Words by Ed King
On Tuesday 25th October, The Hungry Ghosts + Goat Girl share a double headline spot at The Victoria on John Bright St – with The Terror Watts + Apathy in support. This gig is presented by Sonic Gun Concerts.
Doors open at 7:30pm with tickets charged at five and a half English Pound Sterling… or £5.50 as it is known to its friends. For direct gig info & links to online tickets sales, click here.
The Hungry Ghosts… where to begin. Click here, or click here. Or you can always even click here.
In a blood stained dark leather nutshell, The Hungry Ghosts are as seductive and suspect as a devil’s tuxedo (the easiest way to discuss them is often by metaphor). Blues, rock, sordid Americana, The Hungry Ghosts are – right here, right now – one of the most exciting bands in the Midlands’ music scene. “A proper fu*king rock band”, their debut Blood Red Songs EP is something raw and ferocious – a delicious four track explosion of twisted metals and rock drawl.
Billy Ollis is an absurdly solid guitarist, who drags their ‘swamp music’ blues from the dark heart of the black magic bayous with a seemingly Faustian ease. It’s quite something. And if Jodie Laurence and Joe Joseph, The Hungry Ghosts‘ dual vocals and more forward facing faces, haven’t at least sub let their souls I’d be a little surprised. It’s rare to see a band this genuine and exciting. And I’m a cynic.
‘Super King King’ – The Hungry Ghosts
Sharing the headline spot is Goat Girl, the relatively fresh faced London quartet that feels like a David Lynch wet dream. Also turning the rivers of music red with their laconic rock and semi-drowned blues, Goat Girl recently signed to Rough Trade – releasing the dangerous swagger that is their double A side single ‘Country Sleaze/Scum’ on 7th October.
Bold bass lines, a brash rhythm guitar smacking you from cheek to jowl, a splash of dark psycadellia… it makes me think of Hope Sandoval on the last leg of a brown sugar and fury fueled road trip. Viscous, fuzzy, and nudging you over the edge of a very sheer drop. But there’s more than just a warm self destruction at play here, with Goat Girl’s unabashed lyrics making me want to 80‘s fist pump in sardonic social appreciation. Although I suspect they’re a bit smarter than that.
‘Country Sleaze’ – Goat Girl
The Hungry Ghosts + Goat Girl play at The Victoria on Tuesday 25th October, with support from The Terror Watts + Apathy. For direct gig info & links to online ticket sales, click here.
For more on The Hungry Ghosts, visit www.thehungryghosts.co.uk
For more on Goat Girl, visit www.facebook.com/goatgirlofficial
For more from The Victoria, visit www.thevictoriabirmingham.co.uk
