Tonight from the moment that L7 hit the stage, it seems like the air is crackling with electricity. Donita Sparks, her guitar slung low, unleashes riffs that cut through the smoky room like razor wire. Suzi Gardner, a sneer etched into her face, answers with her own barrage of sound, while Jennifer Finch on bass and Dee Plakas on drums form an unbreakable backbone, driving each song forward with a force that feels like a punch in the chest.
Tonight the band plays the whole of their iconic album, ‘Bricks are Heavy’, with Sparks joking that no-one is permitted to leave when the band’s best known song, ‘Pretend we’re Dead’ (usually saved for last,) is third on the setlist. ‘Shitlist’ is a cathartic explosion, the band and audience feeding off each other’s energy in a chaotic dance. What more can be said about these four women? L7 stand as an iconic force in the world of rock, embodying the raw energy and unapologetic spirit of the grunge era with their powerful riffs and fierce, rebellious attitude. And age has not diminished them in the least.
