The first week of October brought us Punksoc, Rocksoc and Highsoc’s Alternative Week, which built up to an all day finale gig at Bodega. Split into two halves, the event saw no less than seven bands make their way to the venue to disturb the peace of a Sunday afternoon.
First to perform was Alexander and the Christopher Hale Band, who gave gig- goers half an hour of his best known acoustically performed songs, including his own rendition of Shakira’s ‘Hips Don’t Lie’. Next came Police Drama (Jhannelle’s personal favourite), whose talented drumming and guitar playing turned out to be one of the highlights of the gig.
Following them was Nottingham’s very own metal duo Knife Cutter, their set filled with exciting instrumentals and a few jokes between songs to liven things up even more. Closing part one of the gig was Cheap Jazz, a rock jazz band, also from the Midlands, who played the wonderfully titled ‘Skeggy Rash Strikes Again’ and ‘Friday Death Plunge of Mr Karaoke’ from their recent album release. All four bands captivated the audience, who were raving about their performances long after they had finished.
After a one-hour break, each of the societies’ headline acts took to the stage. Representing Highsoc was Leeds based electronic pop three-piece Cowtown, who raced through their ten-song set with minimal fuss and maximum energy. Combining an expansive guitar setup and synth bass, the trio warmed the crowd back up again with their snappy, punchy tunes. Highlights included ‘Animals’ and set closer ‘Perfect Sound Forever’.
Filling the intimate space that is Bodega’s gig-room next were the groovy riffs of heavy blues rock band 10 Foot Wizard from Manchester. During a set that included heavy, grunge-y guitar riffs and top of the range screaming, with numerous tempo-changes thrown in to boot, the band wowed the crowd with their raw power. Hilarious recollections of the night before (one of which involved ‘cheese with drugs in’) kept the gig-goers happy between songs.
Last to take to the stage were Punksoc’s representatives Drone. Formed in Camberly out of their self-professed mutual love of ‘all things loud, fast and melodic’, the young band stormed through their headline set of hardcore punk, ending the night with an impressive display of sheer enthusiasm and acrobatic energy.
The event was an undoubted success for all three societies, Bodega the perfect venue for such an ambitious show. We’re hoping that the guys at Punksoc, Rocksoc and Highsoc will be putting their heads together again before too long.
By Jhannelle Lewis and Alex_Orosa
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