Turn Up The Volume looks back at his favourite concerts of 2019…
PEUK – Charlatan, Ghent, Belgium – 25 January 2019
Here’s the original review…
After a series of rip-roaring gigs last year and an explosive EP, it was crystal clear why rowdy Belgian newcomers PEUK, a blusterous in your face trio led by youthful primal screamer and emotive songwriter Nele became the talk of the town. Remember Sonic Youth? Remember Nirvana? Remember early Hole? Well, Peuk is a scorching three-headed dragon combining all the mad rage, blazing anger and reality anxiety those
three aforementioned bands were adored for by troubled hearts & souls worldwide.
Yesterday the band released their self-titled, blistering debut LP and played a glorious
big bang gig in Turn Up The Volume‘s hometown to celebrate the newborn. As well live
as on record this noisy threesome’s intensity equals a fire-spewing volcano with psychic problems. Mental conditions such as exorcism, catharsis and soul-purification come to mind when you see Nele giving it all in her zone of her own on the stage. Totally arresting! Fully bewitching! Smells like blood-curdling teen spirit. Here’s an idea of Peuk Live…
And what about their debut album, I hear you ask.
Here are the keywords: Melodic trash / Barbed wire punk / Riotous grunge / Fierce body-piercing howls / Kim Gordon’s coolness / Courtney’s sneering and spitting / Mind-crashing drums / Furious bass / Fast slow / Quit, loud / Clamorous tumult / Emotional outbursts.
With all that information, you’re
sonically armed to meet the beast.
Kick out the jams right here…
Turn Up The Volume looks back at his favourite concerts of 2019…
SAINT AGNES – Kinky Star Club, Ghent, Belgium – 14 May 2019
Here’s the original review…
To be honest, before seeing this 4-headed British blues-rock psych monster called SAINT AGNES last Tuesday Turn Up The Volume! had no idea of the existence of this awesome, dazzling rawk engine. But now I know more! One: the band is named after “the patron saint of girls, virginity and chastity, who was martyred at the age of 13 in AD 304.“. Two: this group worked their sweaty asses off for several years to shape their sizzling sound, live and on record. Three: two weeks ago these dirty devils released their crushing debut longplayer WELCOME TO SILVERTOWN. Trust me… it’s A BOILING KILLER RECORD!
And this sledgehammer is one of the many bang-up highlights…
Now back to Tuesday. When SAINT AGNES started their set with the above jackhammer ‘The Death Or Glory Gang‘, your awakened mind instantly knew, your shaking body instantly felt and your sped up stream of adrenalin instantly signaled that you witnessed something really HEAVY AND HUGE. It seemed at first like this firm furious foursome wanted to crush you ‘right now, right here‘. Their mammoth power and towering energy had an immediate impact on all of your senses from the get-go.
Luckily for us, they just continued to steamroll madly and wildly as if this wasn’t the first but the last gig of their European tour. Firework key members Kitty Austen (vocals/guitar & keys) and Jon James Tufnell (vocals/guitar) sucked up all the visual and aural attention with their unstoppable tsunami of bloodthirsty guitar uppercuts and nastily screaming vocals while a merciless drum/bass tandem kept the merciless beat going on in the back. WHAM BLOODY WHAM BAM! As flamboyant as the kooky New York Dolls, as tempestuous as the burning The Black Crowes and as fucked-up as the two desperadoes of Royal Trux. Yes that viciously good.
It’s only the month of May but I’m sure this FUCKING RED-HOT PSYCH-O-DELIC BLUES ROCK TORNADO SHOW will be on Turn Up The Volume‘s best-2019-gigs list. The absentees were wrong, those present are all devoted disciples now of this bewitching holiness…