Live
Queen Zee
The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
February 15 2019
Words/Pictures: Steve Willcox
Queen Zee make their return to Brighton after their outlandish performance at The Great Escape last year ensured they were a band to keep sight of. Now with their self titled album just released and winning plaudits all round such as from the likes of Huw Stephens and Iggy Pop, these “strange weird and crazy” guys have come to the right place to spin that mayhem.
With a near sold out show on their hands it looks promising that tonight is going to more than live up to this Merseyside glam punk outfit's exciting live reputation, especially with what seems like a whole coach party down from Liverpool to the coastal resort, bringing enough Scousers (family) to ensure the room is jumpin'.
As soon as sass queen vocalist Zee mounts the stage you get instantly drawn into the fray, who encourages the crowd in closer as they launch into ‘Victim Age’. Sharp lyrics with a riotous noize behind it and with a shout out chorus “welcome to ur victim age” screamed out by bassist Frankie Wortho sets the scene for the night and allows the troupe to drop scorn on political and establishment fraudsters, where everyone’s the ‘good’ guy, playing the poor 'ol me card.
New single 'Loner' is super charged live with Smash Molly (Ash Summers) on keys and shared vocals bringing a no fucks given attitude with enough 80s references to get my deely boppers out the closet.
With a menacing “Brighton r u ready to rumble?” Zee creates a space on the dancefloor to grab a guy to twirl him around like a ballerina whilst the opening bars of ‘Anxiety’ play and soon the crowd starts getting down and dirty to the filthy guitar riffs of Jason Taylor Brown. As the end fades, the vocals “You fuck like a porno movie, you bump & grind you slip & slide it’s truly, a let down” fills the venue with its risqué provocativeness, while ‘Porno’ gets the beat flowing from drummer (Furious) Dave Bloom. This is the kind of subject matter that Queen Zee feels at home with, singing about some home truths on the seedier side of life.
2017’s debut ‘Sissy Fists’ works up the fans with its deep pumping basslines and haunting guitars and then rapidly spat-out anarchic vocal utterances. Ending the show with ‘I Hate Your New Boyfriend‘ shows Queen Zee at the front of this queer punk movement; clever political/LGBTQIA influenced lyrics and releasing so much energy into a show, you can’t help yourself but dance with pure abandonment. Magical sexy unicorns sums this show up perfectly .
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