The Lounge Society

Celebrating Independent Venue Week, Voodoo Daddies Showroom is the perfect example of a local hub that supports its artists and puts on incredible sets for those who attend. I always enjoy walking through the retro-themed bar and heading down to the warmly lit basement space, eager to hear hand-picked local acts supporting their touring headliner.

Wazlo and his band opened with a fantastic performance. Their nervous energy was undeniable, but if anything, this added buckets of character to an already eclectic set. After some shuffling of the setlist and a confident shout that ‘this one is for the anchovy lovers’, Wazlo descended into the unexpected. Their comforting rock-and-roll melodies in a major key evoked a certain nostalgia, only to throw the listener with less traditional lyricism, with a favourite line of mine being ‘when I die throw me in the trash’, a potential homage to the great Danny Devito. ‘Be Still My Cheating Heart’ was a particular highlight, with the band placing their hands on their hearts and providing rounds of harmonies, alongside a song about Wazlo’s friend’s cat, where the frontman proceeded to meow an impressive riff into the mic. With their ‘Beach Boys ditties’, I’ve never heard anything quite like Wazlo, and I am grateful to Voodoos for giving them a stage; the resounding cries of ‘who are you?’ from the audience when Wazlo was introducing their final song really demonstrates a curiosity about the act that many want to explore further.

Norwich outfit Chest took the stage with their usual swagger. The five-piece have been in high demand, with a mix of London and Norwich shows building their profile over the last few months. The group are clearly at home on the Voodoos stage, with frontman Joel crooning behind a big ushanka hat and shades. Chest didn’t talk to the crowd much, but I didn’t feel the need; after Wazlo’s charmed and raucous set, they lulled a quiet engagement from the crowd with their bright 90s-style riffs and rich vocals. Being named on BBC Introducing’s ‘Ones to Watch 2025’, this is the year to ‘say it with Chest’, as the saying goes, and I’d recommend heading down to any one of their shows to witness their composed yet exciting performances. ‘A band that thrives as a collective entity, with no core leader,’ The Lounge Society’s slick and cohesive performance certainly lived up to expectations. The young band, who met at school in Yorkshire, have an exciting reputation, and this observation by Voodoos of the perceived ‘collective entity’ of the group was immediately obvious. Often coming face to face to play their riffs, it was as if these personal interactions, pulling faces and moving dynamically with their guitars, took precedence, with an absolute faith that the music would follow.

After the success of their first album, The Lounge Society are reportedly ready to release a second, according to God is in the TV, which explains why the majority of the setlist I grabbed from the stage contains a lot of songs that aren’t available to stream just yet. Unreleased track ‘Lately’ stood out, anthemic in its refrain of ‘lately the world is driving you crazy’. Known for their thoughtful and often politicised lyrics, it appears the content of this new record has had just as much introspection as its predecessor. This sleight of hand lyricism works well with the funk overtones of tracks like ‘Burn the Heather’, which the crowd danced happily to. I was delighted to hear ‘Valencia’ live too, as the band have had it on their setlist for some time now; under the bright blue lights, singer/bassist Cameron swayed his hips side to side, holding his bass high and focusing on the audience.

Building energy towards the end, the group descended into a fervent performance of ‘Valley Bottom Fever’, head-banging as they riffed off one another, with an enthusiastic duo from the audience opening a two-person pit to dance and fully immerse themselves in, which really made me smile. The Lounge Society somehow had one more song left in them, playing out with ‘Generation Game’, their oldest recorded single. The group also took a moment to appreciate the work done by Independent Venue Week, thanking Voodoos for giving them the opportunity to perform on such a great stage. ‘We’d all be a bit fucked without venues like these,’ said guitarist Hani, and I’m inclined to agree.