HotWax, a punk rock band from the United Kingdom, performed at the British Music Embassy on Saturday night, which was their last SXSW performance.
The band is composed entirely of teenagers who prove that grunge and alternative rock are not dead. Their music is reminiscent of icons such as Courtney Love, and it can be seen that one day they might be just as iconic with their strong and unique music style.
As soon as they came on stage, their powerful presence was felt, and fog filled the stage, which only added to the atmosphere. The crowd absolutely loved it, with everyone bobbing their heads along to the music.
The song that pleased the crowd the most by far, was the final song, “Rip It Out.” This song started slow and quiet, which stood out from the rest of the set, then suddenly went into an aggressive and loud chorus that had everyone not just bobbing their heads, but jumping up and down along with the beat. The song went back and forth from slow and quiet to loud and fast, and the crowd reciprocated the energy the band exuded.
After the show, one girl who was dancing the whole set claimed that the performance was “incredible” and she “felt free” while dancing along. She said they had a powerful presence and so much energy to the point where she was able to feel a connection with the band. She also stated that she couldn’t believe they were teenagers, which I agreed with.
It seems so amazing that the band was composed entirely of people my own age, yet they were already playing so many shows and releasing wonderful music. It goes to show that musical talent has no age requirement, and their music should be enjoyed by anyone and everyone.
