There’s been a lot of discussion about how tough it is for touring bands to make money on the road. And while major stars book out arenas and stadiums sometimes for weeks at a time, the smaller venues where many new and local bands ply their trade often struggle to make ends meet. Witch Fever, who play this venue in March, recently talked openly about being broke even after several months playing to sold out arenas supporting Volbeat.

It’s therefore encouraging to see a good sized audience gather on a Wednesday night at Voodoo Daddy’s Showroom in Norwich to see no less than four bands representing a decent cross section of alt-rock, garage rock/punk and shoegaze. This is a great little venue which hosts a mix of local talent and artists from further afield, many of whom are on their way up the unpredictable path that is a musical career. Tonight is no exception.

PINN kick off the evening with a solid set of their rock/indie/shoegaze tracks. They’re clearly at home here and the local boys enjoy themselves opening for what is a packed out lineup. The warm up they provide for the early doors crowd builds with the arrival of Police Cops. This four-piece describe themselves as an “all purpose rock band” and that’s pretty much what we get. At the punkier end of rock/alt-rock, they pile on the energy as the audience begins to pick up the Wednesday evening vibe. They’re loud, heavily distorted and give it everything.

Main support band Honeybadger hail from the ever-productive Brighton alt-rock and metal scene. This small basement venue seems almost custom made for their raw, shouty garage punk and rock sound and the young 3-piece (brothers Eddy and Joe Widdows and bassist Luca Brett-Smith) play a tight set showcasing a mix of tracks from their self-titled 2024 EP and newer songs. Stomp-along songs like “Maybe” I demonstrate skilful musicianship and most recent single “Killswitch” has just enough pop in it to suggest the ability to push past the boundaries of their earlier material.

Fresh from the release of their second album More Forever at the end of January, Sick Joy continue Brighton’s temporary takeover of this corner of Norwich. Frontman Mykl Barton bookends their set with two solo songs. 2018’s “Dissolve Me” explodes into two tracks from their 2022 album We’re All Gonna F***ing Die. “Sadisfaction” is followed by the singalong chorus of “Stay Numb,” clearly a fan favourite.

Sick Joy are often described as a post-grunge, alt-rock/noise-pop band. Their sound majors on heavy riffs, catchy choruses and a healthy dose of distortion. Listening to the mix of older tracks and songs from their new album, it’s clear they are a band that is evolving into something to rival any of the emerging stars of this genre. “Deep Dream” provides a thumping centrepiece for the set, while “Cinnamon Burning’s” well-crafted verses bleed into a chorus made for festival crowds to chant back at them. It’s a heady mix of Nirvana-esque guitars, Pixies sass and a dash of Tom Petty rebellion. “Video Game’s” dark lyrics are overlayed by a stomping, relentless Nine Inch Nails-style beat.

With this new album, Barton and the band seem set to build momentum throughout 2026. Although no dates or festivals have yet been announced, surely more touring is on the cards later in the year. And on the evidence of this gig, any fans who love guitar-heavy indie rock will not be disappointed to catch a future show.