VUKOVI + SAINT AGNES + FLESH PLANET @ BRIGHTON CHALK – 4TH FEBRUARY 2026
I first saw Vukovi as part of the Camden Rocks Festival in 2016, and again a year later at Tufnell Park Music Room in 2017. Since then, however, I’ve lost touch with them somewhat, so I was keen to see how they had developed over the last decade.
First, though, we have two support acts to whet our appetites, the first of which is Flesh Planet, who hail from Castleford in Yorkshire. Flesh Planet are purveyors of industrial grunge, also incorporating elements of electronica and shoegaze. The band consist of Damian Hughes (vocals, guitar and synthesiser), Andrey Pavlovic (guitar), Jemal Beau Malki (bass) and Connor Fisher-Atack (drums). All but Damian were previously members of Allusondrugs.
Unfortunately, Damian’s vocals are a tad low in the mix, meaning that when he sings in his lower register, they are all but inaudible. Andrey’s guitar playing is impressive, with some gloriously distorted intros, crunching riffs and fluid solos. Damian’s synth playing is equally good. His guitar playing is also notable, but apart from sliding his plectrum down the strings a few times, his playing is mostly rhythmic. Their final song sounds pleasingly a little like Public Image Ltd. There’s a lot to enjoy here. They’re well worth seeing if they materialise at a venue near you.
It’s a couple of years since I last saw Saint Agnes at this very venue. I enjoyed them then, and unless they’ve changed significantly for the worse, I shall no doubt enjoy them tonight. Their set begins with a gut-disturbing bass rumble on a loop. The band have expanded to a four-piece for live work, with Maxine Cahill (previously with the Ramonas) on additional guitar.
I had been told in advance that the bulk of tonight’s set would be from their forthcoming album, Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin, which is probably why the only song they play tonight that I immediately recognise is Bloodsuckers, the title track from their previous album.
Vocalist Kitty A Austen (no relation to Jane, apparently) has an extraordinary stage presence. At the end of the first song, she tells us, “we’re here to have a bad time”. Presumably, she means to have such a bad time that it’s good — if you see what I mean. For Bloodsuckers, everyone apart from drummer Andy Head is on backing vocals.
It has to be said that Saint Agnes are far better live than on record. Their albums can sound a bit clinical — far too clean and precise. Live, they sound much more raw, with a distinct feeling of barely controlled chaos and anarchy. This is added to by Kitty’s slashing rhythm guitar.
There is a definite hint of The Sisters Of Mercy about Saint Agnes, both in sound and appearance. The band are mostly backlit, which means we’re largely seeing silhouettes. There’s no sense of ‘us and them’ about the band, though, as Kitty proves by diving into the audience and singing from the crowd. For real? You betcha!
The final song is presaged by a synth intro from Jon James Tufnell (no relation to Nigel from Spinal Tap). Playing guitar and synth during the same gig is clearly no problem. Some music fans aren’t keen on artists playing unreleased material. I’ve never been a ‘play the hits’ kind of guy myself, and if tonight’s set is any indication of the quality of Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin, it’s going to be mega. I can’t wait until it’s released in May.
When I saw Vukovi in 2016 and 2017, they were a four-piece band. The first thing I notice tonight is that they are now a three-piece, consisting of vocalist Janine Shilstone, guitarist Hamish Reilly and an unnamed drummer. From opening song This Is My Life And My Trauma, taken from their most recent album My God Has Got A Gun, it becomes clear that a significant amount of the sound we’re hearing from the PA is coming from a backing track.
All of the bass and synth sounds (of which there are many), some of the lead guitar (Hamish Reilly appears to be mostly playing chords), and even a small amount of the lead vocals are on the track. This raises the age-old debate about what constitutes live music. There’s no doubt whatsoever that this is a live performance. Hamish spends a great deal of the set running backwards and forwards across the stage, Janine takes people’s phones and videos herself singing into them before handing them back — a really nice touch — and while there are some electronic drums in evidence, the live drumming is awesome.
However, if we’re talking percentages, my suspicion is that the greater proportion of what we’re hearing is on the backing track. It’s going down great with the crowd, though, so does it really matter? One for further discussion, perhaps.
Gungho has the feel of heavy electro-pop and features some cool guitar arpeggios that are very definitely played by Hamish. However, much of his playing is often lost in the mush of the backing track. Frequently, the most interesting thing musically happening onstage is the drumming, which is really not an ideal situation.
For Violent Minds, from 2020’s Fall Better, Janine calls for — and gets — a circle pit. In many ways, this song epitomises what has happened to Vukovi. It’s far more ‘rock’ than the material on their most recent album. It would be wrong to call that newer material pop, but it’s certainly leaning in that direction.
All of that said, they provide a great show. The band bounce; the crowd bounce with them. Janine screams, and the crowd scream back. There’s real communication going on here, and surely that’s enough. Possibly it is.
Maybe I’m too much of a musical puritan. As a rule, if I go to a gig, I expect the bulk of what I hear coming from the speakers to be played by the musicians onstage. If that isn’t the case, then surely you may as well sit at home and play the record. Vukovi’s fans here tonight, though, clearly had a whale of a time.
Taking a purely objective view, however, Saint Agnes were the best band onstage tonight — by a country mile.
Words: Mark Kelly Photos: Cris Watkins
