VENUS GRRRLS & BRIDGET.
Hex the Patriarchy! The grrrls rock hard.
Waterfront
In a week when there has been (yet) another media storm about rock music being a “boys club” - prompted by Slam Dunk’s first 2025 line-up announcement - it seems appropriate to visit the Waterfront tonight for what is very much not a boys club.
First up is BRIDGET. and her backing band. After a big rock - should that be RAAWWWKKK? - crescendo opens the set, things settle into grungy ska-punk-pop-metal, at times coming across like No Doubt covering Nirvana. Bridget. herself has a strong voice and is an energetic, engaging and entertaining front person. Providing some tasty lead guitar is Bridget.’s dad, Ghosts of Men’s Peter Clegg. Chester and Liam fill the sound with their bass and drums, respectively. Reminding me of Millie Manders & The Shut Up, this is good fun with decent songs. The crowd love it, particularly when Bridget. leaves the stage and gets fully involved with a pit of her own making, If I have to be hyper (but hopefully constructively) critical, Bridget. has a formula and sticks to it perhaps a bit too rigidly: a touch more variety and some changes in pace wouldn’t go amiss.
VENUS GRRRLS come on stage to The Cure’s A Forest. Given that this is a solid gold classic, it is a brave move. Add in a cover of the Banshee’s Spellbound and lead singer/guitarist GK’s Garbage tee and it should be pretty clear where Venus Grrrls find their influences. Indeed, their own publicity describes them as goth-grunge. From the beginning of the set, the musical emphasis is on the former. There are shades of The Mission, early Sisters of Mercy, March Violets and Touched By Jesus-era All About Eve. To my ears at least, the sound gets more metallic as the set progresses. Throughout, the vox are closer to grunge, riot grrrl and 80s metal than goth, whilst there’s a smidge of emo about the backing vocals.
Although perhaps not as energetic in her moves as Bridget., GK is just as entertaining and engaging. Having experienced leukaemia, she gives an impassioned plea to support the Anthony Nolan Trust. Some of Eliza Lee’s lead work channels Geordie Walker and Keith Levine. Hannah Barraclough lays down danceable, driving bass. The synths from Grace Stubbings add welcome colour and texture. Gabby Cooke propels it along with powerful drumming, Oh, and there’s some Dream Nails’ style hexing too.
Whilst the Studio isn’t sold out, there is a decent size crowd that greets both acts with enthusiasm. Considering that is fairly early in the musical adventures of both Venus Grrrls and Bridget., with neither having released that much material, I’m impressed by the number of people that sing along word perfectly. And that is a Very Good Thing indeed that bodes well for both acts’ futures. And you know what, Slam Dunk could do far worse than getting these two on the bill.
