The Mic's Izzy Morris was over in Leicester to catch punk group Witch Fever in concert.
It's rare for me to be able to catch artists that I'm excited about in my home city. The United By Music initiative from the National Lottery is aiming to encourage some of the UK's biggest talents to take the road less traveled and visit independent venues that are bouncing back after the pandemic. Witch Fever are among a whole host of incredible acts that are taking part in the initiative, and as part of their 'rural tour', the doom punk quartet made a stop at the Soundhouse in Leicester, to deliver locals with a much needed dose of female rage.
The Soundhouse is essentially a dingy little pub. The walls are plastered with gig posters, old and new. You can see the green room from the audience area if you're standing at the back, and if you need the toilet or you want to buy merchandise, you actually have to make your way deeper into the crowd. In its humility, there's a spark; it feels like you're being welcomed into a community. The other audience members were very keen to chat, and one even told me that this was going to be their first gig. Being from Leicester, you usually have to travel up to Nottingham or across to Birmingham to get your fix, especially with your heavier stuff. Having gigs on your doorstep in this way allows music fans to create those first formative music memories. I spotted her later in the night giving it her all down at the front under the lights.
"These nu-metal sisters are coming to crowds with strong concepts, strong vocals and an immensely strong presence."
We did get a much welcomed serving of Nottingham's finest though with an incredible opening set from Alt Blk Era. I've seen the girls quite a few times now, and they keep getting better and better every single time. These nu-metal sisters are coming to crowds with strong concepts, strong vocals and an immensely strong presence. Chaya's vocals are simply delicious, and the more I see her perform, the more she comes into her own on stage. Nyrobi brought the heat to the Soundhouse, conducting the room into movement, with middle fingers raised high into the air as they closed out with I'm Normally Like This - a track that celebrates being different and being alternative. In cities like Leicester that don't quite have the same scenes as Nottingham and other bigger music cities, the message felt even more appreciated than it has when I've seen it performed before. Everyone was immediately indoctrinated into this new wave of Alt Blk Era.
Heatwave or no heatwave, they lit the room on fire. I grabbed a sea cider poured straight from a box in the bar in order to recover slightly. The girls came down to say hello and were swarmed by new fans that just witnessed their magic. Things are only going to get bigger and better for Nyrobi and Chaya.
And then it was time for Witch Fever. Amy, Alex, Annabelle and Alisha walked on stage with powerful composure before breaking into I Saw You Dancing. This composure would very swiftly be broken down by the immense heat in the room, the sweat from the pit and rockstar energy, leaving the crowd, by the end of the set, slapped in the face with dirty riffs and angry lyricism.
This particular tour date was Alisha’s birthday, which saw a shift in tone in between tracks for the band. It was like watching a playful group of friends, who joked with the front row, complained about the heat and shared inside jokes onstage. It was nice to go from hard hitting doom punk bangers to these light-hearted quips and laughs, although because of the nature of the venue, and the somewhat restricted viewing from the middle, sometimes these snippets got lost for the back of the room, who weren’t quite as involved in the performance, which was a bit of a shame. For the diehards able to handle the stink of their neighbor’s BO, though, this wouldn’t have been a problem at all.
"It was like watching a playful group of friends, who joked with the front row, complained about the heat and shared inside jokes onstage."
Amy did, however, travel to the back of the room halfway through the set, submerging into the crowd, into the riff raff. Her ferocious vocals never faltered, and remained immensely impressive throughout the duration of the night, and the astonishingly fuzzy guitar lines from Alisha were simply glorious. They well and truly rocked Leicester’s socks off.
In such a small room, it was nice to see so many people jumping for tracks like Blessed Be Thy and Congregation whilst also showing equal enthusiasm for some of the newer tracks that they were showcasing for the first time on this tour. It’s clear to see that we’re all going to breaking out into a Witch Fever once again when the new album comes together.
The band’s visit to the Soundhouse will stay with the heavy community in Leicester, and has created some important memories for some of its patrons. It’s easy to forget when you live in Nottingham, where gigs are on your doorstep whenever you want them, that some heavy communities aren’t quite so lucky. Long may the United by Music campaign continue.
Izzy Morris
Edited by Tabitha Smith
Featured Image courtesy of Witch Fever via Facebook
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