About time I get to see this lot in their own right; after a false start last year (I had tickets for their Southampton Heartbreakers gig last February, but a combination of Rachel being in hospital and too much else going on precluded my attendance), Stockholm’s fledgling indie-popsters Girl Scout finally get a headlining gig on my Dance Card, following 3 impressive support slots with Coach Party and Alvvays. This one is part of a UK jaunt promoting debut album “Brink”, which on initial listens (on Spotify; I bought one tonight, honest!) is bursting with the characteristics which permeated their 3 “live” shows so far; loud, crunchy and driving guitars, mood/tempo changes without losing that inherent tuneful indie-pop core, and hooks aplenty delivered with aplomb by vocalist Emma Jansson and her charges. An album where, as soon as I’ve decided which is my favourite track, the next one comes along and makes me rethink it (I’m sure I said something similar about Alvvays one time…), so this promises to be a banging gig…
A last-minute text to old gig buddy
Andy “Beef” prompted him to get a ticket, so we headed down a sun-kissed M4,
getting in a surprisingly quiet venue about 20 minutes after doors and grabbing
a stage spot house right, under the ceiling-suspended speakers. I’d actually
(for once!) done a bit of due diligence on the support band, so was
anticipating their arrival prompt at 7.30. Bristol 5-piece My First Time (or
MFT, it wasn’t entirely clear which) were said band, bursting into life with
opener “Brand New”, the urgent alarm bell opening subsequently submerged by a
fuzzed-out riff and angsty, dynamic barked vocals from “singer” Isaac
Stroud-Allen, setting the tone for their set. Subsequent numbers, e.g. funky
mid-set highlight “The Kids Are”, featured a thick bass-heavy rhythm
underpinned by the impressive fretwork of the bouncy Naia Jones, and whilst I’m
not usually a fan of the more overt rap-adjacent vocal delivery style, I must
admit Stroud-Allen’s rabble-rousing vocals suited the dynamic, confrontational
material and terrace chant hooks. The penultimate growl of “Picture Of Health” was
my highlight of a hard-hitting indie dance set which was rapturously received
by the hometown crowd (the singer often abandoning the stage to join in with a
full-on mosh) and recalled for me the indie/dance collision of recent faves
Home Counties, and even old 80’s lot Age Of Chance! Good stuff, hopefully my
first time with My First Time won’t be my last time!
The place got appreciably quieter after MFT as Girl Scout set up, but was happily well populated for the Stockholm indie-popsters’ unheralded entrance at 8.30. They eased into the apt “Intro”, initially weaving a pastoral strumalong vibe until the huge grungy riffs kicked in, then the strident Pixies-ish riff of “Un Huh” led into a brilliantly taut, bright yet hard-edged “ Same Kids” and a similarly galloping “Song 1”, underpinned by an undulating synth riff building to a soaring chorus and middle 8. Great start!
“Brink” itself largely falls between the dynamic indie bounce of Aussies The Beths and the textural, layered dreampop of Canadians Alvvays, which has pretty much been the area occupied by Girl Scout on previous “live” outings. This time, however, there was much more of the seething power and punkish delivery of erstwhile tourmates Coach Party in their performance, with most numbers sounding notably heavier, grungier and harder-edged than on record (although I confess our position, with my head practically in the speakers, may have had an influence here…). And the double denim-clad munchkin Emma was a revelation, her oft girlish and airy vocals regularly usurped by a red-faced, primal and lengthy howl, underlining the more in-your-face show. The mid-set “Dead Dog”, preceded by Emma exhorting Bristol to dance, was a thrilling indie banger; outlier “Ugly Things” (“about my morning commute!”) diffused the mood with some Alvvays-like wispier dreampop; and the herky-jerky “stop start beep beep” rhythm of an almost jaunty “Operator” was followed by set highlight, a brilliant, widescreen and anthemic “Crumbs”.
The metronomic punk of closer “I
Just Needed” gave us a breather before the encore of punchy oldie “Do You
Remember Sally Moore?” rounded up a surprisingly powerful performance from a
band really coming into their own. Grabbed a list then met Bristol gig buddy Louise
queueing up for signatures and pics from a breathless, sweaty but ebullient
band. Got out of the car park before getting towed (its closing after midnight,
I think we were ok for time really!) and home for ¼ to 11. After this performance,
I think “Brink” is going to be a feature in the “Best Of 2026” reckoning, and
Girl Scout have well and truly joined their former tourmates Coach Party and
Alvvays as “live” must-sees in their own right!
No comments:
Post a Comment