Artefacts: Indie Banquet

Artefacts

Indie Banquet

Saturday 15th December 2018

Wharf Chambers,

Art by Tony Jaycott (@2tontony_j)

On a drizzly December evening in 2018, Wharf Chambers hosted Indie Banquet XII. As a 'Pizza for the People' promotion, the crux of this gig series was twofold. Supporting local, independent street food vendors by serving their grub alongside a carefully curated line-up of new talent.

Previous event alumni included local bands such as Mush, Dead Naked Hippies, and Team Picture. This was alongside other acts like The Wytches, Gengahr, The Orielles and Bdrmm - all of whom are now critically acclaimed artists. None more so, however, than Warmduscher. 

A few months prior, the group had released their second album 'Whale City', featuring hits such as 'Standing on the Corner' and 'Big Wilma'. Despite the band being a household name seven years on, the album's immediate popularity upon release was stunted because 'Joy as an Act of Resistance' (Idles) had 6 Music Dads in a fucking chokehold.

A strong line-up of minimalist post-punk was in order before Warmduscher. In 2018, there was a newfound thirst for sprechgesang. It felt brave and refreshing and it was pints all round. And now, in 2025, the music industry is like your mate who is convinced you want another drink, despite you telling them you've just been sick in a bag.

Wilted (a past project featuring Treeboy & Arc members and Adult DVD's Harry Hanson) were good. However, Lumer were double good. I was quickly seduced by their early sound, which had more prominent synth and New Wave elements than their later releases. Hotel Lux's set also began promisingly but was cut short when disaster struck in the form of Wharf Chambers' fire alarm. The vegan fried chicken offering had backfired.

After waiting in the drizzle with no updates, the audience began to trickle away - some to catch last trains, others with a lack of expectation that the gig would continue at all. Thirty minutes later, however, the alarm fell silent and approximately half of the original crowd filed back in for a weapons grade Warmduscher experience.

It would be fallacious of me to call it unforgettable. I have a vague recollection of the keyboard player going missing after the evacuation, but I could be wrong. I also remember an eccentric compere and poet introducing the band, whom I thought had since passed away. But through background research for this article, I think it might have been the supremely talented Patrick Lyons (who is very much alive). 

Anyway, I saw Warmduscher at Wharf-bloody-Chambers. Who cares about the fine print?

Words by Magnus Pike.