with Deadwires, Ruth Miller and Wailing Badger
Reviewed by Aleksandra Brzezicka.
Regrouped, Flying Kangaroo Alliance, brought their sassy feminist punk and, almost finished, album, Dreamcatcher, back to Leicester at The Cookie. Deadwires, Ruth Miller and Wailing Badger were there to support them.
Deadwires opened up the show on the rock ‘n’ roll/metal note, shouting ‘one way to go’ while they took us on the highway full of their distorted, noisy grunge on speed.
Cal Cook (vocal/guitar) and Sam Marsh (drums) don’t need the whole band to create an interesting, layered sound with sick solos. They can make an angry statement, put on a funkier and well-behaved face like in We Are Watching, scream their heads off and be so sharp that it hurts in the way you like it. Live debut and a standout, Driving Me Insane, was absolutely mad with its banging drums and suspiciously shrilling sound. Louder and faster, Spare Myself was the one to finish it off. I recommend sparing some time to check Deadwires out.
Half of PO! and Punk Diaries blog, Ruth Miller, performed a bluesy set with a little punky attitude accompanied only by her guitar. For a while, everyone in the basement of The Cookie travelled back in time to re-live Ruth’s experiences about fading female friendship, mental institutions, being mates with an exotic dancer and living in the dusty, corrupted city. Inspired by girls on the run and the art of giving yourself, she contrasted ruthless reality with a glimpse of hope.
Ruth is a true storyteller, like those archetypal bartenders in the old, shady English pubs who’ve seen it all and can always make you laugh or cry.
‘Sloping from the depths of rural Leicestershire,’ Wailing Badger, treated us to a fair share of funky rock ‘n’ roll, bringing back the nonchalance of the old times blues. They played an eight-song set featuring an ode to the process of letting it go on the psychedelic note aka Turn It Up, more chilled and beautifully sang, a retro romantic ballad, Pale Black Jeans, and striking the ideal dynamic between quiet and loud, So Long.
Wailing Badger got a charm of the past mixed up with funky energy of the future.
Finally, the band of the night, Flying Kangaroo Alliance, took over the stage. F.K.A. is Meri Everitt’s (songwriter/vocals/guitar) formation and a platform to manifest her views on the contemporary culture through the eyes of authentic riot girl. ‘I got paranoid that life is meaningless’ went lyrics to the opening track about hanging to the past, Bloodflow, to transform into messy grunge aka Hit The Wall, where Meri’s punchy vocal collided with squeaking riffs and perpetual drum punches.
For F.K.A. no topic is taboo and I praise them for that. Prince of Darkness was a truly touching psychedelic rock ballad about sex desire, loudly naughty Get The F**k Off, obviously, ‘about joy of not giving a f**k,’ and America, the melody for marching into the mayhem and a kick in the face of American racism.
It’s a shame that they didn’t manage to produce the album on the launch night. Also, in spite of me seeing them for the first time, re-arranging old songs is not that exciting. Still, F.K.A’s fierce feminist punk managed to light my fire bright enough to recognize them as one of the most intriguing local bands.
Watch the video below for an interview with Flying Kangaroo Alliance and their performance of Get the F**k off on the night:
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