Nothing Mild About It: Vexed’s Ferocious Headline Show in Camden
This week saw the first mild day of the year in London, but there was nothing mild about the antics unfolding on the top floor of The Black Heart in Camden Town. Selling out their first headline show, Vexed delivered a tectonic performance. Three acts, three walls of death and a female-fronted metal band, it was a firestorm of a Wednesday evening.
Kila Kosa brought raw, unpolished material to fuel frontman Antoni Franco’s command: “I wanna see some fucking two-steps out here”. A combination of dry hardcore screams and low-pitched growls against crashing cymbals provided the scrappy energy needed to limber up the crowd.
Under icy blue lighting, limbs flailed and bodies bounced around the pit to melodic verses, beastly roars and shifting tempos from InRetrospect. These Leeds lads brought intense sounds and wicked humour. Vocalist Nathan Biddles confessed that the absence of merch was due to guitarist James Bayliffe (sporting a fetching pair of white-framed shades for the entire set) leaving it at home. Moments later, the stability of the floor was questioned as the hammering notes of ‘In.My.Own.Skin’ reigned havoc.
Walls shook as drums and guitars clashed with intention. Vexed had arrived. Head thrashing to the beat, vocalist Megan Targett unleashed gritty screams. The band’s energy was unrelenting. Each song was delivered with the same ferocity and power. The onslaught of face-melting tempos from ‘Lay Down Your Flowers’, ‘Fake’ and ‘x my <3 (Hope to Die)’ caused the pit to swallow more and more participants.
Debuting sassy new single ‘Turning Green’ to an audience drenched in green lighting (we see what you did there, Vexed), Megan introduced a different intensity to the setlist. Offsetting chthonic vocals with melodic cries, this captivating shift ramped up the dramatic tension, leaving the crowd eagerly awaiting a cathartic breakdown. ‘Dominate’ drove a similar atmospheric response and we witnessed Megan’s incredible vocal range, including impressive off-mic roars.
Vexed embodied the essence of alternative music. Inviting the room to present their best slut drop and raise their middle finger to narcissists before crashing into ‘Narcissists’ projected pure punk angst. Megan took a moment to acknowledge, “It’s been a very, very long fucking time to get here”, and the band’s cohesion spoke to that longevity. The coordination and precision required to pull off the performance Vexed delivered are earned through years of grit and persistence, and now we are all reaping the rewards.
As the night drew to a close, adoring fans cheered for an encore, but there was a condition: Vexed wanted a commitment to feral behaviour. Megan’s blistering demand for a ‘PROMISE’ to deliver ripped through the room, which immediately bounced with obliging bodies.
Visually and sonically fierce, Vexed delivered a hard-hitting show. While polished, they kept their grassroots edge by stripping everything back and delivering what draws us to heavy music: raw energy, passion and community.
Vexed will take that ferocity to Takedown Festival at the beginning of April, before heading to Copenhell in Denmark this summer, alongside a run of shows in Germany supporting Kittie. If you get the chance to see them live, don’t miss it.
