Ecca Vandal @ Audio, Glasgow, 30 Aug

“Dance with me”, Ecca Vandal implores us midway through her set, percussion and bass clashing out an anarchic melody. It's a brief downtempo interlude from the cathartic bliss that has marked tonight so far. Sweat and heat intermingle; the sold-out show is packed, the relentless energy Vandal and her band bring reflected right back at them.

Hailing from Australia by way of South Africa, Ecca Vandal was born to Sri Lankan Tamil refugee parents. Over the years she’s been making waves in Melbourne’s underground scene, with her 2017 debut self-titled album finding synergies between punk, rock, hip-hop and soul genres. Genre bending and experimentation with a punk ethos characterise her artistry: her past viral cover of Rihanna’s Bitch Better Have My Money, with interspersed elements from Dizzee Rascal and Kelis, a potent example. 

Following a pause which Vandal described as “taking a bit of a breather for my head, heart, health and art”, she’s released a steady stream of singles since mid-2024 which see her channel a new sound incorporating more elements of pop-punk, without compromising on raw grit or power. Fresh from supporting Limp Bizkit on tour earlier this year, while tonight’s stage is far more intimate, this time it’s fully her own.

Angelic ambience marks Vandal’s initial entrance, quickly giving way to hardcore, pummelling guitar shaking us to our core. Throwing us into a baptism of nu-metal and punk heat, Vandal and her band show that they didn't come here to play games. BLEED BUT NEVER DIE early on gets a particularly enthused reception, riot grrl energy and brazen lyrics – 'I’m bleeding through my jeans again / Who doesn't love a good cry' – wrapped up in a nu-metal package. The infectious refrain 'I-I-I-I-I / Bleed but never die-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie-ie' is screamed back from the crowd, as fists pound the air.

Vandal's inherent versatility as an artist is channeled throughout her performance: it’s entrancing. She seamlessly switches tonight from screaming and thrashing, rapping, and belting out punk melodies and commanding vocals, often within the same song. Fiercely raw and uninhibited she still maintains complete control and just witnessing her self-possession feels liberatory: a true embodiment of punk.

Tonight’s show is short, punchy and powerful – invited back onstage for a final encore, Vandal and her band burn brightly onwards in a blaze of glory. A charged energy lingers long after the last chord rings out. There's a distinct feeling that we’ve only just scraped the surface of what's to come.