Live – Saloon Dion | Tigers & Flies | Francis Pig | Nil By Habit at The Hope & Ruin

Saloon Dion, Tigers & Flies, Francis Pig & Nil By Habit at The Hope & Ruin, Brighton, 2nd October 2024

Hosted by Hidden Herd

If anyone was expecting a quiet night on Wednesday, they came to the wrong place!

And if anyone turned up late, they have only themselves to blame because from the moment locals Nil By Habit started their set, the pace was set for energy levels heading through the roof. Their self-description of ‘gritty disco-punk’ is pretty on the ball to be fair – streaks of The Skids, The Blockheads and Viagra Boys all fusing together with Curtis-style dance moves getting the crowd on board immediately. Oh, and then becoming part of the crowd for their final number with three of the band on stage and two performing in a hastily formed circle on the dance floor. (Plus points always added for the inclusion of a Cribs T-shirt). Their new single Do It Yourself came out yesterday if you want an insight (and something to throw shapes to) – do also check them out live if you get the chance, and expect the unexpected.

Nil By Habit

A tough act to follow, but tapping again into the vast Brighton artist pool, Francis Pig switched the mood to a darker setting with some sonically 80s’ goth vibes. Visually, hard to pin down their mix of identity/influences but if you were to throw Courtney Love and Izzy from Black Honey through a wardrobe blender you might be some way to finding vocalist Alana’s stylist of choice. Newer to the scene, they seem to be building up a fanbase keen to extol their virtues, so it looks likely that they’ll be popping up on the live circuit more frequently if you want to be a part of it.

Francis Pig

Changing the pace again, Tigers & Flies presented their own mini big-band if such a thing can be. Plenty of crossover on instruments and not displaced from how Gang of Four might have been if they’d chucked in some more dance moves and a splash of XTC. There was loads to watch and pull your attention – fans of the Keg/Duds art school of musicality would surely enjoy this band and, given how much they look to be enjoying it themselves, why not.

Tigers & Flies

Last up, and proving worth the wait, the smoothly named Saloon Dion took the headline slot in style. Off topic but is there an opening for a celebrity name-based supergroup featuring Saloon Dion, Meryl Streek and Dead Sheeran – these are the thoughts that run through my mind when I’m supposed to be doing other things. Back to the subject in hand, I attempted to avoid the much-used comparison to The Stone Roses but the vocal likeness can’t be ignored. That said, this is no tribute band and their growing catalogue of hook-laden tracks shows clearly that they have something all of their own to offer. New EP Where You’ll Find Me feels like a box full of hopeful anthems just waiting to jump out into the world. Continuing with tour dates around the UK as we speak, grab a ticket if you can for an assured good night out.