LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: PET NEEDS @ Voodoo Daddys, Norwich

30/01/2023

Support from Ben Brown and Ecto Peach

First gig of 2023 and first gig in 2 months was back at my most favourite venue, the small but perfectly formed unequivocally charming Voodoo Daddy's where the aroma of delicious pizza leaves you feeling ravenously hungry all night!

First up were a band who've been on my radar for so long but have somehow bypassed my listening fronted by Louise who's been my Strava friend for years! Ecto Peach are unashamedly eccentric from Louise's high energy stage presence, the guitarist who didn't stop smiling, the balaclava wearing bassist and a drummer who was bursting with quirky personality. The band is like an explosion of sound and endearing attitude.

They have plenty to say and their infectious punk-ish style went down a treat in the reasonably busy venue. Louise's voice is totally unique with a bluesy tone and theatrical depth. Ecto Peach are there to make a statement and ensure they leave a lasting impression. They present gritty bass, big riffs, playful drum beats and a chaotic energy.

For me the set highlight was 'Peaches in Dublin' with its captivating groove and super fun 'da da da da der da da' stomp along chorus. They owned the stage and were the perfect opener to get the crowd nicely warmed up.

Following Ecto Peach was the truly delightful Ben Brown. Bringing the pace down his brand of warm and fuzzy acoustic ditties. He has an unreal voice with a beautiful tone, lyrically maybe slightly too loved up and romanticised for me but that didn't take away from how truly captivating his vocal performance was.

The thing about Ben is it's not all about the music, it's about him and his slightly off the wall personality. He's a character, from telling stories about buying postcard to sell on ebay and not selling a single one, to his DIY merch with "World Greatest Songwriter" emblazoned across the front (which he invited the crowd to steal while no one was manning the merch desk) to suggesting the crowd should engaged with him on socials only to then give out his full address and phone number.

Ben's the kind of person where even if you don't like his music you can't help but like his stage presence. The type of artist you watch perform and come away wishing they were your mate!

Ben's an undeniable talent, he performs with passion, sincerity and a lot of slightly zany charm!

Then to PET NEEDS, the third time I've seen them and they never get old (well maybe the stories do!) I always find something new in their sound that I've neglected to hear before.

The band is pure punk energy with a booming frantic chaos however I've never appreciated before just how much genre crossover there is. There's indulgent proggy guitars, elements of blues and fuzzy grungy bass.

Having watched them play the UEA supporting Frank Turner where they had a big floor to bounce about on they were definitely more restricted on Voodoo's tiny, equipment crammed stage but they still managed to do a decent amount of rocking out.

They jammed through a good mix of old and new material with classics such as 'Punk Isn't Dead It's Just Up For Sale' and 'Scratchcard' going down a treat. They played the one about the washing machine repair man which is always a fun live show as well as a track they'd only written 3 days ago which was an epic stomp along.

They also introduced us to a more tender side to the band on 'Nobody Ever Wonders' with beautiful, haunting ethereal guitars and the harrowing line "let's pretend to be free for a while", it was an unexpected, but a welcomed and well received lull in the chaos.

I was gutted I had to leave mid way through my favourite 'Tracy Emin's Bed' thanks to useless rural buses although what I did hear was as perfect and anthemic as always.

It was an epic night, filled with artists from Colchester all of whom are immense talents, with larger than life personalities. The term "mad as a box of frogs" springs to mind.