HAQ123

Their name sounds like a computer virus, their music like the creation of the last pure souls left alive. If preteen boys can ever be considered to possess pure souls. Probably not. Either way, Haq123 are a trio from Birmingham who feature Dave Kavanagh, also of psych-rocking rubber mask enthusiasts Evil Blizzard, and Zac and Millie, also of primary school. They set lyrics about Satan and rats and shrink rays and Judas Iscariot to impeccably wrong sludge punk that remains effervescent even when moving at a thudding snail’s pace (‘Judus’ is like the B-side of Black Flag’s My War if Rollins had let his unruly nephew sing, and inserted a reggae sample halfway through), and features groovy sci-fi electronics instead of a guitar. A British, millennial Old Skull, hopefully with a more positive future ahead. Alternatively, to quote Haq123, “THE BLACK DEATH IS BACK… AND IT’S GETTING INTO YOUR BISCUITS.” The Quietus. New Weird Britain: Noel Gardner's 2019 Round-Up The most remarkable thing about Haq123 is not that they consist of two under-12s and one of Evil Blizzard’s bassists. It’s that they’re not a novelty act – quite the opposite, in fact. That the trio hail from Birmingham, the city that gave us both Black Sabbath and the Supersonic festival, is immediately and abundantly evident. Vocalist Millie is unfazed at being without her voice-changing mic for Machines Don’t Bleed and singles out individual members of the audience with an accusatory finger during the brilliant Ugly Baby: “All of the mirrors in your house are cracked – why do you think that is?” Us parents in the crowd are left to wonder why our own offspring aren’t playing noise-metal in busy venues on Friday nights – where did we go wrong? Buzzmag.co.uk – live review, January 2020 The Moon, Cardiff, Fri 10 Jan Raised on the industrial sounds emitted from Brum, this heavy trio have beats, wails and tempo shifts the older touring band would spend years crafting; front woman Millie’s effortless cool and powerful banshee voice, Zac’s wild drum fills and playfulness and Dave’s ability to sit back and compliment the two young stars talents is a warm reminder to us all of what playing in a band should be about. Supersonic festival – live review