Laura Jane Grace and the Trauma Tropes @ Scala

Laura Jane Grace and the Trauma Tropes:

Being the founder and lead singer of punk icons Against Me! is already enough to pave Laura Jane Grace into the realms of rock royalty. However, since 2020 Laura Jane has moved into a solo career that has only deepened her standing amongst the all-time greats. The latest iteration of this post-Against Mel venture sees Grace team up with her wife Paris Campbell Grace, Orestis Lagadinos and Jacopo Fokas to form the new group, 'Laura Jane Grace and The Trauma Tropes'

Speaking on the night Laura Jane mentioned the band had only played once together before embarking on this tour across Europe and the UK, but given the chemistry between all four musicians you would never have been able to tell. The link up between each musician felt like second nature, and the chemistry was radlating off the stage. From high level musicality, to funny adlibs, it is clear that every member of the Trauma Tropes is having the time of their life on stage.

With Laura Jane Grace and the Trauma Tropes having no released songs as a group yet, there is always that pondering as to when you should showcase new material to ensure the audience matches the fun you're having on stage. To counter this they may have taken the
boldest step possible. 8 out of the first 10 songs played were unreleased tracks, something which would have undoubtedly sucked the energy out of 99% of other gigs. However this is Laura Janes songwriting, meaning even on the first time of listening these songs could have you in stitches one moment, in tears the next, all whilst being tied together by some of the catchiest choruses you will ever hear. This, combined with the high velocity they are played with, meant you could have easily mistaken any of the new tracks for all-time hits given the rapturous reaction they received from all in attendance.

The pace of these songs was relentless, with every note sending the crowd into bedlam, and there being just enough time before the next song for the audience to catch their breath ready to go again.

After the first few songs were finished the gap before the next slightly increased allowing Laura Jane to connect even further with the audience. Whether it was hilarious ad libs, funny stories, or defiant statements against the current state of the world, you just knew every word that left her mouth was must-listen. Picking a favourite from the new songs proves a difficult task given the genuine brilliance of them all, but the sheer absurdity and yet important underlying message of 'God's Dick' may just make it the pick of the bunch. The sign of how good a song is live is very often shown by how quickly an audience begins to sing it back; Scala began to scream the chorus back almost instantly and I think that says a lot.

Around halfway through the set Laura Jane introduced a couple of songs she recorded with her other band 'Laura Jane Grace and the Mississippi Medicals', which were then followed by an explosion of Against Me! classics to bring a close to the main set. So many of the songs played, both from Laura Jane's solo ventures and from Against Me!, clearly meant the world to all those in attendance; Yet one of the most heartwarming moments of the night occurred from how much these songs meant to someone on stage. Just before playing the iconic track 'Black Me Out' Laura Jane welcomed Johnny Marriott, lead singer of the night's support act Pet Needs, to the stage to perform the song with them. Johnny is a Iifelong lover of Laura Jane Grace and performed this song like his life depended on it. The moment was made even greater when Pet Needs' drummer Jules began to crowd surf whilst wearing a fried egg costume. If ever there was an image to sum up the sheer brilliance and widespread ability of Laura Jane Grace's songwriting, it is that right there, Powerful tracks that people can sing like their life depends on it, and an environment which allows people to let loose and embrace chaos.

The main set closed with one of Grace's most personal pieces True Trans Soul Rebel, which was screamed back at her and the Trauma Tropes in fine voice by the capacity crowd. This was followed by an encore which opened with another of Laura Jane's solo masterpieces SuperNatural Possession', before at trio of Against Mel Songs brought the night to an end.

It is hard to put into words just how important Laura Jane Grace has been to the music scene, but they say a picture tells a thousand words. It only took a quick look around Scala last night to see an army of individuals all from different backgrounds, all with different stories, united by the songs of one of music's great minds

Pet Needs:

Stepping in stage before a main act is no easy feat at the best of times, but with Scala packed to the brim awaiting the presence of punk royalty, the challenge seemed mountainous. Luckily the night's support at Pet Needs are one of the country's best live bands on their worst days, and right now are in the form of their lives.

The opening of The Age That You Were' saw the storming arrival of three out of the four members, as George (Guitar), Ryan (Bass) and Jules (Drums) began building the intensity up. The arrival of lead singer Johnny completed the line-up, sending the crowd into overload as the energy in the room continued to skyrocket. If walking out to a room where every other person seemed to be in Pet Needs merch wasn't enough of a comfort, then the huge doses of audience participation from the remaining half during 'Scratchcard' and 'Ibiza in Winter' would've sealed the deal for the Colchester punks.

If further proof was needed for how beloved Pet Needs had become with this crowd you need look no further than the round of applause Johnny received for being a "Creative Chef". This followed an impassioned speech around how hard the band have had to grind to be able to do this full time, but truth be told there may be no group more deserving. Despite line-up changes over the last few years Pet Needs have managed to maintain their rich connection with their fanbase, all whilst pouring their souls into three stellar albums. Last night's setlist contained offerings from all three albums, with the bands most recent record 'Intermittent Fast Living' being the most heavily featured. So many songs of the album are tailored made for the stage, perhaps none more than 'Trip'. This song has fast grown into an anthem for the band, and despite being made for the stage, the song actually ended with Johnny in the crowd moshing with the newly adoring audience.

This was punk rock at its finest, which is exactly what I've grown to expect of every Pet Needs show