PANIC SHACK
Corn Exchange, Newport - 25th May 2025
Support: The Pill
There are some people who sneer at Panic Shack. Along with the usual sexist/misogynistic comments, there are the predictable criticisms of their musical ability and their lyrics. Such lazy remarks most often come from completely inadequate men with little to no musical talent themselves, and more often than not, appalling music taste as well. Oh, and no sense of humour.
You see, they are all completely missing the point. Panic Shack are having fun, and they are spreading that fun among people who appreciate that music should never conform to a predefined formula or be an exclusive club only for boys who play guitars like they are extensions of their manhood (or compensation for the lack of it, perhaps?) Panic Shack are great, and a packed out Corn Exchange proved that a lot of people get it.
It was already busy when we arrived not long after support band The Pill, from the Isle Of Wight, came on stage. To be fair, I wasn't particularly enamoured by them. The best thing I can say is that they came across as a poor man's version of fellow Islanders Wet Leg.
Panic Shack seemed almost overwhelmed by the response of the audience after their first couple of songs. "Fucking hell, Newport!" exclaimed Sarah, excitedly. It was an encouraging start. And so it went, the set crammed with songs from the then-upcoming debut album and the 'Baby Shack' EP, a record that I reckon most people in South Wales will have heard at least once. It seemed to be MASSIVE around here when it came out.
Of the new songs, I think it was somewhat predictable that the singles of the time were received very warmly: Gok Wan, Thelma & Louise and Girl Band Starter Pack. New song Pockets, soon to become a huge fan favourite, was also introduced to the audience, as we were encouraged to shout along with the chorus "VAPE! PHONE! KEYS! LIPGLOSS!"
But it was the early classics where it became uproarious. Who's Got My Lighter?, Jiu Jits You and, of course, The Ick were all greeted as though they'd been cemented into our brains for decades. Which is weird, right? Because ultimately, Panic Shack are a group of young women having fun, just starting their rock 'n' roll careers, not seasoned pros with decades of material to look back on. And maybe that's why there's that bitterness towards them from a certain demographic - Panic Shack have had more fun and success in the past few years than any of their denigrators have had in their entire lives. Who's sneering now?
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