It’s happened: the debut album from Cardiff’s Panic Shack has finally landed and it’s an all-killer, no-filler, feminist punk-pop masterpiece with more hooks than a Shein warehouse. It’s called Panic Shack, because of course it is, and it absolutely slaps. Every track is a call to arms for the joyfully chaotic, the politically enraged, and the deeply pocketless. This is our LOUD WOMEN #albumofthemonth.
Opener ‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ is a mission statement, a punchy, choreographed sneer at every sweaty bloke who thinks he invented power chords. From there, it’s a rollercoaster through the furious (‘Gok Wan’), the farcical (‘Pockets’), and the frankly hilarious (‘Unhinged’ – lyrics nicked from real-life dating profiles, because sometimes satire just needs a screenshot).
This is punk with a wink. Riot grrrl with jazz hands. It’s DIY in the best sense: scrappy, smart, and full of heart. There’s a trumpet. There are lush harmonies. There are lyrics that will make you laugh-snort and scream “YES!” in the same breath.
Closer ‘Thelma & Louise’ seals it: this is a love letter to female friendship, and to the kind of band that doesn’t just soundtrack your summer – they stage-manage the revolution. Absolute perfection.
Catch them on tour:
Tour dates:
July 22nd | Southampton, UK – Vinilo
July 23rd | London, UK – Rough Trade East
July 24th | Brighton, UK – Resident Records
Aug 1st | Derbyshire, UK – Y Not Festival
Aug 2nd | Somerset, UK – Outcider Festival
Aug 14th | Charleville-Mézières, FR – Cabaret Vert Festival
Aug 16th | Devon, UK – Beautiful Days Festival
Oct 9th | Margate, UK – Where Else
Oct 10th | Brighton, UK – Chalk
Oct 11th | Cambridge, UK – New Shiny Festival
Oct 12th | Bristol, UK – SWX
Oct 15th | Sheffield, UK – Foundry
Oct 16th | Manchester, UK – Academy 2
Oct 17th | Glasgow, UK – Garage
Oct 18th | Nottingham, UK – Rescue Rooms
Nov 6th | Reykjavik, IS – Iceland Airwaves Festival
Nov 15th | Leeds, UK – Live at Leeds in the City
Nov 19th | Antwerp, BE – Trix Bar
Nov 20th | Amsterdam, NL – Melkweg
Nov 21st | Hamburg, DE – Molotow
Nov 22nd | Cologne, DE – Yuca
Nov 24th | Berlin, DE – Lark
Nov 25th | Munich, DE – Orange House
Nov 28th | Paris, FR – Festival Les Femmes S’en Mêlent
Nov 30th | Madrid, ES – Wurlitzer
Dec 1st | Barcelona, ES – Upload
Dec 4th | London, UK – Electric Brixton
Dec 5th | Cardiff, UK – Tramshed