LIVE REVIEW & GALLERY: The Solarnites I Manners & Profanity I The Lowtones @ Space Studios, Norwich
Space Studio is nestled away in the heart of the Norwich lanes. I've walked past hundreds of times and never noticed it. Once inside it's a real hidden gem, a lovely industrial-esque building with an adorable terrace. The staff were all super friendly too. The main venue is possibly the smallest place I've ever watched a gig. Cozy, intimate, and bursting with charm. My only complaint was the lighting for most of the show; it was almost dark relying on three small lights to illuminate the whole stage.
On to the music. First up were the Solarnites, a band I'd encountered some 14 months prior as a two-piece when they were good but lacking confidence and a polished performance. Skip forward a year and it's like watching a different band. First off there's four of them now, the addition of a drummer and bassist means the songs have a lot more power, richness, and impact. Their sound has diversified too, blending almost every genre imaginable so you never quite know what's coming next.
Danny's voice is still wonderfully warm and genuine while Giles offers a more raw, post-punk-ish contrasting tone. After seeing them the first time I was left wondering if Giles should hand all the vocal duties to Danny as I felt his were a little too off-key and rough around the edges. However, with relentless practice, his voice has improved so much. I struggled to believe it's the same person.
Infusing indie with rock, country, and even bursts of hip-hop and prog, The Solarnites are almost unrecognisable now. Brimming with catchy uplifting chords, and vibrant memorable melodies they captivate with their shape-shifting sound. They ooze confidence and star quality. They are proof that if you want something bad enough and practice hard enough you can achieve anything. They are also some of the nicest people I've encountered in music. This warmth radiated throughout their set. They have big personalities and ever-evolving sound that's only going from strength to strength.
The only thing I'd change is replacing their cover of 'Acquiesce' with another original, it's a good cover but I just don't like covers!
Moving on to one of my favourite Norwich bands' Manners and Profanity. I've seen the lads twice before in their old tongue-in-cheek incarnation and they were good but you could tell the music they were making lacked authenticity. Now, with an almost fully changed line-up, they've found their niche. A perfect fuzzed-up blast of immersive grunge that allows the stunning rawness in Ricky's voice to shine.
Single 'Loser' was absolutely phenomenal, a sound that should be filling a big venue. Gravelly tones, high impact chorus it was a deluge of scuzziness. 'What Is Mine', while maybe not as polished live as recorded, still hits with maximum impact as it powers through its emotional words and killer riffs.
Droning, distorted basslines, hook-heavy guitars, and pulsating drums Manners and Profanity are a force to be reckoned with on the local scene. They've found a formula that is right for them. A sound so raw and so real, a true homage to the music they love delivered with so much passion it's hard not to fall in love with them.
Thanks to wonderful rural buses I can't say too much about the Lowtones as I only managed to catch two songs. What I saw was great, reminiscent of King Adora with glitterful, eccentric swagger, art house poses and articulate, immaculate glam rock versus punk sound. Flamboyant, slightly pretentious, and bursting with infectious energy.
