Sleemo, Eat Your Own Head, and Narcolepsy

It is Saturday night at the Adrian Flux Waterfront in King Street, and Norwich rock fans have a choice. Downstairs, in the main room, it is a double bill of tribute acts, with 'Guns 2 Roses' and 'Metallica Reloaded' revisiting the 80’s and 90’s rock scene, whilst upstairs in the Waterfront Studio there is the option, instead, to catch three original, and contemporary, local rock acts – Sleemo, Eat Your Own Head, and Narcolepsy. And whilst I fully appreciate and understand the attraction of the tribute acts, it is obviously a no-brainer as to which of the two I am going to pick.

Sleemo and Eat Your Own Head have each been around for around six years, and I have seen both of them live in Norwich before, even if not for a couple of years. Each has released new material since then, so it is definitely time for me to check each of them out again.

On the other hand, openers Narcolepsy only came together a couple of years, and this would be my first time of hearing them live. A Norwich five-piece, they released their debut album 'Nocturne' earlier this year, and recently had a chance to open for New York band Glimmer on four nights of their UK tour, including the date at Voodoo Daddys in Norwich. Tonight’s set opens with three songs from the new album, and I am immediately impressed – dreamy vocals from singer Ivy, augmented by a lush hazy shoegaze backing from Luca and Billy on guitars, Jamie on bass, and Luke on drums. Their sound seems to take inspiration from 90's shoegaze, and bands like Slowdive, Ride and even Mercury Rev, and yet there seems to be no shortage of fresh ideas and original soundscapes of their own. I am immediately won over. A wonderful discovery for me, and new songs Marmalade, Another Time, and Seashell shows that Narcolepsy still have plenty more tricks up their sleeves.

Eat Your Own Head began life as Hank back in 2019, and whilst their angular take on post-hardcore is not the sort of thing that I normally choose to relax to at home, I have to admire the sheer scale of the sound that lead singer and guitarist Ash Woolnough, guitarist Jordan Woolnough, bass player Tom McGeady and drummer Ben Mollett create on stage – there's is a thunderous behemoth of noise, and yet with melodic flourishes interlaced amidst the floor-stomping riffs and Ash’s impassioned vocal delivery. Yes, it is heavy, yes it is loud, but dive beneath the surface, and their lyrics reveal a heartfelt and genuine concern about the moribund struggles of modern life. Tonight’s set draws in material from their previous two album releases, resurrects early single Poltergeist, and debuts two brand new songs.

Sleemo released their second album, 'The End', at the tail end of last year, the follow up to 2023's 'Call To The Void'. These are very much a power trio, certainly post-hardcore, but also introducing elements of both sludge and shoegaze into the mix. Led by Billy Utting on vocals and guitar, and backed by Jack Andrews on five-string bass and Jacob Brooks on drums, the sound is firmly focussed on emotionally driven songs, delivered with crushing guitar riffs and a thumping beat. However, there is still space for intricate touches, impassioned vocals and some well tasty arrangements. The set revolves around material from 'The End', but also finds room for a trio of tracks from the debut album, as well as the awesome Y.A.N.O. single from 2023, and some brand new material.

Well, I hope the guys downstairs enjoyed their tribute night but, for me, I sure am glad that I climbed the Waterfront's stairway to heaven for my Saturday night fix of live music from three of Norwich’s most exciting, and original, bands.