Why the fuck would you call your band VadgeDaggar?
If you’re in a punk band or some other offshoot of the genre it does seem a reliable option to opt for the old formula of taking the name of a sexual organ and coupling it with something that maims or offends. It’s simple punk science really.
Lead singer Muzz ‘Moss’ Whitson jumped and flailed around the stage like a deranged party gremlin spitting out bad taste gems to the audience like, “Don’t get too close, you might get pregnant.” They did a pretty swish job of getting the trickle of a crowd partying, so don’t be turned off by the name because VadgeDaggar do kick ass.
The drop in energy after Guests of Ghosts took the stage was incredible to say the least. Lead singer Marcus Buttergieg looked nervous, disinterested and just generally like he didn’t want to be there, and it wasn’t long before the audience started to reflect similar feelings.
The people actually listening would have heard four impressive musicians including an incredibly tight rhythm section made up of drummer Alexander Zielke and bassist Tom Dockray. Buttergieg’s soaring vocal register and ability to be screaming his heart out one second and pull it back to a whisper the next made up for his non-existent stage presence.
White Summer sounded something akin to Ash Grunwald with a little bit more class. They play dirty swamp rock that really took off when singer/drummer Jimmy Stanfield got up from behind the kit and let Guests of Ghosts drummer Alexander Zielke takeover. Zielke cut sick on a jungle beat after what looked like a quick explanation from the White Summer guys on what he was supposed to be playing giving just another example of his excellent skills.
To call Winter Moon eclectic would be like calling Elton John a bit colourful.
Backed by VadgeDaggar’s Muzz on bass, guitarist Jake Winter playing some very cool psych riffs, and Chloe Faith on flute; singer Milly Moon took the lead like a saucy cabaret troupe leader.
Their music reflects these differences and is a strange brew floating between psych, soul, rock and funk. If this wasn’t enough, halfway through their set they invited an MC up to rap over the piano, flute, and drum lines from Jurassic 5’s ‘If You Only Knew’.
Winter Moon’s monstrous energy turned the crowd into a flurry of limbs and you could almost swear you could feel the floor of the Ding Dong Lounge rumbling along with the beat of the audience’s feet.
