Live Review: Bobbie Dazzle – Moseley

In the depths of Birmingham, Moseley's newest rock night Raw Power saw up-and-coming bands BLDSUGR (that's 'blood sugar') and Bobbie Dazzle entertain a lively, busy room with some retro-styled anthems of tomorrow. With both employing some obvious 70s rock influences, but in two different ways, they fit the bill with each other well, while doing their own thing to keep the whole audience engaged throughout.

BLDSUGR are on first, with a proto-doom style reminiscent of Sabbath and Pentagram. A young band led by screeching, charismatic female vocals, their fuzzy psychedelic haze, with more than a touch of evil, boasts some commanding drums and lovely vintage guitar and bass tones.

They pull out covers of For Whom The Bell Tolls and Black Sabbath (the song) early on, making it a fun, primal, singalong experience. The vocalist remains true to her own vocal wail, rather than directly trying to lift from what's already been done, which she deserves a lot of credit for. With that said, the bassist's lead bass shredding before the Metallica cover is a very cool tribute to Cliff Burton. With macabre tributes to female vampires, or a woman turning into a praying mantis, they lean nicely into Misfits-y horror punk at times, keeping the evil aesthetic nicely while exploring a range of old school sounds. Top marks.

Bobbie Dazzle, one of the newest additions to the prestigious Rise Above label, is back to the city of Birmingham after a few months without shows. Opening with Flowers On Mars, the band's debut single from last year, their spacey glam rock gets the toes tapping from the first verse. It's a hell of a lot of fun and they manage to get the whole crowd singing and dancing along.

Their take on 70s glam is really interesting in that they go from the big, cheesy choruses into psychedelic prog breaks with ease. Plus, the use of flute and keytar isn't something you see every day (and why is this?). All the while, the melodies are rich and catchy, remaining in your head for a surprisingly long time afterwards. Magic of Music has a more ballady feel, while the upbeat Lightning Fantasy has a co-writing credit from Dazzle's late father.

Abba deep cut Watch Out makes a surprise appearance, before they close on their newest single, the catchy, tuneful Back to the City. As a unit, Bobbie Dazzle are watertight, barely putting a note, rhythm or vocal wrong for 40 minutes as they entertain Birmingham. This is rock and roll.