LOXZ
The Sunflower Lounge
Review by Isabelle Evans
I have always felt that music is much more enjoyable when you hear it played live than when you hear the official recording and I was proved right when seeing LOXZ at The Sunflower Lounge. There is something about an atmosphere that makes the music sound much better and every member of LOXZ managed to help create an amazing atmosphere to enjoy the gig. The energy the whole night was amazing, this is also thanks to the opening acts Gutter Puppy and The Cicadas who both perfectly warmed the crowd up and were incredibly fun to watch because of how much they seemed to be enjoying themself on stage.
LOXZ is undoubtedly one of the most enthralling bands that I have seen perform from the immediate crowd interaction from the second their set started to their interactions with each other to their energetic original songs from their EP ‘Third Eye’. Opening up the show with the title track ‘Third Eye’ there was immediately so much energy with people dancing and it was wonderful to see that that energy never died down, instead it only grew, becoming somehow an even more fun set to watch.
The whole atmosphere seemed to peak when they began their fourth song ‘Lesbian Mosh Pit’, there was an air of excitement from everyone in the crowd as they all formed the circle. It was made even better when Scarlett Duthie (LOXZ’s guitarist) ran into the circle at the start of the song to help get the mosh pit started. It was that kind of interaction that really sold me on their entire set, it created this huge boost in energy that was amazing to see, as well as creating this environment full of queer women who could feel safe and were being celebrated in music they enjoyed. Watching a band of likeable and talented musicians is always fantastic, but when a band is able to create a safe space and a community like LOXZ were, it makes the whole night into something special.
By the end of their set it was clear everyone felt the same as me when they started cheering for an encore, but what was more impressive was LOXZ’s ability to perform a cover of Maneater by Nelly Furtado at the very last second. The entirety of their time on stage was a dynamic and captivating spectacle with every bit of audience interaction making you feel included and embraced and every song making you feel empowered. I am beyond excited to see what they will achieve in the future as a band with the potential and stage presence that they have.