Words by Max Dervan.
Arid Wave
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As openers, Arid Wave wasted no time shaking The Joiners awake. Within moments, they had heads nodding and the crowd fully engaged with their stomper of a track ‘Honesty’.
Ben (vocals/guitar) delivered meaty screams with effortless power while firing off one hook-laden riff after another. Will on drums played like every snare hit could be their last – full force, no hesitation – while Chris held everything tight on the bass and kept the energy flowing, even cracking jokes on the mic between songs when cymbal stands went flying.
By the time the guitarist jumped into the crowd for the final track ‘Big Dumb Thing’ – without missing a single note – the room was buzzing. It was a short but electrifying set that built the tone perfectly for the night ahead.
For fans of Dinosaur Pile-Up and Reuben, Arid Wave are absolutely one to watch. If you get the chance to catch them live, don’t sleep on it.
Next up we had Ugly Ozo grace the stage and ultimately serving as an excellent main support for The Wytches. Fronted by Jess Baker, who commands both guitar and vocals, Ugly Ozo delivered a set that felt both fresh and ferocious.
Joined live by sister Boo Baker on bass and Tristan Northard on drums, Jess led the trio through a set full of punch and personality. For fans of The Pill and Wolf Alice, Ugly Ozo’s sound sits somewhere between shimmering indie rock and gritty alt-pop — full of hooks, bite, and attitude. Jess’s stage presence was playful and engaging, balancing a charmingly self-depricating humour with a fierce sense of control. This band are not to be double-crossed.
Their setlist showcased an impressive range, from swaggering riffs to more reflective moments with ‘Sink or Swim’ shining the brightest as their set closed out. One song was dedicated to “a bloke who did a bad thing to her, so she made him disappear”, earning knowing cheers from the crowd.
With their debut EP dropping later this month, you may be seeing a lot more of Ugly Ozo. If this performance was any indication, their playful charisma and sharp songwriting are bound to take them to great heights.
The Wytches
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This is not a gig, it’s a séance.
The Wytches entered the beloved Joiners’ stage to a sly, almost Pink Panther-style tune – a fittingly eerie prelude for what turned into a masterclass in graveyard grunge. The band crashed straight into ‘Talking Machine’ and were met with instant applause and a crowd ready to gaze at their shoes in zombie-like fashion; in the best way of course.
With their new album Talking Machine dropping just a day later, the band were in high spirits, joking that they were going head-to-head in the charts with Taylor Swift. Our money’s on this talented four-piece – and after this set, it’s easy to see why.
The Wytches tore through their set with a synchronised intensity firing off popular hits such as ‘Black Ice’, ‘Gravedweller’ and ‘Fragile Male For Sale’. Evan Breed, whilst usually on guitar and keys, even broke out a tambourine mid-song, whilst Bhavin Thacker on drums – who, we learned, has just quit his day job – thrashed like his rent depended on it. Cue the merch pitch: buy a T-shirt, fund a dream.
Their sound remains as hypnotic and raw as ever: gritty guitars dripping with feedback, dynamic tempo shifts keeping the crowd on edge, and that distinctive Wytches blend of menace and melody. For a contemporary comparison, some may liken the beautifully neck vein-popping vocals of front man Kristian Bell to that of Jacob Slater of Wunderhorse. The Wytches are for fans of anything grunge and all things darkly fuzzed-out.
There was no encore, but that felt deliberate – The Wytches know to leave a room wanting more. As the final note dissolved into feedback, the crowd stood grinning, ears ringing, ready to follow them straight into the spooky season. Phones were out to see where they could next be caught before the crowd even got to the smokers.