Shambolics

Local group Chest kicked off the night with ‘Placid’, a track that’s been in my heavy rotation recently. The group looked very relaxed in their baggy tees and sunglasses, announcing that this was their first time at the Norwich venue. They played a lot from their new EP, ‘Bodies’, including their track ‘Elvis’, which was made in collaboration with Suffolk outfit Three Years Younger, which the crowd seemed the most familiar with. Again, I notice that a lot of the crowd show up to show their support for local acts in Norwich, being that little bit earlier for doors to stand at the front then have a chat with the band at the end, something which I think is to be celebrated.

Although the crowd thinned out a little for Archy and the Astronauts, the group certainly filled the space. Despite being a trio, the band almost felt like they were spilling over the stage with their dynamic set. I definitely misjudged the band by their name, assuming they were a softer indie group, but I was met with a wall of energetic modern rock. With their syncopated rhythms and heavier bass-line, it is easy to see how the group are inspired by bands like Royal Blood, but it would be unfair to draw the line there. The band are electric in their delivery, with bassist Nathan giving his absolute everything; kicking and jumping from amps, he was at home on stage. The band teased that they’d been recording some tracks in Cromer over the last few days, playing an unreleased song that had everyone’s attention. A call and response segment saw Nathan play out a riff on bass, with Archy raising an eyebrow and mirroring it on guitar, then both came crashing down in a crescendo with help from drummer Travis. With recent attention from BBC Introducing East Midlands, this group have everything you’d look for in your next favourite live act; matching boiler suits, groovy green and yellow guitars, and enough charisma to get the whole crowd stomping in the hopes of ‘f**king it up for everyone downstairs’ at the Waterfront.

Shambolics entered and immediately played through three of their biggest tracks, with the third song, ‘If You Want It’, seeing the band hit their stride. I thought it was unusual that the group didn’t introduce themselves until the third song was over, but singer Darren later told the crowd that they don’t speak much because people don’t often understand them with their thick Scottish accents. Whether they were joking about this or not, I thought it was a shame they didn’t interact with the crowd a little more; there was a large space left between the front of the crowd and the stage that they could’ve easily filled with some corralling. Nonetheless, the band’s delivery was polished and confident, with a particular highlight being ‘Coming for You’ from their new album. With the fast scales in the chorus, some of the crowd started dancing, albeit slightly reluctantly as a rather drunk man was leading the way. The group’s album came out in February, yet many of the tracks are singles dating back as far as 2021, explaining the composure they held throughout; the band know these songs inside out by now.

It was Shambolics’ first time in Norwich, yet despite this around half the crowd yelled out in response when Darren asked who’d seen them before, showing their national reach. Playing bright, anthemic songs such as ‘Chasing a Disaster’ and ‘Universal Credit’, it is easy to picture Shambolics on the big stage at an indie festival like Truck, with a crowd screaming along ‘I wanna be happier than you!’ With a little more crowd interaction, I really see Shambolics rising in the British indie scene; as a well-practised unit, they can have a lot of fun with the feel-good songs they deliver.