Brighton’s Chalk got the full‑blast treatment as HotWax wrapped up the UK leg of their UK/EU tour on home‑turf.
Words: Peter Greenfield, Pics: (from the London leg of the tour) Sara-Louise Bowrey
HotWax
HotWax closed out the UK leg of their 22 date UK/EU tour in support of their acclaimed debut album, “Hot Shock” with a full‑throttle near‑homecoming at Brighton’s Chalk. For the Hastings‑via‑Brighton trio of Tallulah Sim‑Savage, Lola Sam and Alfie Sayers, it was a triumphant return to the city that’s been shouting their lyrics back at them since the early days. Their sound remained a glorious tangle of grunge, garage‑punk and snarling pop instincts, all delivered with both youthful energy and enthusiasm plus a confidence usually seen in bands who’ve been doing this for far longer.
“Hard Goodbye” set the tone immediately, Lola’s bassline and Alfie’s drumming forming a rhythm section that didn’t just anchor the set but hurled it forward like they were trying to beat their own record.
Lola was a one‑woman riot throughout. Forget the bassist‑in‑the‑shadows stereotype, she was everywhere at once. Striking various poses, including playing with her bass almost under her chin, leaning back at impossible angles, hoisting the bass skyward, and yet somehow still nailing every note. As “Change My Name” turned into a sprint, Lola practically dared the emerging mosh pit to keep up as she jumped around while playing.
Tallulah and Lola fed off each other’s energy throughout the set, often meeting centre stage on instrumental sections. Alfie’s drums kept the tempo high, even while the two guitarists retuned, ensuring there was no let-up even between songs.
The band’s dynamic shifted on “In Her Bedroom” and “A Thousand Times”, both luring the room in with quieter openings that revealed a more vulnerable edge to Tallulah’s vocals before exploding into noise. Effects‑heavy intros on “Paint It Nice” and “Chip My Teeth For You” added extra texture, while several songs were stretched into longer versions relative to their short sharp origins.
In many ways, HotWax saved their best to the end. The encore was pure theatre, sending both singers into the crowd. “Pharmacy” stripped back with acoustic guitar and egg shaker, was the most dramatic shift in the band’s style throughout their set. It superbly showed another side of Talulah’s vocals.
“One More Reason” instantly reignited the mosh pit, and “Rip It Out” closed with a darker, angrier snarl. A Brighton send‑off that felt less like a finale and more like a warning shot for the EU dates to follow.
Jeanie and The White Boys
Credit where it’s due, HotWax didn’t walk into a cold room. Jeanie and The White Boys had already primed the crowd with a groove‑heavy, blues‑bitten set that refused to behave like a support slot. Jeanie’s magnetic vocals and wild, shameless dancing gave the whole performance a restless, slightly wild edge. There was the sense the band were constantly seeing how far they could push each song before it snapped.
Amongst the fast punky tunes, “I’m A Man” slowed the pace but not the intensity. “Boohoo Girls” featured Jeanie’s wonderful snarling vocals, while as “Psycho Killer” dipped into darker, haunted territory her voice had more bluesy notes. Jeanie and The White Boys closed with “Fire”, a punkier blast that ended with Jeanie writhing on the floor as the band whipped the crowd into an early‑evening frenzy.
By the time HotWax walked on, Chalk was already simmering. By the time they walked off, it was scorched.
HotWax Setlists at Chalk, Brighton, England
Tour: Hot Shock Tour
Hotwax setlist
Hard Goodbye
Wanna Be a Doll
Tell Me Everything’s Alright
Strange to Be Here
Change My Name
Dress Our Love
Paint it Nice
Treasure
She’s Got a Problem
Drop
In Her Bedroom
Lie There
A Thousand Times
Chip My Teeth For You
Encore:
Pharmacy
One More Reason
Rip It Out
Jeanie and he White Boys setlist
Queen Bee
Big Udder Blues
Don’t look now
I’m A Man
Boohoo Girls
Bitch
Psycho Killer
Fire
