The mosh pit is reaching a new level of intensity. Beer is being thrown in the air and a small plush monkey lands on stage. The lead singer of headliner Viagra Boys, Sebastian Murphy, picks it up and within a few seconds launches into one of the band’s newest songs “Troglodyte.”  This is just a snapshot of the incredible concert that Viagra Boys put on with openers Shame and Kills Birds.

On Oct. 10th, Viagra Boys performed at the Red Flag concert venue with openers Kills Birds and Shame. Kills Birds is a self-described “Diet Nirvana” from LA who are on their sophomore album. Shame, from south London, is also on their Sophomore album while working on their third. Viagra Boys, the headliner, is currently on tour for their third album Cave World, their 3rd album which was released this year in July. 

Kills Birds opened up the night with their hit “Volcano” from their debut album. This track manifests in song the fear, hope, loss, and most evidently anger felt from rejection. This song was the perfect catalyst to get the crowds to forget the last hour they had stood idly and get into mosh pit mode. Next, the band went on to their song “Worthy Girl” again from their debut album. They continued in their set playing “PTL,” “Natalie”, and “Cough Up Cherries.” This last one easily had the most emotion and passion packed into it. “Cough Up Cherries” is a description of what the band went through during the COVID-19 lockdown, describing the doom they felt while being helplessly alone. Kills Birds mostly played their hits which contributed to the charged atmosphere of the show.

Next up was Shame. If Kills Birds was like an alarm clock waking the crowd up, Shame was a pair of crash cymbals smashing together next to someone’s ears. They began their set with “Alphabet” – a loud yet contemplative track – that is really asking the audience if this show will be enough, while also mocking the ridiculousness of their job as performers. After a brief parley with the crowd talking about their first time being in Saint Louis and revealing they had just finished work on their 3rd album they launched right back into the chaos with their songs “One Rizla,” “Concrete,” and “Born In Luton.” “One Rizla” is, as they revealed, the first song they ever wrote on their Debut Album Songs of Praise. This song goes on to list all the flaws of lead singer Charlie Steen, but he turns this declaration of flaws into a declaration of not giving a fuck and shouting that he won’t give in to the vanity of others. Throughout the set they had been egging on the crowd with more and more energy, with one band member running back and forth across the stage acting like a chaotic heart monitor, only dying down when the music stopped. Shame’s song choice also contributed massively to the building energy and anticipation for  Viagra Boys, but they also played some of their new unreleased songs from their yet-to-be-announced 3rd album. This made the concert feel a lot more exclusive and exciting. 

The main event, this Swedish punk band was just as explosive as they advertised, releasing a positive maelstrom of sound into the expecting audience. They opened with “Ain’t No Thief,” “Ain’t Nice,” and “Troglodyte.” “Troglodyte” is Viagra Boys lambasting the insanity that has arisen in people during the pandemic. In between songs, the band asked what Saint Louis is known for – to which the crowd answered “crack and blowjobs”- which basically solidified the vibe of the concert. Throughout their set, the band was exuding an energy of discord, at one point lead singer, Sebastian Murphy, fell to the ground and lit a cigarette while his band played around him. This, combined with the fiery saxophone playing by Oskar Carls, gave it such a surreal fever dream-like feeling. They closed out their time with “Shrimp Shack,” which they decided to extend with all of them riffing on their guitars. As expected, the Viagra Boys played mostly from their new album and satiated the crowd. However, they also played some of their older songs, appealing to veteran fans and their choice to play these intense songs also contributed to and capped off the charged aura that had been developing all night. 

This show was spectacular from doors open to encore. Each band brought their A-game and delivered an impressive performance. Kills Birds brought a personal hook and pitch to open the night, Shame brought the emotion and intensity to another level, and finally, Viagra Boys brought down the house with their signature furor and frenzy.