For a band with only five tunes, playing the downstairs of The Waterfront is a pretty big deal. It’s an even bigger deal to sell the whole place out. In the indie world, Keo have been quick to be compared to fellow moody rockers Wunderhorse, with frontman Finn Keogh’s snarly vocals being akin to Jacob Slater’s and the heavy going nature of their songs riling up crowds across the country over the past year. So it’s fair to say going into this gig there were several expectations. A sound that reverberates around a sweatbox of a room, a setlist of songs that are “burn your lungs out” screamed and a bunch of punters, proud as punch that they’ve discovered the next big thing before anyone else did.
@georgebuttxn Keo – That’s Me. Waterfront, Norwich – 10/03/26 – @Keo #keo #unreleased #indie #music ♬ original sound – George
Support comes from Dublin born- now London based- Bleech 9:3, sharing their slot on the tour alongside Tooth. Murmurs in the queue tell us there’s a lot of people excited about these – some even more so than the main act. Their name is quite fitting- all of ‘em look a bit like the spawn of Keith Flint, complete with the bleached neon barnets and the chaotic energy to match. Built on the foundations of recovery, frontman Baz Quinlan whines over a backdrop of grungy garage punk, eying up audience members that already cling to his every word during “Jacky”. This was no “stand, watch and ‘nod yer head a bit’” affair as I’m sure you’ll agree- this crowd were causing a commotion. Their set climaxed with a closing performance of single “Ceiling”, in which a MAHOOSIVE moshpit formed in the middle, attracting those from different directions to join in and jump about.
This cult-like energy carries on way into the night. Whilst a bunch of imposters from Ipswich may have made themselves known to the Norwich crowd, they were soon drowned out by football fan style chants of “KEEEEEEEEEO”, as the band swaggered onto the stage to The Stone Roses “Love Spreads”. A very fitting song choice I must add- these fans are diehard, and the queue snaking its way round the corner of King Street half an hour before doors proves it. At times there’s moments where they carry the band, so much so it’s almost impossible to hear them- and see them for that matter- without your view being obstructed by a dozen twenty-somethings belting tracks from the band’s 2025 EP “Siren”,their arms outstretched, causing scenes often associated with the American bible belt as opposed to a dingy indie club in the backstreets of Norwich. “Thorn” has this at its core, with the last chorus being a complete crowd takeover. Love was truly, ahem, “spread”.
Understandably, a large majority of the setlist is taken up by unreleased tracks & songs from the band’s Soundcloud days. Tracks like “Young” and “Hazel” seem softer at first though still manage to lean into the “quiet/loud” approach, providing a calm between storms. Riding on the high of said storms, if you pardon the pun, the encore begins with a cover of The Doors “The End”. It sounds like Nirvana- the band that is- not buddhist heaven. A clamouring Cobainesque performance which sees Keogh pitch himself down the front, addressing his disciples. His voice is raw and jagged, painful almost, perfect for a song which sounds like the “powerful sense of dread” Super Hans was after. His brother, bassist Conor, also exudes this energy. Floppy haired and blonde he’s the quintessential grunger, keeping his head down low and using his locks to their full potential, flipping them about every now and again in true rock n roll fashion.
Based in Norwich, Cerys Hubbard is a music journalist and history nerd whose passion for rock n roll began when she was named after Cerys Matthews.
A BIMM Brighton graduate, she founded Dead Pop Mag Society to revive the chaotic fun of 80s and 90s music journalism. Her work has led to appearances on BBC Radio and interviews with rising stars at Wild Paths Festival.
When she is not writing, Cerys works at Norwich Arts Centre, where she can be found putting up posters, pulling pints, and chatting about her favourite bands to anyone who will listen.
