Ex Hex - Ruby Lounge, Manchester, 8/11/2015

by James Lowther

published: 25 / 11 / 2015

Ex Hex - Ruby Lounge, Manchester, 8/11/2015

Writer James Lowther and photographer Melanie Smith catch rising all-female punk rock outfit Ex Hex at The Ruby Lounge in Manchester as they storm through their fantastic debut album ‘Rips'

Article

Earlier this year music journalists were in an uproar about the lack of female representation in the festival circuit. All I can say about that is that if you want to see a kickass all female band, then look no further than Ex-Hex. I arrived late to the party so unfortunately missed the support acts - although I’m told they were excellent. Luckily, however, I didn’t miss any of Ex Hex. Kicking things off with ‘Don’t Wanna Lose’ they blazed through a fantastic set playing the entirety of their brilliant debut album ‘Rips’, with tracks ‘Hot and Cold’ and ‘Waste Your Time’ being particularly memorable. ‘Rips’ made waves when it was released late last year, so I was somewhat shocked that they were playing such a small venue in Manchester. Not only that, but it was also criminally undercrowded. As much as Ex Hex suited the grungy vibe of the Ruby Lounge, I couldn’t help but wish I was seeing them dominate a much larger stage. The best thing about it, however, was that it seemed like we were tuning into them just jamming together in their garage. It was angsty but you could tell that there was a real sense of passion being displayed by these girls. They owned the stage and had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. I would have loved to have seen more crowd interaction, but their attempts fell a little flat with such a limited crowd size. I was in my own little world, however, and, because it felt like they were playing in my living room, I clapped and sang to my heart’s content - that sort of experience would be lost on a bigger stage. A personal highlight of the show was their track ‘Beast’, which was transformed from a quick and chirpy number into a sprawling chaotic jam session that emerged before our eyes. It was hypnotising, loud and utterly perfect. After a brief encore they finished things up 'Waterfall' (which was obviously great, but far too short!) and then hung around after their set to catch up with the crowd. Although they didn’t perform any sneak-peaks of new music, I’m almost certain that their next album is going to be an absolute blinder, so you don’t want to lose the chance to see them ripping up the stage at these more intimate venues whilst you still can.