Bean Weevil, Pink Opaque, Vom Vorton – The Grove Nottingham – 14 November 2025
Blown along on the whims of Storm Claudia it is to The Grove in Nottingham we are delivered for a real treat of a gig with Bean Weevil, Pink Opaque and Vom Vorton
Line up: Bean Weevil, Pink Opaque, Vom Vorton
Venue: The Grove, Nottingham
Date: 14 November 2025
Storm Claudia was blowing sideways as we set off tonight, traversing roads now more waterway than motorway, and circling Nottingham’s Sneinton Market Avenues more than once (unintentionally) before we slipped through the door of The Grove and into indiepop heaven. For we found ourselves taking shelter in this cosy venue on one of those nights where real musical magic happen, where it is about moving our bodies and souls, and the camaraderie which can be found in sound.
We unfortunately arrived too late for any of opener Alex Hale‘s set – sorry!) but managed to catch the end of Vom Vorton‘s. Hearing any amount of his pop-culture referencing, slightly awkward but utterly melodic indiepop is always a treat.
Tonight his set closer is the exact entry to the evening I needed – written from the POV of Jonesy the cat from Alien (a stunning display of journalistic skills from me as I fail to remember the title of the track) it’s gentle, wry, and a weird but wonderful way to connect. Having formerly been part of the majestic Lardpony there’s a deep catalogue of tunes online and we highly recommend checking out both the solo and band work.
Although the Sugababes have long operated on a squad system, meaning we all have a chance of being called up, I’ve come to accept this is somewhat unlikely. Pink Opaque know how to soften this blow though: handing out light-up tambourines so we can all shake and shimmy along to their cover of Overload. And honestly, I think this is better than actually being an actual Sugababe.
The cover comes mid-set among a selection of new tracks, and well-loved favourites. It speaks volumes that these tracks already live in my heart and really are well-loved given this is a band still relatively new (this might be gig 7 for them). They are a band easy to fall for as they bundle brilliant shimmery melody with wittily wonderful, intellectually playful lyrics.
We get their most recent single Bringing Back The Robots, which we previously (and accurately) described as, ‘hands-in-the-air, pogo-along, chorus-stuck-on-a-loop-in-your-brain bop’. We also get the indiepop hooks and adulation of I Wanna Be Like Lauren Laverne, and at least a couple of new ones including All Your Kisses Are Belong To Me with a vibe wonderfully situated between The Pipettes and Brotherhood of Man.
Rather than despair at the rise of the machines Pink Opaque celebrate what it is to be human. With a barely tamed theremin, electronic beats, a little bit of sparkly guitar, and plenty of synth they toast quirkiness in the most disco-tastic way.
We are totally down with dancing through these dystopian times with them.
Speaking of celebratory sounds and sets, you’d be hard pushed to find better than that from Sheffield’s Bean Weevil. They have been described as ‘The North’s most wholesome punk band’ and as joy rides out across the crowd on every note they play tonight it’s hard to think of a more perfect description.
We get lots of tracks from their 2022 EP It’s A Song It’s A Song It’s A TV Show which perfectly capture the way this band can juxtapose pace and volume, and go from lilting folk story-telling with pastoral tints to raucous riffs formed from warm guitars, punchy drums, and bubbling bass lines.
A great example of this is Salty Mess. Starting gently the focus is on the vocal as before us is conjured the imagery and feeling of the clarity which comes from cold water swimming, and the risks worth taking to be in your body and out of your thoughts. This liminal space between faltering and soaring, the veil between living and not, is one which repeats through many of their tracks and however the story is told and the idea explored there is gritty yet chiming guitars, tight rhythms, and songs which compel you to dance while singing along with your whole chest.
Cars is perhaps the pinnacle of the set here with the incredible line and feeling of ‘I like being where I am because it is where I am’ turns this small venue into the biggest cathedral with voices raised together to sing this as indiepop hymnal. The bass grooves along as guitar acts as punctuation as much as melody, there is vocal harmony switching with the contrast of singing/shouting to build the energy.
This is song as both affirmation and on a dark, stormy night in a world where everything seems so broken there is so much hope woven through every note, so much contagious joy in the performance. They end the set with a cover of Lou Reed’s Romeo Had Juliette, sang in German and nothing has been more surprising or made so much sense in a long time.
Tonight was the last date in a tour for the band who are promising, with self-deprecating humour at their slow pace, to be writing new tracks soon. This set though could be repeated time and again to just as much appreciation. Quiet then loud, slow then fast, both folk and punk but always gentle and full of as much love as it is bursting with contagious melody.
Bean Weevil had nothing to prove but showed tonight just what a very special band they are. One who should be held close by anyone who loves their indiepop, and from who we are eager to hear more.
~
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Images: Pete Darrington
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Sarah Lay
A long-standing music journalist she's also co-founder of independent record label Reckless Yes, an author of novels, and when not messing around with words and music, a digital strategist.
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