PUSSYLIQUOR + TOKYO HONEY TRAP + LEIBNIZ + CHUB @ THE GREEN DOOR STORE, BRIGHTON, 31ST MARCH 2024
Pussyliquor
Easter Sunday proved to be a lively, noisy night for the launch of Pussyliquor’s new EP, ‘It’s PUSSYLIQUOR, not rocket science!’ You wouldn’t expect anything less from this Brighton punk/riot grrrl band. They first appeared on the Brighton music scene about seven years ago. After a break, they returned last year with a couple of comeback concerts.
Let’s bring things up to date with their new EP launch on Sunday at Brighton’s Green Door Store.
The lineup of Ari Black (vocals), Victoria Lewis Piper (drums), Hannah Villanueva (guitar) and Tallulah Turner-Fray (bass) were joined for their live show by an additional guitarist, JJ Symon from The Damn Shebang.
Their set started with’ Young Love’ in typical riot grrrl style. This was followed by two tracks off the new EP, ‘It’s PUSSYLIQUOR, not rocket science!’ The EP’s opening song, ‘Apathy,’ started with Victoria’s thumping drums, with the rest of the band joining soon after.
Before ‘Buy More Shit’, singer Ari decided it was time to get rid of her trousers, saying, “I usually play in my underwear. That felt strange.” During Ari’s outfit change, guitarist Hannah explained that ‘Buy More Shit’ was about consumerism and buying things to fill a void. It wasn’t an early call to the merch stall. They’d already given away copies of their new EP to the first 25 people at the gig.
The lively ‘Buy More Shit’ featured a take on Aqua’s ‘Barbie Girl’. The original lyrics were updated with ‘You can swipe my plastic, spending is fantastic’ and ‘Deforestation, it is your creation’. Ari made her first trip into the packed enthusiastic mosh pit during the Barbie Girl section of the song, returning to the stage, shouting, “Let’s Go Party!”.
After ‘Kitty Kitty’, an old song, Ari announced, “You know what this party needs. It’s party games!” with an interlude for a game of pass the parcel.
Getting back to the music, an old favourite, the anti-misogynistic ‘Pretty Good For A Girl’, livened things back up. Ari sang parts of this number lying on her back on the stage floor. This is where she started the following song, ‘Pesticide’, from their new EP.
An unreleased song, ‘Boa,’ had a lyric structure that reminded me of nursery rhymes. However, the punk-style music and Ari’s shouted vocal delivery meant it was far from the verses taught to young children.
After a quick discussion, the band said they’d be “doing ‘Hurtz’ as normal.” What followed were a few lines from REM’s ‘Everybody Hurts’ before their own song, ‘Hurtz’.
With two songs left in their set, Hannah explained that ‘My Body. My Choice’ was about having rights over one’s own body, especially as it was International Transgender Day of Visibility (31 March).
The final song of the main set was another song from the new EP, ‘Hit Song!’. Without the soundbite on the recorded version, Ari and Hannah told the background to the song. A misogynistic person suggested they write a hit song. Typically, the band’s short answer was to tell him to “Fuck Off”. The resulting track ridiculed that idea and was the fastest song of their very energetic set so far. Ari was back in the audience singing while lying on the Green Door Store cobbles.
The loud calls for one more song were answered tongue in cheek by Hannah, “Haven’t we made enough noise for one night?”, before a lively finale with the typically unsubtle, uncompromising ‘C.U.N.T.’.
Pussyliquor’s uncensored female rage, combined with sounds from punk and riot grrrl, was a great launch show for ‘It’s PUSSYLIQUOR, not rocket science!’ During their set, the band thanked the audience for “being present at the EP’s birth.” The EP’s delivery, like that of the band that made it, was a wonderfully noisy and joyous celebration.
Pussyliquor:
Ari Black (vocals)
Hannah Villanueva (guitar)
Tallulah Turner-Fray (bass)
Victoria Lewis Piper (drums)
JJ Symon (guest guitarist)
Facebook: PUSSYLIQUOR | Facebook
Instagram: ⚠️ PUSSYLIQUOR ⚠️
Tokyo Honey Trap
Opening the night’s entertainment was the Japanese glam-punk rock band Tokyo Honey Trap. The four-piece band were fronted by their new genderless vocalist, Mitsu Nclaren, with founder Tetsuya Nclaren on guitar and backing vocals. Bassist Rio and drummer Hell completed their lineup.
Tokyo Honey Trap’s glam rock style had definite influences from the likes of The New York Dolls, mixed with hints of goth and punk. From their opening number, their sound was an instant hit and soon saw the excited crowd enthusiastically dancing.
Mitsu was a very lively, flamboyant lead singer who fully engaged with the crowd, often with a hand to an ear, encouraging the crowd to make more noise. They certainly didn’t need much encouragement, especially the all-female and non-binary mosh pit. Tokyo Honey Trap provided a great opening for the night’s entertainment, setting the tone and the bar very high for the bands that followed.
Tokyo Honey Trap
Facebook: BIJRecords | Facebook
Instagram: tokyohoneytrap official
Leibniz
Second on were Leibniz, a three-piece grunge queercore band from Brighton formed in August 2021. Their message of trans liberation and relief from emotional turmoil sits on top of intense grunge and hardcore sounds. Their trans message was clear early in their set on their debut single ‘No Body No Home’, with the lyric “Give me a body I can call my home.”
Before ‘Parasite’, singer Erin Munn suggested, “If you like moshing, this is the one to do it to”. Not that the crowd needed an invitation or were seeking permission. The female and non-binary mosh pit had already carried on from where they’d left off from the opening band.
Leibniz varied their set with a slower number with echoes of shoegaze on ‘Marijuana’. Erin announced ‘Pinocchio’ as being written “When thinking about gender.” Leibniz closed an excellent set with ‘C&C’, which started with loud, quiet parts before those quiet parts were dropped, and it became a tremendous grungy tune.
Leibniz
Facebook: Leibniz, the band | Facebook
Instagram: LEIBNIZ (@leibnizband)
CHUB
Hailing from Brighton and Eastbourne, CHUB are fittingly described as “metal-infused party punk”.
CHUB’s set started with a noisy first number, ‘Quit’, which reminded me in places of Motorhead’s ‘Ace of Spades’. Singer Ben announced, “We’re Chub here to fuck you up, which means facilitating a good time.” The lyrics of their self-titled second song, ‘CHUB’ said precisely that. Before ‘All Breaks, No Gas’, Ben said, “The next one is a dance one”. In the centre of that dancing was Erin Munn, the lead singer from the previous band, Leibniz.
The mood lightened with the beer bong challenge and two-minute ‘Beer Bong Song’. The jokey theme continued with ‘Carolina Reaper’ about eating really hot chillis. On this hot number, a guitar string overheated and broke. CHUB closed their fun set with a borrowed guitar and a fan favourite, ‘Microwave Dave’.
CHUB
Facebook: CHUB | Facebook
Instagram: CHUB (@chubtheband)
Words: Peter Greenfield, Photos: Cris Watkins
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