RIGHTS FOR FLIES & PICT
After hearing from Tobi, frontman of Rights For Flies, that they were playing a show at the Sumac Centre, I made it a point to attend. It seemed like the perfect venue to see Rights For Flies, and I’d always wanted to experience this legendary local spot, which first began life in 1985 when a group of people associated with various environmental groups such as Friends of the Earth, the CND, and Environmental Fact Shop opened the Rainbow Co-Operative at 180 Mansfield Road. Over the years, it evolved, changing locations and names, until it became the mighty Sumac Centre in 2002. In 2024, it still stands strong as one of Nottingham and the East Midlands' most unique and interesting independent DIY venues, being completely volunteer-run without managers or bosses. It also supports community resistance projects and is home to the Nottingham Green Festival, Nottingham Animal Rights, and Veggies Catering Campaign, providing a hub for these groups to thrive.
As I walked up to where Google Maps told me the venue was, I felt completely lost! All I could see were houses around me, and no obvious venue in sight. Then, I heard the distant sound of drumming and what seemed to be a band playing—it hit me. The detached house in front of me was the Sumac Centre! What a cool venue for a gig. I entered the place, and it felt like I was in someone’s living room in the best possible way. I went to the bar, grabbed a £2 can of cider, and headed over to see Pict.
Pict
What immediately struck me about Pict was the clear thought put into their songwriting. Their tunes really felt well-crafted, and I could tell they had practiced for a while before playing shows, which had a great impact on their stagecraft and sound already, after only a few shows together so far. Frontman Zach exudes both passion and confidence, singing in an emotive and melodic style that really added so much weight to the songs. They didn’t use distortion on any of their guitars, yet they managed to sound super heavy at times, before shifting back into jangly riffs and anthemic choruses reminiscent of REM or Big Star. This tight band put great energy into making their show exciting and memorable for the crowd, with Zach showing his natural sense of showmanship with his hilarious off-the-wall comments between songs, at one point telling the crowd to “enjoy the advertisements, we’ll be right back” as they sorted out a guitar change. After they finished, I was glad to have caught their set. These guys definitely have huge potential, and I’m excited to hear their future releases.
Rights For Flies
Rights For Flies have made a name for themselves with their incredible live shows, becoming one of the most exciting and unique bands in Nottingham, with their distinctive catchy sound and incredible insect-themed stage costumes and personas. This venue was the perfect place to showcase their protest for "the downtrodden, the wingless, and the spineless," while bringing their party vibes and delivering a proper rock and roll show. ‘Biodiversity’ sums up everything that makes this band great, with amazing harmonies from their backing singers Firefly and Kaito, brilliantly powerful vocals from frontman Tobi, and sweet melodic jangly riffs from guitarists Ellis and Joao. ‘Starfucker’ really added a blast of fuzzed-out psych rock to the show, with drummer Stan the Mantis impressively taking brief vocal duties while the band rocked out. ‘Outer Space’ got the crowd moving and dancing with its smooth rhythm, groovy bassline, and jangly guitars. They know how to create an incredible atmosphere for the crowd, and Tobi always surprises the audience with stream-of-consciousness speeches between songs that add a sense of intrigue and depth to their show. They remind me of early Happy Mondays crossed with a 60s psych rock band like The Plastic Cloud. I can see them continuing to grow and evolve as they gig and create new music, and I look forward to seeing what the new year brings for this spectacular, one-of-a-kind band!