Concert Review: Pleasure Venom at Waterloo Records
The rising Austin band brought Southern grit and punk-rock sludge to the Waterloo stage on January 20, 2023.
Written by C.S. Harper
Photos by C.S. Harper
As the first 2023 installment of “The Drop,” a monthly live music series produced by the Austin American-Statesman and KUTX 98.9 FM, local punk band Pleasure Venom graced the stage at Waterloo Records this past Friday. The four-piece delivered an explosive 30-minute performance of six tracks off its exceptional debut full-length record, Rebirth/Return.
Donning all black clothing and clacking a fan marked with the word “DADDY,” frontwoman Audrey Campbell was a force to be reckoned with, even before she took the mic. It was only fitting, then, that the first words that came out of her mouth were, “Getting tired of living this shit!” Guitarist Chase Dungan and drummer Thomas Valles came in guns blazing, a flurry of electric riffs and thunderous percussion introducing “We Get What You Deserve.” Campbell’s vocals ranged from a disaffected sprechgesang to gut-wrenching yelps, courtesy of her previous stint as a brass player. Her body language was just as animated, pulling all the punk-rock mannerisms in the book, punching the air and swaying with fervor across the track’s runtime.
The momentum never faltered, with Campbell stopping only to announce the succeeding tracks. “Behind Their Eyes,” the album opener reminiscent of ‘90s garage sleaze, followed. Groaning, chanting, and screeching, the enigmatic singer gave a whiplash-inducing performance. As if to regain herself, she turned her back on the growing crowd at the track’s bridge before whipping back around and delivering the final chorus: “No truth! In you!”
Switching up the pace, the band followed with “Peril,” which stands out in Pleasure Venom’s catalog with its metal-esque instrumental characterized by sludgy guitars and power drumming. Over Dungan’s wailing guitar, Campbell stood on an amp with grungy nonchalance. Grimacing, she let out a series of shrilling screams, each with more rage than the previous one. To cool things off, the band transitioned into the stripped-back bridge, with barely-there drumming and minimalistic guitar plucks that elevated the frontwoman’s gravelly delivery. “Peril / Calls me astray / Keeps me / Pleading,” she whispered ardently, like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. As the sonics built up around her, Campbell’s powerhouse delivery returned for a final refrain as she struck a pose with both hands above her head.
At the halfway point of the set, the band followed with the crowd-pleasing “Severed Ties.” As Pleasure Venom’s most streamed song, the number showcased the group’s excellence with its rage-fueled vocals and references to Hole’s Live Through This. With her hand on her stomach, Campbell seemed timid as she revealed the tumult of her mind: “I’ve been clinging for so long / Always been so headstrong.” Pointing at the crowd, she snarkily continued, “Such a shame she’s so lost.” She fully regained her punk affectation at the track’s djent-like breakdown courtesy of bassist Jordan Emmert’s syncopated plucks. Campbell growled, “I just wanna live through this / Going down the abyss,” while punching the air before delivering blood-curdling shrieks at the end of the track, nearly falling to her knees.
During a brief intermission, Campbell peeled back her intimidating persona, showing the audience the human beneath. She gloated over opening for Bikini Kill and L7, expressing her admiration for riot grrl. The songstress also opened up about her school years playing the trumpet and her desire for racial justice during the resurgence of Black Lives Matter in 2020, the latter of which inspired the music video for “We Get What You Deserve.”
After Campbell shared this sweet moment with the crowd, the band regrouped for a gut-punching encore. Beginning with the aptly-titled “Daunt,” the instrumental’s ominous grime at times contrasted the frontwoman’s benevolent mannerisms. Holding her hand out at the crowd and smiling at the chorus, Campbell seemed to have had a resurrection herself as she sang, “Rebirth! Return!” This delicate demeanor soon died out, however, overshadowed by Dungan’s psychedelic guitar shredding and Campbell’s subsequent yowls.
To close off the night, the group followed with “Pardon.” A deep cut from Rebirth/Return, the track ended Pleasure Venom’s set with a bang thanks to its chorus’ grungy instrumentation and menacing questions (“Are you forgiven? / Are you wicked?”). Beginning with spiraling guitar arpeggios, the track descended into Junji Ito-esque imagery as Campbell growled, “Wings beneath us / Singed to their tips / Words we’ll never learn / Burned into their eyelids.” At the bridge, the instrumental slowed to a mid-tempo as the frontwoman sang melodic vocalizations à la the theme song from “Daria.” Campbell then let out a borderline pig squeal, holding the mic stand with both hands as if to keep herself from toppling over from the sheer power of her scream. After delivering the final line (“Wicked!”), she humorously juxtaposed the track’s dark sonics by striking one final pose — this time with jazz hands. Thanks to the wit and rockstar attitude of its frontwoman, Pleasure Venom packed a punch at the end of its set to start off the new year strong.
If you’d like to catch the band live, be sure to check out its upcoming Rebirth/Return release show at Hotel Vegas on January 27. Also be sure to pre-order the record in vinyl format here.