Venus Grrrls took over The Waterfront Studio in Norwich

It was a rainy Tuesday evening in Norwich and the weather had recently changed setting the tone perfectly for Venus Grrrls’ debut Norwich show. Their fans were all eagerly waiting outside despite the weather, they all had the coolest outfits and make up and I knew I’d be in for a great concert. 

 First up was Bridget. who I hadn’t really listened to much prior to seeing them but that will definitely be changing now. She had a super high energy set involving jumping on speakers and into the crowd to mosh with fans. Some notable songs from her set were ‘Teeth’ and ‘The Drive (Where’s my money? Where’s my car?) which had the crowd shouting the lyrics back. She really brought the energy and got the crowd participation going ahead of Venus Grrrls’ set. 

Then it was time for Venus Grrrls! It was great getting to finally catch a headline show of theirs instead of just an opening set. They started with ‘Divine’ which is a really strong opening song featuring lots of funky guitar riffs and immediately brought the energy. Next up was ‘Bloodsick’ and their latest release ‘Darla’, a song about their bond as a band and an ode to female friendships. Then it was time for ‘Sudocream Queen’ which is the first song I ever heard by them that really got me into their music, it tackles the conversation of body image issues and other’s opinions of yourself. Venus Grrrls manage to tackle many important topics with their catchy upbeat alt-rock anthems. Then it was time for a bit of a throwback to one of their earlier songs, ‘Violet State of Mind’ which I really enjoyed, all the layers and production on this track make it super interesting to listen to. ‘Liar Liar’ and ‘Aries’ continued to entice the fans with incredible vocals and riffs before Grace Kelly, Lead Vocalist, took a moment to tell the crowd about the Anthony Nolan Foundation that they have partnered with on this tour to encourage fans to sign up as Stem Cell donors if they are able to. This follows Grace’s recent battle with acute myeloid leukaemia, where she saw the work that the Anthony Nolan foundation does first-hand and saw what a difference they can make. 

Next up was ‘Lidocaine’ which is a metaphor for numbing your brain just to get through the day, as well as it also being used during cancer procedures as a physical numbing agent, and then having to rebuild and deal with the consequences later on.  This song was written from Grace’s point of view, reflecting on the lasting damage leukaemia caused, and how she’s processing it all, in remission.  The night continued with more empowering music including ‘Hex’ which takes a stand against harassment before wrapping up the set with one of my favourite songs of the evening ‘Glisten’ which also happens to be one of their earliest songs in their discography. I’m usually one for more upbeat, heavier music but this track really stuck out to me live tonight and has been stuck in my head since. Grace’s phenomenal vocals really shone through on this slower track before the guitar kicked back in. This song really highlighted every member’s unique role in the band and how they work so well together. They then wrapped up the set with a cover of Siouxsie and the Banshee’s ‘Spellbound’ and ‘Goth Girl’ which went absolutely crazy live with the lights and crowd both going mental. 

 Don’t forget to go and sign up for the Stem Cell Register if you are able to! You could help save someone’s life!

Anthony Nolan Foundation: https://www.anthonynolan.org/help-save-a-life/join-stem-cell-register