Despite the soggy conditions outside, the Geordie faithful flocked to Zerox on Tuesday night to watch a showcase of awesome bands smash the place up. TV Death, Honeybadger and Sick Joy; an eclectic blend of exciting alternative rock sounds that went down an absolute storm!
And for me there was the extra (or should that be “infinite”?!) pleasure of catching up with Adam Hope from local heroic band, The Pale White, who gave me his own commentary on each set. Spoiler: he thought they were all class too!
TV DEATH
It’s been a few years since I last saw local outfit TV Death live. They had real potential as a bright young band when they supported Jango Flash at Lubber Fiend in 2022. And in their set as opening support at Zerox, they exuded an electrifying confidence of seasoned pros on stage.
These guys definitely take influence from some cool alternative bands, especially with a nod to the 70s. Adam from The Pale White mentioned the Cramps, as well as early Kasabian, which I would definitely go along with in terms of the zany vocals and catchy bass lines. I reckon a bit of The Stooges and T.Rex as well for the guitars and fired up energy. Brilliant wild beast like drummer too.
There’s certainly plenty of psyched up thriller sonics and passion in their performance. Look forward to seeing them again sometime!
CHECK OUT TV DEATH ON THEIR SOCIALS.
HONEYBADGER
Next up a particular favourite of mine; wild and raucous young Brighton band Honeybadger made a hugely welcome return to Newcastle as the main support. This was the set that I was particularly excited to see, especially in light of their new material. And the boys delivered on an epic scale.
Honeybadger have an explosive energy and chemistry on stage that is always completely infectious. As a trio they really do ramp up the decibels. They totally wowed the crowds with their killer grunge meets edgy alternative rock numbers, including Killswitch, Back To Bed, and ending on their biggest hit, Maybe I, with those urgent pulsating rock grooves. There were a couple of newer tracks in there which also cut through superbly. I loved how some tracks just melted into others as they commanded the stage with their face melting anthems.
Watching in the wings, The Pale White’s Adam was equally impressed. He particularly remarked to me about frontman Eddy’s vocal power. He absolutely screamed out the lyrics to each track with great passion. Eddy’s spiky guitars were dialled up full throttle; he was so much locked into the vibe of each song that at one point the guitar strap snapped off. Ever the pro, he carried on with a momentary bass and drums interlude between a couple of tracks.
The Honeybadger rhythm section were both totally on fire throughout the set too. Luca’s rocker appearance with an awesome mane of long hair really made him a commanding presence as he thrashed out some cool bass lines. Meanwhile boisterous drummer Joe totally ripped it up on the kit with ferocious force on each track. He whacked out plenty of thunderously heavy tom grooves and biting snare drum throughout; some tasty fills too. He’s got great showmanship and real thrusting power as he pummels the skins.
The Honeybadger lads certainly got the crowds jumping and even dancing at the front as the set reached its climax. There were healthy queues at the merch stand, and I’ve had a good few comments praising the band for an almighty raucous performance since posting the odd video clip on the socials afterwards. Genuinely the nicest guys to hang out with. Next time I would love to see these boys tackle a headline set.
CHECK OUT HONEYBADGER ON THEIR SOCIALS.
SICK JOY
Menacing, moody, magnificent. Sick Joy were quite some headline band at Zerox. They clearly had a cult following out in force with plenty of T-shirts on display among the near capacity crowd.
The band is fronted by Mykl Barton who amassed an excited crowd reaction due to his Newcastle roots (he is now Brighton based). His striking presence with just electric guitar for the first track was powerful and poetic; it really drew the crowd into the rowdy cacophony of sounds that was to follow. His bellowing vocal cut through impressively.
The set of tunes that was to follow certainly met the intent to match the brutal with the joyous in an alluring and sometimes unsettling manner. There were definite nods to a string of furiously heavy American bands. Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana and Pixies were definitely apparent in the wonderfully harsh guitar licks and thrashing bass lines. Grungy, and even at times a bit goth which was incredibly cool. Intriguingly Massive Attack have also been referenced by the band which was certainly notable in the synth inflections.
And the Sick Joy drummer was also tremendous. A real powerhouse with deliciously noisy and powerful rhythms throughout. He was a pleasure to watch tearing it up. It has to be said that I’m surprised there were no drum skins harmed on the night. All three drummers absolutely smashed the hell out of the tubs in the most menacing way. Loved it!
CHECK OUT SICK JOY ON INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK.
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