LIVE REVIEW: SACRED HEARTS + ZZADE + GASHHOUND @ BLACK BEAR LODGE 05/10/25

Words by Cecilia Pattison-Levi

The Black Bear Lodge hosted Brisbane based band Sacred Hearts for their headline gig and single launch for their new song ‘Possession’. It was fantastic night of local musicians as Sacred Hearts were joined by Zzade and Gashhound who put on sets of authentic and raw music with all the bands delivering unique sounds and captivating performances. The venue had a great crowd of people coming to hear these bands considering it was NRL Grand Final night.

The evening commenced with the four-piece band Gashhound and their song ‘Bitch In Heat’. The young band comprises of Sisi (guitar), Kaori (Keys and vocals), Bec (drums) and Em (guitar) and they have a raw punk crossed with dark pop sonic soundscape. Sisi told the crowd: “This is the largest venue and crowd we have ever played to”.

The band got into their stride by the second song ‘CPR’ and it was delivered well and was a bop. Kaori has a good strong voice. Gashhound delivered a seven song setlist. The songs had a thematic arc about the body, bodily functions, an imaginary friend, but the band was at their best with their original song ‘Lighter Required’ which was quirky, had a good sound, and it was great to see the flute being used. It was great that the band referenced feminist punk riot grrrls L7 by playing a cover of ‘Shove’. Thanks to, Dad Nico for all his hard work.

The stage was reset, after a quick sound check, the local musician Zzade took to the Black Bear Lodge stage.

Zzade is secretly a rock and blues fan as shown by how her lovely bassline riffs, crystal clear vocals, and song writing demonstrate – if you are paying attention. Zzade plays punk, dark pop, indie-rock with some screamcore vocals and electronica added, but underpinning it all is that rock-blues sound with a love of the bass. Zzade’s lovely rock ‘n’ roll sound was supported by Caleb (drums) and Henry (guitar). Their sound was professional and the music was totally engaging: every song was strong.

Zzade started her nine-song set with ‘Villain’ and it was a great song with a strong bassline thrum underpinning it. It was followed by other quality songs ‘Ignite’, ‘T.O.$’, ‘Rewound’, ‘Hollywood Ending’, ‘Read All About’ and the strong and classy ‘Cut The Line’. The last two songs in the set were the industrial dark pop of ‘Secrets’ with an interesting breakdown, and she closed out her set with alternative dark-pop electronica infused with that bassline ‘Fever’.

I really liked what I saw and heard from Zzade. The music and instrumentation were classy and sharp. The song writing had real quality. The delivery by the three musicians was confident, skilled, engaging, and fun. Zzade and her band looked like rock stars and best of all they sounded like it. There was a lot to like here.

The stage was changed again. A riser covered with red velveteen was placed on the stage along with two guitars. The crowd gathered closer to the front to wait for the Brisbane post-punk duo Sacred Hearts to start their headline set.

Sacred Hearts (June Gray and Josie Davison) took to the stage to launch their set and new single. The band had a diverse 12 song setlist of older and newer tracks. The two musicians were striking to look at – both up close and from further back in the venue. Their look and the introduction to their performance set the tone and the theme of their musical delivery. The imagery in the colours red and black (sin and desire) reflected the strong religious and Catholic metaphors in the band’s name and their song lyrics.

The name Sacred Hearts is a reference to the sacred heart of Jesus in Catholicism. The songs ‘Glamour Girls’, ‘Vice’, ‘Is It Cold’, ‘Blind Faith’, ‘Virgin/Whore’ and ‘Concrete Bikini’ drew out those metaphors and similes in the lyrics that linked to the band’s central tenet of a secular Sacred Heart. There was also this interplay of fire and ice in the delivery that was clever. It’s great to see Sacred Hearts taking a strategic approach by using dualities and contrasts in their musical journey. Even the cover of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ kept to the thematic line.

The music that Sacred Hearts embraced is a rich blend of genres from psychedelic rock, 1990s riot grrrl, shoegaze, rockabilly, industrial, post-punk, synth pop, and gothic rock. I could see Kate Bush, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, The Cocteau Twins, The Sisters of Mercy, Joy Division, and Bauhaus in the musical reference points. It was when the set started that I realised why there was more obscure 1980s music playing – that made me happy – but it appears that Sacred Hearts likes that dark-pop from that era and is looking to breathe new life into it. If they are interested and read this – take a listen to Strawberry Switchblade.

With bold and fierce lyrics, Sacred Hearts performed their new song ‘Possession’ that has a poetic and pop heart. It is a great new addition to their sound. The last part of their set had songs ‘Joy Ride’ ‘Crocodile Tears’, and then the fabulous ‘Catholic Guilt’ and a great re-imagining of a song performed earlier in the set ‘Glamour Girls 2’. It was pretty inspired to end their performance with ‘Like A Virgin’ by Madge.

The only issue with Sacred Hearts’ performance was the sound was a bit muddy especially at the front. The sound was much better when I moved up the back to see the band from another perspective. They still looked striking, but the lights were good and the sound was clearer further back. I know production can be complex to get right but some tweaking will help the band realise their vision.

It was a great fun night of local original music. It was great to see a good crowd out enjoying live music made by Brisbane bands.