Gig: Citizen with Drug Church & Viji at Electric Ballroom, London
Citizen by Isla Kerr
On a rain-soaked February evening, the vibrant energy of Camden's Electric Ballroom remained undeterred as eager fans flocked to witness an electrifying lineup featuring the genre-defying Viij, the raw intensity of Drug Church, and of course Ohio rock behemoths Citizen.
VIJI
Dressed in a pilot-esque getup, Viji took to the stage and kicked things off in a mellow and melodic way. Real name Vanilla Jenner grew up in Austria and spent some time in America before moving to London. Her voice is a beautiful bond of contradictions and her music, featuring layered guitars throughout, echoes this perfectly with songs so dreamlike you feel you should be lying down to listen.
Oliver, on guitar, sways side to side as he plays. To his right is another talented musician by the name of Hornet. Despite having only two songs to her name, she oozes confidence and, along with the other band members, boasts a fresh spark of life, bringing something new to this famed venue.
The set picked up when ‘Sharks’ began and the crowd started to jump around as the lyrics ‘Promise me you’ll take care of me’ were sung back to the band.
Many of the songs Viji played tonight, including ‘Karaoke’ and ‘Sedative’, are from her 2023 release So Vanilla which is everything but what its name suggests. If you haven’t already you really should give this record and the rest of her work a listen. She is one to watch in the years to come as we see the continued revival of Shoegaze-style soft rock.
Drug Church
The five-man-strong Drug Church were up next. They flanked the stage as if it were an auditorium and they the gladiators ready to invoke chaos. Vocalist Patrick Kindlon announced into the sound of static ‘If you’ve seen us before you know what’s up, if you haven’t…get ready’.
The crowd surfing starts not a moment after, lead guitarist, Nick Cogan, who has been the focal point of endless praise over the last year, plays his first chord. This energy did not let up for one second as more and more bodies were passed over the barrier and set back to their feet. An unexpected announcement made by Patrick informed the crowd that he had been asked to put a stop to the crowd surfing. This was met with boos until he retorted ‘However, these men (the security) are all professionals and they will catch you if you do decide to get up’. Patrick then, responding to a security member who had just spoken to him said ‘Oh, there’s only 3 of you?’ ‘Well, you better aim straight for ‘em then’.
The set moved on to ‘Fun’s Over’ and ‘Unlicensed Hall Monitor’ which saw mosh after mosh break out and did nothing to stop the crowd surfing. ‘Myopic’ was introduced as a slow song but the lyrics were yelled back at them in a frenzy of heightened emotion and energy.
‘Weed Pin’ rounded out an incredible set from one of the best live bands out there at the moment. They toe the line between aggression and melody in a way that very few others do. A must-see for any who haven’t experienced the cathartic mayhem that is a Drug Church show.
Citizen
It was time! Bright white lights shone as Mat (vocals), Nick (guitar), Eric (bass) Mason (guitar), and Ben (Drums) walked onto the stage.
After the acts that had come before the crowd took no time to warm up and were instantly bouncing to ‘Hyper Trophy’, one of the livelier tracks, from the 2023 ‘Calling the Dogs’ Album. The set continued as they perfectly weaved music from a range of albums released throughout their fifteen-year career into what was a dream gig for many.
The connection to the audience was direct and the enthusiastic reaction older songs received pointed to the fact that many here had followed the band for years and had waited just as long to hear these songs live.
Mat drew attention to this in a lull between tracks, ‘It’s been a while since we’ve played in London. I can’t remember much about that show, but I do know there were nowhere near this many people’. He then wished a happy birthday to a fan pressed against the barrier.
The stage and crowd were lit in yellow as ‘Yellow Love’ was introduced. Mat stood up front as the rest of the band took a step back and for the first time all night, a sea of phones were visible as all tried to freeze this emotional ballad, released almost 10 years ago, in time. Slow headbanging took the place of frantic crowd surfing and tears could be seen on many faces. The moment was over all too soon yet the pick-up was welcomed when ‘Pedestal’ played and tears turned into sweat when the crowd began to move again.
Finishing with an encore of ‘I Want to Kill You’, Citizen drew close to a night that will be remembered in perfect detail for years to come by those who waited so long to see them on British soil.
Catch the rest of Citizen’s European Tour with support from Drug Church.
12th February - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
13th February- Copenhagen, Denmark - Beta
15th February- Cologne, Germany - Club Volta
16th February - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo
