ROCK ZOOM

August 17, 2024 – Rotondes, Luxembourg

Belfast-based post-punk/electronic band Chalk quickly made a name for themselves as one of the most exciting acts to emerge from Northern Ireland’s music scene after the release of their debut EP Conditions in 2023.

Chalk’s live performance at Rotondes was electrifying: they took full control of the venue with an intense, raw energy that had the audience buzzing with excitement.

Their sound, a rough fusion of post-punk aggression, techno and noise-rock, hit hard from the first note. Vocalist Ross Cullen moved across the stage with a convulsing intensity that mirrored the raw power of their music, delivering each lyric with a blend of passion and defiance.

The influence of the undergournd dance scene and bands like Death Grips was palpable, not just in the music, but in the atmosphere they created. Chalk’s ability to blend distorted, industrial noise with melodic moments gave their set a unique and mesmerizing dynamic, from dark through hypnotic to disorienting and confrontational.

Ross Cullen vocals and his unrefined energy, the razor-sharp guitar riffs and the piercing synths (both instruments played by Benedict Goddard), combined with the relentless drumming from Luke Niblock, create a barrage of noise and emotion which is matched by the visual agression of heavy strobe.

Chalk’s exit from the stage was as sudden as their entrance, but the energy they left behind was palpable. The audience, still charged with excitement, was left wanting more.

This performance proved that Chalk is a band not just to watch but to experience live, as they continue to push the boundaries of post-punk and electronic music.