Music > Live Reviews

PREY DRIVE, DARKO & KAVES

Voodoo Daddy's Showroom

by Pavlis

10/10/22

Tonight’s show is promoted by Pica Pica, Pica Pica! Promotions. You might know them better as the legend that is Annie (Wombat Wombat/Sonic Youths/Platform New Noise) Catwoman, Daniel, Charlie Valentine and Safron. Following a show featuring Fräulein, Gladboy and Cruiserchimps and another with Arxx, Aphra and Blue Feed, this is the third show promoted by the “collective of music-loving magpies”.

First up is KAVES, a local four piece I last saw headlining the Waterfront Studio a year and a month to the day ago! Tonight’s show is a touch lowkey compared to that but still bloody good. Without wishing to repeat what I said of the that show, Caitlin’s vocals display a great singing voice and some damned fine rapping. The music mixes late 80s/early 90s rap-rock with nu-metal and a touch of ska - think the Chilli Peppers without the wanky bits and you won’t be too far away. Ace comes on like a rap-metal Wannabe (and I mean that as a compliment), the bass sound in I Just Want My Hoodie Back is glorious but it is Ignore Me - starting in an almost blues-rock way before turning a nu-metal Freebird that is the standout.

I’ve seen Darko once before, way back in 2018 supporting (the mighty) A Wilhelm Scream. I wasn’t fully convinced that night but, five years on and with a new singer, tonight is at another level entirely and Darko absolutely KILL IT. This is intense but melodic hardcore with some amazing musicianship. When was the last time you saw two guitarists playing a Thin Lizzy/Iron Maiden style twin lead break but with two handed taping? More importantly, when was the last time you saw something like that and it fitted the song, without just being an unnecessary display of self-indulgent guitar-wankery? It also has to be said that it is rare to see a band showing such joy in playing such angry music. It must not be another four years before I see Darko again.

After that, PREY DRIVE deliver a set of more-than-decent melodic hardcore. The vocals are great, there’s more cracking musicianship and the songs are decent. It just doesn’t quite match the heights that Darko hit. This is the first time I have seen Prey Drive - the gods alone know how I have missed them considering that they are Norwich based and the number of gigs I get to - and it will definitely not be the last.

All in all, a brilliant evening, thanks to all concerned.