Drenge, Joiners, Southampton

Drenge. Even the word seems to spark connotations of menacing brutality. And if their if their song titles – namely ‘I Wanna Break You In Half’ and ‘Bloodsports’- are anything to go by, then tonight will be not least a feast of savage, snarling, punky rock ‘n’ roll chaos.

Tonight they’re joined by local supports Shotaway who grace the stage with their erratic swagger, catchy hooks and cool hair, but its Brighton newcomers The Wytches who cast a spell over the crowd. The three piece, clad in black and hidden behind quivering mops of hair, sound like a concoction of TOY’s woozy psych and Hookworms’ heaviness whilst frontman Kristian Bell’s vocal lends itself to a possessed Orlando Weeks. Between the glitchy warbles, shrieks and conservative stage presence there are some gut-wrenching riffs and startlingly good choruses; it’s trashy, messed up self labelled ‘surf-doom’ that will no doubt see them come to fruition on many a ‘ones to watch’ list this summer.

After a swift departure, there’s a brief interlude where some Massive Attack is played – creating quite the contrast - before the aptly named Loveless brothers launch straight into opener ‘People in Love Make Me Feel Yuck’ – an explicit nod to romantic angst and pesky PDA-ers. Luckily the crowd isn’t filled with couples, instead it’s a pool of teenagers who spend the night galloping round and playing air drums on the side of the stage much to frontman Eoin’s amusement.

The twosome career through a handful of noise-rock gems supposedly plucked from a debut album, including ‘Nothing’- a self confessed ‘song about nothing’ and a new one (from a sneaky look at their set list its currently still called ‘New Song’) which possesses a ferociously catchy riff - probably their best to date. And despite their lyrical mercilessness there’s something bizarrely charming about the way frontman/ guitarist Eoin sings ‘cut off my tongue and turn it to dogmeat’, and a distinct warmness in the way they work as a duo throughout the set.

Latest release ‘Backwaters’’ rolling drum beat and effortlessly lax, gruff vocal explodes in a release of built up tension, but it’s favourite ‘Bloodsports’ which hits the top spot; a raucous melange of feral, messy, garage punk and tight guitar hooks – the intense vitality of the drumming and almost blues-y tinge to Eoin’s vocal resonate with such raw intensity, topped off with a clattering, ear-drum bursting outro.

With every song they just seem to get louder and faster, culminating in ‘Face Like a Skull’s frenetic finish, seemingly testing the barriers of how far they can push it before a string snaps or a drum stick goes flying. Drenge are creating something exciting; a sound which refuses to be pigeonholed.