STARBENDERS + VAIN WILD @ Brighton Patterns – 13 June 2026
Starbenders arrive in Brighton as part of their campaign to promote their wittily titled The Beast Goes On album. In support, they bring Vain Wild, who are London-based and were formed in late 2023. The first thing I notice about them is that, at first glance, guitarist Tizzy Wild has more than a passing resemblance to a young Brian May. His playing is pretty spectacular, too, being on the verge of shredding during Paving The Way. During opener High Night, there’s a short but impressive bass solo courtesy of Georgie Lane. Vocalist Artem is powerful without resorting to screeching, which is always good.
The band are described as being glam rock, but to me, they sound like classic British heavy rock of the late 1970s and early 1980s, before the hair metal bands took over. Okay, vocalist Artem does have scarves on his mic stand à la Steven Tyler, and he also compliments me on my Michael Monroe T-shirt, so clearly there’s a liking for glam rock, but I wouldn’t say that they’re a glam rock band per se. Still, what matters is the music, and they make a very good account of themselves where that is concerned, although I could have done without the cover of The Kinks’ You Really Got Me. While it’s a good version, it’s a teeny bit pointless. Another original song in the set would have been far more worthwhile.
She Knows The Way features tapping from Tizzy Wild. There’s also an instrumental jam that casts more than a nod to Van Halen’s Eruption. The title of Whisky Down The Drain is enough to make grown men weep. Let’s hope that it wasn’t single malt. Vain Wild are a young band early in their career. Their playing is beyond impressive. All they need to do is build up their material, and they’ll be properly on their way.
Starbenders, meanwhile, are well on their way, busy promoting their fifth album in ten years. There seems to be a tangible level of anticipation, with some people down the front screaming. It’s immediately apparent that their live sound is far punchier than their records. It annoys me that some record producers knock off the rough edges of a band’s sound to such an extent that their records sound sterile. In my opinion, a band’s true sound is the sound that they achieve onstage. Some may disagree with me, but to my mind, Starbenders sound far better live than on record.
Kimi Shelter — this may not be the name that appears on her passport — is the consummate frontwoman. Her vocals are superb. She’s got the moves and the banter, and she does a more than passable comedy British accent. The title track of the new album, The Beast Goes On, is presented to us as early as the third song and features some cool harmonies. Qi Wei’s drum sound is nice and crisp, being quite reminiscent of Charlie Watts. Kriss Tokaji’s guitar goes through what sounds like a chorus pedal for Summon My Heart and is pretty awesome. The song itself is a bit too 1980s for my taste, but I won’t hold that against the band.
We’re Not Okay features an awesome guitar solo, but instrumental Looking For Veins (Jam 1) really gives the band an opportunity to stretch out and show their instrumental capabilities, as does the hilariously titled A Reptile Dysfunction (Jam 2). Jam 1 has a surprisingly Pink Floyd-sounding guitar intro, and Kimi returns about halfway through to add her own guitar solo. Jam 2, meanwhile, opens with a riff that could eat planets. Both of these jams border on prog, and Rush very much springs to mind. Chantilly Boy is dedicated to “anyone who likes to walk on the outside”, while Cold Silver represents “the dark side of the party”.
This is the last date of Starbenders’ UK tour, and they close with Saturday from the current album. Kimi introduces a “whimsey pit” where people can “unleash their inner Stevie Nicks”. To be fair, Stevie could cover this.
Starbenders have put in a very assured and entertaining performance. It’s a shame that more people weren’t here to see it. I shall certainly be there when they return in October to support Creeper.
WORDS: MARK KELLY PHOTOS: CRIS WATKINS
