By Lily Cottrell
Is there a better way to spend an early-summers evening than in a small venue, pressed up against the stage, watching bands that are surely going to be the next big thing? That’s exactly what I found myself thinking as I walked into Norwich’s coolest venue, Voodoo Daddy’s showroom, to see the Montreal based dance-punk band La Sécurité.
The first band to walk on are Decent Wrestlers, a local Norwich noise-pop two piece. Their sound is reminiscent of grunge bands like Sonic Youth and Dinosaur JR, fuzzy rock mixed with more dreamy-pop sensibilities. There’s a really interesting, vibrant new music scene in Norwich, and Decent Wrestlers are certainly one of the most unique bands that are part of it. For a band with just two members, one on drums and one on guitar, they make a lot of noise and put on an incredibly good show.
Then, fellow Norwich band the Aide take the stage and immediately have the audience hooked. The four pieces’ sound mix art rock with indie rock, They’re one of the most interesting bands in the student scene of Norwich, with their heavy noise rock. I definitely feel the need to mention how incredible their Julian Casablancas look-alike bassist is, with bass taking a central role in their songs, joined by the post-punk guitar tones and poetic lyrics.
By the time La Sécurité take to the tiny stage of Voodoo’s, the venue is completely packed and if it wasn’t for the amazing air conditioning the venue has, we’d have been in for an incredibly sweaty night. They are such a brilliantly fun band to see live, with their infectious, energetic dance-punk having the entire audience moving from the first song to the last. They sing in a mixture of both English and French, which makes their sound really unique. Their setlist is made up of songs off their 2023 debut album Stay Safe such as ‘Le Kick’ and ‘Dis-Moi’, as well as from their second, soon to be released album Bingo, which are all so fun. Perfect for dancing to in a way that reminds me of bands like Le Tigre, CSS and the B-52s. Frontwoman Éliane Viens-Synnott is a powerhouse, her energy not dipping at all throughout their set, so incredibly cool in a way that reminds me of Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna. They’re all so entertaining to watch, a band that you can tell is having just as much fun as the crowd is. The night draws to an end with the final song ‘Snack City’, the second single to be released from Bingo, which is pure fizzy, punk fun.
La Sécurité are definitely one of the most fun new bands around, and the gig definitely reinforced how integral small venues such as Voodoos are. All three of the bands on the lineup were brilliant and tickets were only £13, which in a world of increasingly expensive gigs pricing out fans, especially younger ones, is proof that the DIY culture of the new bands and grassroots venues are the future for live music in the UK.
