Words that punched, riffs that screamed, and a public service announcement about salad!

Words and Photos by John Hayhurst

From the moment the doors opened, the air inside The Wardrobe buzzed with that particular kind of excitement you only get when something wild is about to go down. And before Panic Shack even hit the stage, it was The Pill who ignited the fuse.

The Isle of Wight duo—guitarist Lily and bassist Lottie—may have been the night’s openers, but they performed like headliners. Their set was lean, sharp, and loud: a potent mix of swaggering punk riffs, bone-dry humour, and tracks that were as clever as they were catchy. Songs like Money Mullet, Scaffolding Man, and Woman Driver didn’t just warm the crowd up—they left scorch marks. Lily flung herself into every guitar line with glorious abandon, while Lottie powered through the low end like a wrecking ball – all long hair, tight shorts and boots.

Between songs, they bantered with each other and the crowd with a kind of gleeful irreverence. At times risqué, always cheeky, their stage presence was all mischief and mayhem. The chemistry between them was infectious; it felt less like a show and more like a punk comedy routine that just happened to feature killer tunes. As their set came to a close, the room was already buzzing—fully awake, thoroughly entertained, and more than ready for what came next.

Exploding onto the stage to a wall of cheers, the Cardiff punk four-piece wasted zero time. Launching into Gok Wan like a caffeine grenade, they cranked the energy through the roof and never let it dip. Sarah Harvey, commanding as ever at the front, was a blur of limbs, grins, and scathing lyrics. Her performance didn’t just lead the crowd—it dragged them into the chaos. Behind her, Meg Fretwell (great surname for a guitarist) and Romi Lawrence carved out guitar lines with raw ferocity, while Emily Smith’s basslines throbbed beneath it all like a heartbeat on the edge of a breakdown. Her guitar looked like a Gene Simmons (KISS) cast off, if it wasn’t providing throbbing basslines she could probably chop trees down with it.

From Gok Wan they surged into Baby and then Mannequin Man, two songs off their EP ‘Baby Shack’ that you can’t buy anywhere on vinyl in the UK unless you shell out around £80. The crowd responding like a wave—dancing, shouting, completely giving themselves over to the moment. People bounced in unison, arms raised, hair flying, sweat pouring. The Wardrobe turned into a punk mosh-carnival and nobody wanted out.

One of the night’s special moments came with Girl Band Starter Pack, a brand-new cut from their upcoming debut album. It was sharp, biting, and instantly anthemic—classic Panic Shack but with an extra punch of polish. Just when the room couldn’t get any more hyped, they dropped a love song Thelma & Louise —sort of—about friendship and ride-or-die solidarity. It hit with all the grit and fire fans have come to expect, but with a sincerity that made it stand out slightly from the usual melee.

I Don’t Really Like It had a slow start and built to include a ferocious cover of The Ting Tings That’s Not My Name. Then a couple of new songs which included Tit School which mainly involves tongue in cheek lyrics and singer Sarah Harvey shaking herself around the stage.

Banter in-between songs was the usual top form. Meg grabbed the mic to tell a story that had the whole room in stunned silence: during a motorway service stop earlier in the week, a fellow diner started choking—and Emily Smith jumped into action, performing the Heimlich manoeuvre and saving his life. Emily’s response to the whole incident? A sly grin and the deadpan advice: “Don’t eat salad” It was a perfect encapsulation of the band’s magic—chaotic, hilarious, and don’t give a shit attitude.

“Vape, Phone, Keys, Lipgloss” was the cry as another new track – Pockets rang out around The Wardrobe’s now very sticky floor, and as the night ramped toward its explosive finale, Who’s Got My Lighter? sent the crowd into absolute bedlam. Sarah didn’t just sing the song—she became it, throwing herself into every line like it was her last. Her facial expressions, her energy, her connection with the crowd—it was performance as possession.

And when the final number, The Ick hit, it felt like both a climax and a celebration. Not a single ounce of energy had been spared. The band left it all on stage—sound, sweat, soul. And the crowd? They gave it right back, screaming the words, hugging strangers, dancing like tomorrow wasn’t coming.

But the night didn’t end there. After the final chord, the band made their way straight to the merch table, selling T-shirts and their clever-as-hell £5 QR code lanyards—which not only gave fans download access to the new album, but they also count towards 1^st week chart sales. A punk band with brains? That’s the Panic Shack way.

As fans queued up for selfies and signed posters (yes even me too), there was a sense of something more than just another gig having taken place. This was a gathering of the like-minded. It was sweaty, wild, ridiculous, and entirely unforgettable.

Miss it? You messed up. Don’t do that again – They tour the new album in October so get your tickets NOW!!

The Pill and Panic Shack played at The Wardrobe, Leeds on Saturday 10 May 2025.