PANIC SHACK + PLANTOID @ THE PRINCE ALBERT, BRIGHTON, 23 MARCH 2024
SON Estrella Galicia’s micro-festival at The Prince Albert in Brighton, their first in the UK outside London, was headlined by Panic Shack with support from Plantoid and DJ sets. As SON Estrella Galicia is the musical arm of the independent Estrella Galicia beer brand, it was more than a music event. It included beer culture and positive impact with a beach clean-up and waste transformation.
Concentrating on the live music, we’ll start with the headliners, Panic Shack.
Panic Shack
The Welsh punk quintet Panic Shack are creating an enthusiastic following among gig-goers with their raw, unapologetic live shows. Their brash, witty lyrics and killer hooks crash through an ear-crunching noise.
Those cheeky lyrics were evident from the opening number, an unreleased song, “Tit School”, which had a Ramones feel. As the event was organised by a Spanish beer company, vocalist Sarah Harvey asked, “How do you say ‘tits’ in Spanish?” (Sorry, I’m none the wiser.) Sandwiches and drinks choices were the subject for their next number, “Meal Deal”. As usual, the band had shots lined up on stage. You don’t have that drink option in my local supermarket’s meal deal.
With drinks glasses put down, Sarah led the running on the spot for “Mannequin Man”, a lively number built, like many of their songs, around Emily Smith’s great bass lines and Meg Fretwell’s and Romi Lawrence’s sharp, fast guitar riffs. During “ParTy SD”, a song about being hungover, Sarah went into the packed, excited crowd for the first time.
Returning to the stage, the pace slowed for the start of “I Don’t Really Like It”, with simple spoken “Hey, hey” to Emily’s bass and Nick’s drums. Guitarists Meg and Romi provided great backing vocals. Being Panic Shack, it wasn’t going to stay slow for long. The pace and volume picked up dramatically mid-song.
With a simple “Shall we dance?”, the band launched into “Jiu Jits You”. Its dance sequence seemed to parody Eurovision acts from the 1970s and 80s. After “Baby”, Sarah announced ironically, “There’s a hidden message in that song”. The directness of the band’s lyrics was evident throughout the set. On “Baby”, not being maternal nor wanting to hold other people’s babies, was clear with the line “a baby-shaped hole in the wall”. Panic Shack definitely don’t do subtle, which is part of their appeal.
On the closing two songs, Sarah added real malice into her vocals singing about annoying everyday things, which can seem a big deal. Whether it was a new date’s infuriating habits in “The Ick” or wanting to fight somebody in “Who’s Got My Lighter?”. She sang it as she meant it while still keeping the band’s sense of fun. It was a riotous finale, which saw Sarah back in the crowd (singing, not looking for her lighter). At the end of an outstanding performance, the band dramatically fell to the stage floor.
It was a typically exhilarating, energetic, and mischievous set from the Cardiff punk five-piece. With their sense of fun and instantly catchy tunes, it was clear on Saturday night why Panic Shack are one of the most exciting upcoming live bands around.
Plantoid
Brighton’s Plantoid opened the live music part of the micro-festival. Their sound harnesses multiple styles, from progressive rock to jazz, fusion, folk, and even heavy rock. Their set started with fast guitars and a very enthusiastic performance by the percussionist, then moved onto dreamier sounds and Latin jazz as the set progressed, with long prog-rock instrumental breaks being more prominent towards the end. One of the key highlights of Plantoid’s performance was Chloë’s vocals, which matched and soared above the different musical styles.
SON Estrella Galicia’s day out in Brighton, with its micro-festival of live music, beer culture, gastronomy and positive social and environmental impact, was a great success. Let’s hope they’ll return soon.
Words: Peter Greenfield/ Photos: Cris Watkins
Panic Shack + Plantoid gallery
