A relentless, high-voltage set full of DIY spirit, sharp attitude and raw live energy from a band who know exactly what they're doing right now.
Right at 9pm, the four Welsh women of Panic Shack backed by a drummer hit the stage at Zeche Carl. And from that moment on, there’s no breathing space: a tight, one-hour set that feels less like separate songs and more like one continuous surge of energy.
It hits hard from the first minute and never really lets go. There’s a confidence in the way they carry themselves that feels completely natural no posing, no overthinking.
Their self-titled debut ‘Panic Shack’ was one I picked up last year and instantly really liked. Up until this show, I’d been wondering how those songs would actually translate live. As it turns out, they hit even harder on stage.
Panic Shack formed in Cardiff, Wales in 2018, and that DIY spirit is still written all over them. This isn’t your typical frontwoman setup. It feels much more like a collective: shared vocals, shared energy, shared presence.
At the centre is Sarah Harvey on vocals, flanked by Meg Fretwell and Romi Lawrence on guitars, both adding their own vocal parts. On bass, Emily Smith lays down a solid, driving foundation. That interplay of voices, attitude and presence defines their sound, raw, direct, and without any unnecessary polish.
The set just keeps pushing forward song after song, no breaks, no filler. It’s rough around the edges in the best possible way, driven by a take-it-or-leave-it attitude that doesn’t try to win anyone over, but somehow does exactly that. This is Riot Grrrl the way it’s meant to be.
The crowd? Fully locked in, moving from start to finish. Hard to imagine anyone standing still that night or walking away unimpressed.
All in all, it was 17 songs and no encore. And honestly, none was needed everything had already been said, and the crowd was fully satisfied. Let’s be real: better to leave it like that than drag things out with three encore blocks that were on the setlist anyway.
It becomes obvious pretty quickly: this isn’t about perfection. It’s about the moment, the attitude, and the connection. And that’s exactly what makes this performance hit so hard.
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: FLORIAN REITH
20 Apr – EU Tour Continued 2026, Hannover, Germany
01 May – Loopfest 2026, Shrewsbury, United Kingdom
09 May – Are You Listening? Festival, Reading, United Kingdom
15 May – London Calling 2026, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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I’m Florian “Flo” Reith, based in Düsseldorf, Germany. Since 2009, I’ve been living for live music – over 1000 shows, 200+ cities, 30+ countries. The camera was there from the very beginning: I tried to capture every gig I went to. Over time, things became more professional and more structured and somewhere along the way, I discovered writing too. I love supporting new and unknown bands. Whether it’s behind the merch stand, working as a roadie, helping organize shows, or sometimes co-promoting them myself – I’m always down to jump in where I’m needed. But let’s be honest: my favourite place will always be the pit – front row, dust, sweat, and pure mosh pit chaos!
Did you know that we are 100% DIY? We run our own game. No one dictates to us, and no one drives what we can or cannot put on our pages – and this is how we plan to continue!
