficult as the opener act to warm the crowd up albeit pulled this off fantastically. All 3 members, Rhys, Kane and Tom collectively got the crowds’ feet tapping and head's banging. Throughout their set, between their songs they made us laugh with their comedic comments which helped build rapport with the crowd effortlessly. Even calling out the fact they missed out some of their own lyrics, what an oversight – pun intended. They engaged with the audience and made us part of their act, getting us to clap along. The vocals switched between Rhys and Kane throughout the songs which added a distinct vibe to their songs.

I had a quick catch up with the band afterwards who told me that this was the second time they’ve performed at Le Pub, the first time was in 2020, so it’s been a long time coming for them to come back to Le Pub. They also mentioned that their favourite song to perform is Summer Nights and I can see why, it has addicting guitar riffs, funky melodies, and fluid vocals. 

Overall, it was a pleasure to watch The Oversights live and I look forward to seeing them again both for their music and amusing quips.

Up next were MondoWave (7), a 4-member punk band from Mars, and although they claim to be from another planet, they felt at home on that stage. I quite liked the style of singing; it was almost like melodic or rhythmic talking at parts. The way the singer looked at the microphone, I felt like he was seducing it at times. There was banter between the members of the band and smile exchanges throughout the performance; it’s always great to see people love what they do. Stand outs for me were Hard 2 Focus with its vivace tempos, but overall, their set felt quite reminiscent of a band such as Dead Kennedys, invigorating the crowd with punk rock. 

Headlining the night were SweatBox (8). What a grandiose performance totally embodying punk attitude with vibes of early Melvins or the crossover thrash of Suicidal Tendencies. They kicked it out of the bag from the get-go by bringing a mannequin head with a cowboy hat on stage to use as a prop, which was both intriguing and a little odd. The lead singer was pacing around the stage like an animal, almost liked he wanted to branch out into the crowd out more, but he was confined by the stage itself. This didn’t last long though as he jumped off the stage and into the crowd. The band had such stage and off-stage presence it was impressive. Standout songs for me were We’re All The Same and T.O.P, both because of their dynamic guitar riffs and riotous and riveting vocals.

Overall, the night was mesmerizing and radical. It felt futuristic, yet nostalgic, and in a way, timeless. 

I went to the gig by myself, and Le Pub always has some of the most welcoming and friendly atmosphere, although I attended the event alone, I didn’t feel like it when I was there. Plus, you know it’s a great set when even the photographer is dancing along.

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