More about: Femur

If you were looking for a gig to gently ease your ears back into live music, this wouldn’t have been the one for you. At their first gig back since the pandemic began, Sheffield psych-rock darlings Femur held nothing back. As if they’d been storing up all their energy, building and building to a release, the benches of Sidney & Matilda’s basement venue rattled as if dancing when the audience couldn’t. 

With a long legacy of putting on incredible shows, Femur have landed themselves a cult following for being loud, hypnotic and maybe even a little scary. Normally seen residing over the pit, with frontman Felix’s tall frame and piercing stare demanding the attention of everyone in the room, I wondered how they’d take to a sit down affair. When their music sounds like controlled chaos, merging psych, punk and even western influencers, Femur shows usually pull your body into movement with screaming guitars and Danny Cox’s heavy drumming...not really the soundtrack to a nice little seated gig with a nice little drink. Full of all the familiar faces that make the Sheffield scene so close-knit and supportive, the change in context didn’t bother the bands’ followers.

With the atmosphere quickly changing into giddy excitement, the night was perfectly curated. The support acts were flawlessly chosen, creating almost an equation that added up to Femur. Opened up by shoegazey, techno two piece Kalter, and followed by Nottingham’s grunge favourites Babe Punch, we were eased into the hot water. Bringing together two ends of the alternative spectrum, the crowd was ready and roaring for Femur’s unique middle crowd. 

Kicking off straight away with their guitarist Eddie Burks laid out on the floor of the aisle, they wasted no time in breaking down the wall between stage and seats. Ensuring the connection remains while all staying covid-safe, the gig had the same feel as all other Femur shows: excitable and relentless. Shredding through old favourites like 'Start Again' and 'Chunk', mixed in their newest track 'Misery Express' which finally got the crowd involvement that it demands, the best of the band was on display. Pausing only to pay homage to Greg Crosby, a recent loss in the Sheffield scene and huge supporter of the band, they played all the hits for him. 

Leaving with rattling ears and a thumping chest, I felt excited for it all to return. I crossed my fingers even tighter that Tramlines gets the go-ahead, I prayed for the re-opening of all my favourite sweaty little venues, and felt my love reignite for gigs so loud you worry about your hearing. Always staying tight even when plunging into instrumental chaos, Femur make it look easy as they ride the wave from heavy punk into luxurious grooves. Back as if the break never happened, they offered up a hefty dose of adrenaline to every seat in the room with reinvigorated energy and a better-than-ever sound.  

See a gallery of film photos from the show by Benji Wilson below:

More about: Femur