Last night’s LOUD WOMEN show at The Cav my first time at the venue – and absolutely, definitely not the last. (Partly because we’ve already booked it for a frankly outrageous April show starring one of the best Australian bands on the planet… more on that soon.)
If you’ve never been to The Cav, imagine if a south London estate boozer accidentally swallowed a curiosity shop, a thrift store, and a comfy old living room. Everywhere you look there’s… stuff. Artifacts. Oddities. Plush armchairs. Lamps that definitely weren’t PAT-tested this century. It’s utterly otherworldly and completely charming.
Karen the cat greeted me at the door — a strong start for any venue. There were pizzas wafting around (I didn’t get one, but eyewitnesses say they slap). And the crowd? A glorious, London-as-hell mix: alternative groovy young things dancing and flirting down the front, local musicians supporting their mates, familiar LOUD WOMEN regulars, and loads of lovely new faces. Even on Day Two of my Lambrini Girls hangover, I had an excellent evening.
Newcastle’s Fast Blood were on tour and on fire. Fast, furious, and gloriously tight. Singer Abigail admitted on stage that she’s always been a bit anxious about playing in London – but said she was having a genuinely lovely time. That warmed my cold, Southern heart. Everyone at The Cav absolutely loved them. We’ll be having them back the moment we can.
Honey Joy followed and they were awesome. They hit the stage and the whole busy room lit up instantly. We’d had a trio of Honey Joy on the LOUD WOMEN radio show earlier in the week – great fun – but seeing the full five-piece in full-throttle mode was a whole different thrill.
Megan came alive on stage, dancing, leaping, radiating joy (to be fair, she did quite a bit of dancing in the radio studio too despite the tiny audience of two — so full marks for consistency). This band is something else. They must come back again very soon.
A trio of I, Doris opened the night. For a band that allegedly has about eight drummers on rotation, you’d think we could have found one to play – but no. So we went full DIY: drum tracks awkwardly on an iPad, plus our good looks, charm, natural talent and – as always – deep, deep modesty.
And apparently it worked. The groovy youths moshing down the front declared our guitarist Doris, Lenie Mets, to be “so cool”, which is both correct and legally binding.
Guest cowboy this evening was none other than Ed Wenn of The Stupids / Sink / Dealing With Damage.
We Dorisses had a lovely time, thank you for asking. Next stop: LOUD WOMEN Fest Sydney and Melbourne.
OMG indeed.
The Cav, and Karen, we’ll see you again very soon.