There was a hum of excitement in what must be Dundee’s smallest venue, even before the first band took to the floor from the capacity crowd of around 80.
They were all here to hear the exciting, all-female punk band, The Froobz. with a stellar supporting cast of fellow Perth natives, The Cowards and The Purple Felts.
The Cowards took to the stage and provided 30 minutes of indie entertainment. These guys can write tunes. ‘The Skin You’re In’ stood out as a catchy, all-energy song with a Kinks vibe.
They warmed up the crowd well, building the excitement quickly. They deserve to be seen on a larger stage. Look them up.
Next up were funk rockers, The Purple Felts, ripping into their set at top speed. Together since 2016, they were tight and focused with a feral energy. Their sax player wielded his instrument like a weapon and the rhythm section thundered every song along. At times their lyrics were reminiscent of The Insane Clown Posse. The crowd loved them, another band to see if you can.
The Froobz came onto the stage to the loud cheers and went straight into ‘Parasite’. From minute one, it was clear that the trio were accomplished and well-rehearsed. Oonagh’s rapid-fire guitar, Anna thrashing the kit, and Emma’s walking bass patterns formed a strong foundation for every song. Both Emma and Oonagh sang; Emma with a strong rock voice and Oonagh with a machine gun punk delivery.
As the night went on, so did the volume, which in this small room, it made the vocals muddy. For a band who are rightly proud of their feminist lyrics, it was a shame not to hear them clearly. Not the sound guys fault. He did a great job balancing out three very different bands.
The crowd were pulled further in with each song. ‘Man Child’ and ‘Ur Mum’s Guide to Life’ were very popular with strong vocals and punchy choruses in the style of Gum Disease or The Gore Gore Girls. These songs are melodic and catchy, a level above those you’d expect from a garage punk band.
By the time they played the last two songs, ‘Big Boy’ and ‘Ideology’, the crowd were really getting involved. Belting out the words and pogoing to the beat. The band seemed to be having a great night too.
At the close, the crowd yelled out for one more song, and Emma confessed ‘We don’t have one more!
It will be interesting to follow them going forward. I’m sure we’ll see them headlining in front of bigger crowds in the near future.
Words: Graeme White @head_in_the_bass_bin
Pictures: Calum MAckintosh @ayecandyphotography