As a reviewer, it is of course pretty obvious that I listen to and love a lot of music. But there are only some of the bands that I discover, that I feel I really want to champion to the fullest- as I feel that more people need to hear them, as it feels like their music is important somehow. Jopy, is one of those bands. Recently I had the pleasure of reviewing their debut EP ‘Planet Zombie’ and I’ve been playing it on repeat since. So I was excited to get to see them live soon after writing the review and also having the opportunity to chat to the band for one of my other side gigs, my radio show Pigtails and Army Boots.
I’d ventured into Hoxton for a gig earlier this year with a small, quirky venue and on this rainy Thursday evening in September, I was once again finding myself hunting for the intriguing titled venue ‘Dream Bags, Jaguar Shoes’. I almost walked past, as the venue is another small unique one, looking from the outside like a vintage shop window. Inside was a quirky pub/bar, with the main venue being downstairs, a sweaty basement (which I can confirm I later found out truly was, especially as the fans did not seem to be working).
Before the gig kicked off, I got to chat to singer Jo, bassist Clown Baby and drummer Louis. The band were so friendly, lovely and welcoming. Obviously I hope you will listen to my radio show to hear the interview (I will post the info at the end of the review), but I will say that they told me a lot about their musical influences, and about their personal experiences that have shaped their music- Jo is a trans woman, Jo and CB identify as queer, and they are are also all neurodivergent. I can’t wait to share the interview, as I felt they had a lot of interesting, worthwhile thoughts to share.
Now onto the gig itself- first band up were Everyday Saints. Also hailing from Brighton, they describe their music as ‘dingepop.’ I had never heard this band before, and I loved their style, energy and sound.
Second act was Ski Lift, who I would describe as indie rock, admittingly they were not really for me, but the crowd seemed to love them.
Finally, Jopy came to the stage, and I was blown away almost immediately. I adore the EP but hearing and seeing it live was a whole other experience. The energy from the whole band gave the songs a whole new lease of life, and took on far, rockier, more upbeat demeanour. They played virtually all the songs from ‘Planet Zombie’ including my personal favourite ‘Headhunters Pub and Grub’. They also played songs that I had not yet heard, including a song about someone trying to become the best dancer of ‘The Twist’ in the world.
The EP is fantastic but it is definitley seeing them live that really expresses Jopy’s story. The stories are fun and fantastical, featuring vampires, zombies and even cannibals, but the deeper meaning behind them is about celebrating individuality, and queer/trans joy. When the songs are played live, you can feel that joy and celebration, and the world certainly needs more of that.
Jopy have finished their tour for the time being, but do check out the EP ‘Planet Zombie’ which is out on Goo records and you can get on Jopy’s bandcamp here and reputable independent retailers such as Rough Trade
Jopy’s Socials: Instagram/Facebook
My radio show goes out on Wednesdays 7-9pm on Base Radio, no set date yet to broadcast the interview but Jopy are my October Artist of the Month, so I’ll be playing a track by them every week on the show during October
Review by Hayley Foster da Silva
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