L.A. Witch | Gravy
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
23rd September 2025
L.A. Witch return to the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds to weave their DOGGOD spell over devotees new and old alike.
L.A. Witch’s return to the Brudenell Social Club on a September Leeds night was is much a ritual as a gig. The Brudenell is filled with inquisitve freshers, longtime fans, and the adventurous gig-curious; an audience drawn by the promise of dusk-laden, cinematic desert psych-rock and delivered by musicians truly at the height of their craft.
Support act Gravel start things off with a brisk, high-energy set, earning plenty of love from the early arrivals pulled from the local scene. They are playing a headline set at the Brude in the not too distant future.
As the house lights fall, L.A. Witch stride onstage with no fanfare and open with Dark Horse. Vocalist-guitarist Sade Sanchez sets the entire tone of the evening: her stage presence is quietly electric, her voice dusty and emotionally charged. It’s not a monotonous drawl, but a hypnotic spell weaving tension and release through every lyric, her guitar work shifting from haunted reverb to psych-blasted leads that seem bred for the Brudenell’s famous main room.
By her side, bassist Irita Pai is front and centre, her playing cool, composed, and effortlessly stylish, laying down noirish, driving bass lines that form the backbone of the set. Once described as the “coolest bass player you’ll ever see,” she’s a true pillar of the group’s distinctive psych-garage sound. On drums, Ellie English brings subtlety and dark swing, her kit work all toms and shuffling fills, allowing the tension in each song to build and spill perfectly over. Rarely showy, English is the heartbeat of the sound, driving the songs along. On this tour, Tara Clamart adds vital atmospheric layers on keys and guitar, swirling the sound with additional depth, particularly on the new material.
Their setlist is a journey through their two albums, skewing toward their new album DOGGOD, but balancing old favourites. Songs like Kiss Me Deep and Lost At Sea deliver watery psychedelic textures, while I Wanna Lose and Drive Your Car snap with bright garage energy. 777 stretches toward religious transcendence, simmering with swirling riffs and ritualistic rhythm. The Lines, the night’s true highlight, surges with emotional force, a masterclass in post-punk tension and euphoric release.
With no between-song chatter, the performance feels direct and movie-like, cut from the same cinematic cloth as a Tarantino feature soundtrack. This foursome feel like the house-band in that bar on the side of a desert highway road-trip. You may enter but never leave. The mood is dark, immersive, and thrillingly alive; the room, packed with old fans and new devotees, is drawn tight with anticipation and released in a wave of collective joy as each chorus lands.
By night’s end, L.A. Witch has conjured tsunami of applause that had built throughout their performance. As audience and band meet in a final crescendo, the sense lingers: gigs like this remind everyone why live bands and places like this remain so important. Easily one of the most mesmerising gigs of the year, and an indelible reminder of the power this band holds.
Find Out More about L.A. Witch Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp
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Neil Chapman is a photographer and occasional writer based in Leeds. His assorted works can be found at his Unholy Racket site as well as Instagram, and Facebook
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