LIVE FROM THE PIT: Venus Grrrls and Hystamine

What band suits a halloween gig more than VENUS GRRRLS, their goth-grudge musical style coupled with their horror aesthetic made for a show that absolutely fit the night. A costume contest, a perfect opener and a candlelit set up, these lot brought the spooks to Bodega. 

To begin the night, local goth outfit HYSTAMINE took to the stage and absolutely set the tone, with singer Salem abusing the microphone with powerful screams and beautiful melodic singing to start the Halloween night right. The band continued through a hefty setlist showcasing a plethora of how intense their sound is, the atmospheric tones of this band are incredible - think Twilight meets THE CURE, and you have the energy HYSTAMINE carry. Couple that with the incredible drum sections, technical bass and riffs that’ll chew on your brain in the best way, this band definitely have a bright future ahead of them, and it’s safe to say the crowd felt this and energy and were loving it.

As if floating like a group of angels, VENUS GRRRLS took to the stage and introduced their set with a song we could only describe as a ghostly tune in a haze of mist, this band absolutely harboured the Halloween feeling, building up to the more energetic parts of their set with a great intensity. Their grungy tones and seriously heavy riffs made it dangerous to stand near the large speakers Bodega is well known for, they blasted their sound and infectious tunes to an audience who were lapping it up. 

Some very obvious devoted fans were among the audience singing back every lyric like their life depended on it, and quite honestly it was a great example of the kind of community this band nurture. Their whole aesthetic and style is so seductive, a comparison they often make themselves by calling their fans The Coven; they are certainly a group of witches who are able to lure you in with a heavy but also angelic sound that is hard to find done so well nowadays.

A real standout for this set was the performance of Divine, the band gave it their absolute all and the audience was very loud and gave back a lot of energy; either that or the fantastic Frank-N-Furter costume contest winner were absolutely a highlight for a very spooky Halloween gig. 

Words and photos: Ben Blissett