The crispy autumnal chills rolled through the back streets of KK’s Steel Mill, one of the UK’s established venues, to host a rocking unique set from Atlanta’s quartet Starbenders. With the release of their latest record Take Back The Night, the evening glowed with anticipation for what was to come on their first UK headline tour.
Commencing with their glam-infused duo of Blood Moon and Holy Mother, the stage was set for an unearthly experience that was audibly captivating. Their overall presence moved the spectators into a state where rock 'n' roll was mystically blended flawlessly with evocative harmony that would intrigued the old and new. “Are there any witches in the audience”, Kimi Shelter probed with grit as Bitches Be Witches reeled up the strength of swaying holiness in the air. Cover Me continued the starkly smooth transition and Seven White Horses verified their ability for building emotions that resonated with the influence of Kimi Shelter's spiritual portrayal and the band’s overall untamed energy, notably Kriss’s feverish guitar solos matching the sound seamlessly.
The hard hitting duo of Marianne and the lingering Push brought more unfiltered dynamism while Body Talk carried its impact to the venue. As the night was drawn to an impressive close, the delightful trio The Game, Sex and If You Need It provided an awareness of enchantment, showing Starbenders shown a great mix of rock artistry and aura, leaving a lasting impression on all who witnessed this captivating show.
Revealing the unreleased track MILF, an entertaining fusion of country and metalcore was completed with a jewelled cowboy hat and a strong yee-haw. Adding to the flow was the politically-fuelled Pink Barbie Bandaid that got the floor together in movement. Barbie & Ken was the standout track of the night and it was clear as to why it was. Not only Birmingham got to see In Her Own Words’ frontman Joey Fleming adding vocals the song's already brilliant energy, it was the loudest that lyrics bounced all corners of the venue. As the encore of Pink Rover was a dedication to wolf-whistling and the finisher Pink Panther embraced accepting one's sexuality, how the set went by that quickly was anyone's guess. However, it was a huge accepting community within that hour of Scene Queen, who made their early days at Scruffy Murphy's all the worthwhile.