Haze & Hypnosis at NAV

Photos Credits: Marta San for Thee Seizures

The Music

On a cool, dark October evening at NAV I was introduced to the presence of three bands that ooze hypnotic psychedelia: Vicious Lodge, Thee Seizures, and Throw Down Bones.

Vicious Lodge

I had initially come to this venue to see the latter two bands for fuzzy industrial-type beats, but to my surprise, the opening group Vicious Lodge reeled me in with its slow ambiance of jazz and synth. The room was brought into a meditative state. A wavy electronic composition, it almost reminded me of London-based artist Nala Sinephro who created the albums Space 1.8 and more recently, Endlessless. It felt like the perfect introduction for an evening of psychedelic escape.

Vicious Lodge doesn’t have an online presence yet, but I’ll be curious to see how they evolve in Lisbon’s musical spaces.

Thee Seizures

 Following Vicious Lodge, Lisbon-based band Thee Seizures woke the audience up from the meditative ambiance with their energetic acid punk. It was a true nod to the 1960s wave of rock and blues. The band, however, brought twists and grooves of garage and progressive that felt both old and new. The undertone of grooves felt fitting for October as it “must be the season of the witch”. This groovy, yet almost Halloween-esque spook took turns similar to the California-based bands of the 60’s that wrote funky songs by the cemetery called The Graveyard Five. More recently, the uptempo brought me back to the era where I purely listened to garage rock bands like Thee Oh Sees. Thee Oh Sees and Thee Seizures? What a dream collab that would be.

Throw Down Bones

 After the energetic buzz from Thee Seizures, the night ended with a base-like trance from Throw Down Bones. The atmospheric music of the Milan and London-based group brought me into a deep, pleasurable focus. The tones of repetition and the combination of rock and electronics created a mental build-up of wavey anticipation. With the hypnotic rhythm, I couldn’t help but get a bit lost in the music as the haze of the red lights warmed up the room.

The Space

NAV (Nunca Antes Visto) is a cultural association in Lisbon that hosts musicians and other local art events. Walking into NAV feels like walking underground into a desert cave, sheltered from the Atlantic storms. The cozy atmosphere is enhanced with stage plants and the warm glow of candlelights, almost like an altar to the performers.

(Or maybe at least an alter of beer)