Sick Joy feel almost purpose‑built for venues like The Bodega. The small floor, smoky atmosphere, and sharp lighting amplify everything they do. It’s the kind of space where you can see every bead of sweat, every thread on a shirt and every grin that frontman Mykl Barton delivers. Fresh off the back of the release of the new album More Forever, the show was bound to be loaded with tracks performed for the first time, accompanied by old fan favourites...
First on the support line up was Notts locals Airport Dad, a band with an alternative shoegaze feel to their music.
They appear to be the quintessential DIY outfit - equal parts cozy indie charm, disarmingly relatable lyricism and calm, welcoming stage presence. With lead vocalist Jessie Hodges bringing an easy, slightly awkward, but lovingly charming charisma, accompanying band members Isaac, George and Jack fit perfectly in the mix. The band's music has that “band you stumble upon and immediately root for” energy that thrives in small rooms in local venues, just like The Bodega, with standout tracks of the evening being Alive, Acatalepsy and closer How to Swim.
Hailing from Brighton, Honeybadger followed with their chaotic ‘high energy alt guitar noise’. They are a band who deal in a loud riff‑heavy blend of grunge, punk, and garage rock, the type that rattles the speakers of smaller, more intimate venues, and their attitude on stage only compliments this.
Lead vocalist Eddy Widdows delivers vocals that swing between snarling intensity and melodic bite, whilst drummer Joe Widdows hits hard, leaning into that thick, overdriven Brighton‑garage energy and bass player Luca Brett-Smith delivers a real urgency in the riffs, giving the songs a driving, almost relentless momentum. Each track they played was heavier than the one before, with standout songs from their set being Keep it a Secret, Back To Bed and Gonna Break.
Emerging from Newcastle’s underground circuit before finding their footing in Brighton’s celebrated music scene, headliners Sick Joy started their set with a stripped down, solo performance of fan favourite Dissolve Me, followed by a flurry of tracks from their last album WE'RE ALL GONNA F***ING DIE, before crashing into the title track of the new album Death Scene (More Forever), which delivered a thick and immediate energy, with a surge of distorted-soaked guitars, pounding drums, and vocals from Mykl Barton that cut cleanly through the noise without softening it.
Sick Joy are one of those bands who are unpretentious and direct, providing limited on stage banter, instead choosing to humbly thank the support bands and the crowd for being there and (hopefully) buying the new album.
Other than the odd standalone single, the set was a perfect mix of tracks from WE'RE ALL GONNA F***ING DIE and More Forever (the blood & the bliss, Nothing Good, Video Game, Nothing Better, I've Got More Than I Need, Deep Dream) which showed even more how Sick Joy’s sound continues to evolve but still remains recognisable. Anything Goes, Cinnamon Burn, Don't Feel Like Dying and Painkiller concluded the hazy, grunge infested set, or so the crowd thought. Instead, when the rest of the band left the stage, Barton stayed put and instead performed a solo acoustic cover of The Book of Love by The Magnetic Fields. Whilst it may have seemed a little off centre for some, it softened the energy perfectly after what had been an immersive evening.
Sick Joy’s live sound hits heavier and dirtier than on record; they build momentum in waves, letting the volume, the grit, and the sharp melodic hooks do the heavy lifting, while grabbing at the minds of the listener with their modern emotional unease and grunge‑era cynicism. In a venue as intimate as The Bodega, that rough-edged charm feels amplified, making it the perfect place for Sick Joy to show Nottingham exactly what they’re about.
Sick Joy performed at The Bodega on 8th February 2026.
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