Erotic Secrets of Pompeii / The Exchange / Bristol
So, on a work trip to Bristol, I scoured the internet, checking out what was on in town. Not much to be honest, but the Erotic Secrets of Pompeii were playing at The Exchange, along with Birdman Cult and Drearleader. I had no idea what to expect…… but that’s half the excitement isn’t it ?!
First up we had a set from Drearleader, who describe themselves as post-cronner and as Bristol’s least popular K-Pop band. I had no idea what to expect as they took up their positions on stage, before being joined by singer Duncan Hacker, who stepped up dressed in a white and green cheerleaders outfit, carrying a solitary black pom-pom!
What follows is a highly impressive half hour set of noise rock, with some crushing bass tones, and a chaotic musical structure, very much in the Viagra Boys mould. Its erratic, wild and loud and delivers some fantastic stoner rock riffs, which forms the perfect backdrop to Duncan’s vocals.
Between each track Duncan interacts with the crowd, with a laid back, dry style. Its funny and mad, as he asks us to stop by the merch desk to help raise funds for a second pom-pom ! (The pom-pom crisis gets worse later in the set, when the one and only pom-pom breaks, resulting in renewed calls for pom-pom funds.
Mixed in there with the noise rock are some brilliant heavy elements. There’s also elements of sludge in there – the final song building into a crescendo of erratic effects-driven noise, which reminded me somewhat of CLT DRP.
Utterly brilliant.
Next up are Birdman Cult, a 5 piece who shake the mood up with a funky edge. The Bristol alternative outfit have been belting out their unique blend of garage rock and post-punk since 2020, self-releasing a number of singles. No cheerleaders this time, with frontman Joe Eden dressed in black denim with dark shades and a pink Grease beanie delivering a kind of Paul Kell vibe (singer in Elvana) especially with some of his dance moves.
Birdman Cult deliver some brilliant melodies mixed with a cool sense of attitude. Band members come from a variety of musical backgrounds, and this mix can be heard in their unique sound, with hints of jazz, funk, metal and punk shining through. This combines to deliver fuzzy riffs, driving bass-lines, infectious vocals and ribcage rattling beats. In the track Ferryman the grungy, dirty bass is prominent in the mix driving an almost prog rock like melody through the track, with fuzzy guitars cutting across is dramatically.
Very different from Drearleader, but just as good.
And now it’s time for tonight’s headliners – the Erotic Secrets of Pompeii. They released their debut album, Mondo Maleficum, to wide acclaim in January 2024, followed by a successful album tour across the UK and Europe, and this is their first show back in their home town of Bristol for a year, and judging by the large crowd now in The Exchange…. they’ve been missed !
Erotic Secrets of Pompeii play a style of wild, weird apocalyptic lounge music - a twisted amalgamation of angular art rock and transgressive post-punk, transmitted directly from the heart of the forbidden zone. Its peppered with grotesque imagery and vivid symbolism, drawing from artists across different mediums, such as Terry Gilliam, Salvador Dali, Leonora Carrington, Francis Bacon, William Blake, Robert Anton Wilson and Leigh Bowery.
The band set up, tune guitars and basses, check monitor levels with the sound guy, as frontman Thomas Hawtin squats down looking at the setlist. Like many artists, he seems to be nervous, deep in thought pre-show. As the band finish preparing he rises and they dive right in to the opening song Utterly Rudderless. This demonstrates exactly what the band are about, it’s loud, heavy and packed with intricate elements to find and explore listen after listen. And sitting astride it sits Thomas’s vocals which have this wonderful mix of erratic mdness and yet just ooze sensuality. I loved the line “The universe is not your friend, at most it is ambivalent”.
As the music kicks in, Thomas transforms and his stage personality kicks in. Visually impressive, I’ve describe him as a cross between the very early Adam Ant (pre-fame), Brandon Lee in the Crow and Tim Curry’s Frank-n-Furter. And he has the presence, facial expressions and attitude to match !
Erotic Secrets of Pompeii are a band that it’s almost impossible to pigeonhole. There are elements of the bizarre (think Primus & Beefheart), along with 70’s art rock (Bowie, Roxy Music & Gabriel), 80’s New Wave (Devo & Talking Heads) and alt rock like The Fall.
It’s an eclectic and bizarre mix…….. but quite simply utterly utterly brilliant !
Osiris at the Large Hadron Collider picks up on the dark themes and delivers some of the quirkiest lyrics you’ll find anywhere. Speak Medieval is their most recent single released earlier this year. This one has a definite Talking Heads feel to it, with an infection toe tapping beat. The chorus sections have an almost psychobilly feel to them. The musical structure is erratic and devo-esque.
Bad Weather at Beachy Head is a rip roaring powerful rock / grunge number, with fuzzy guitars and mellow bass tones weaving through it.
Venus Ascending slows things down led by the keys, it allows us to focus on the quality of Thomas’s voice, it’s a welcome pause from the craziness. It builds in power and intensity as does the vocals, building to a powerful end, before it fades with a simple piano outro. The lyrics are powerful and packed with emotion, and delivered with passion with lines like “Around thе guillotine the women sit, Around thе guillotine the women knit….. And up the wooden steps I’m led, Into the lunette my head, The blade it roars it shines, Makes butter of my spine”.
Perhaps my favourite track was The Hand that Did the Deed where the vocals are delivered somewhere between singing and talking with then an almost Beatles “Yellow Submarine” album singalong chorus sections. Musically, the best way to describe it is ‘wonky’ ! The lyrics are poetic and right out there, testing my lowly human brain to the max “Is this an orgasm? Is this an assassination?
Is this true love or general due diligence!?”. This one reminded me very much of tracks like The Day I Met God from 1979’s “Dirk Wears White Soz” by Adam Ant.
What Erotic Secrets of Pompeii do so utterly brilliantly, is bring all these diverse influences and sounds together into one great new whole, unlike any one element – utterly unique and utterly brilliant. Delivered with a style, a panache and a hint of madness….. and dressed up in sequins…. Because lets face it, sequins make everything better !
There are other bands around at the moment that have an edge and quirky nature, such as Viagra Boys, Warmduscher and of course Yard Act, but in reality Erotic Secrets of Pompeii stand head and shoulders above.
Its intense, its crazy, its complex in the way the different elements cut across each other but in a wonderfully complimentary way. But above all else, its fun, and engaging and just puts the biggest grin right across your face.
Setlist
Utterly Rudderless
Osiris at the Large Hadron Collider
Bad Weather at Beachy Head
Speak Medieval
Venus Ascending
In the Cosmic Hour
Crocodilian
Bring Me Back from the Black Beyond
Rorschach Rorschach
The Wheel, The Spade, The Stars in Motion
The Hand That Did The Deed
Encore
Nemesis Please
Truth Coming Out of Her Well
What a night – plain and simple. Drearleader, Birdman Cult and Erotic Secrets of Pompeii were all outstanding, and complimented each other perfectly. Something very very different, and very enjoyable.
We’ve said it before – Get out and go see live shows. Doesn’t matter how big or how small the venue / artist…… Music is good for the soul – impacting on mood, stress levels, cognitive function, and even pain management. It can reduce anxiety and depression, improve sleep, and boost physical performance. Additionally, music can enhance memory, cognitive function, and social connections.
And you never know, you might just discover the next big thing. Who doesn’t wish they could say they saw the Foo Fighters at Leeds Uni Students Union, or Amy Winehouse at The Louisiana ?
Hopefully we’ll be saying, we were there when the Erotic Secrets of Pompeii played The Exchange in Bristol !
