Review | Lipworms at The Edge of The Wedge: 'A pleasing assault on the senses'

It’s just him and his box of tricks producing industrial-strength beats while Georgian raps and sings through the melee. There’s elements of goth and post-punk, other times it leans more into the electronica. Worth investigating further.

The reason for this evening’s gig is to officially launch Lipworms’ second single, Teeth. However, when the Portsmouth-based band play it, they admit it sounds little like the recorded version.

The four-piece have a somewhat freewheeling approach to their gigs – tracks can last 10 minutes or more and it’s not even always clear where one ends and another begins.

But it’s not self-indulgent – when the band get into a groove, it’s a pleasingly full-on assault on the senses.

Co-vocalists and multi-instrumentalists Chris Williamson and Tom Bryan are old hands at this game, having served several years in other local acts. They seem to instinctively know when to apply the pedal to the metal, and even, on occasion when to ease up.

Their own description of playing “dark post-worm/wormpsych/wormcore” speaks more to their warped sense of humour than any actual sound.

Suffice to say it’s definitely grimy – this is music with dirt under its fingernails. Sometimes its thick with guitar effects and electronic distortion, other times they’ll surprise you with something akin to trip-hop, or Bryan will whip out a harmonica.

By the end of the set we get Bryan spitting his beer high across the stage, with Williamson attempting to catch it in his own mouth.

They’re very good at giving the impression of chaos – but there’s definitely some form of order amid that chaos.

Last October’s show by the band at the same venue ended with a guitar meeting a grisly demise via powerdrill. There’s no such instrument abuse this time, but Lipworms have no need for such gimmicks at every gig (thrilling as it was).

They do, however, demand your attention.