Report by Tony Rounce, photos by Keira Anee and Neil Anderson, and videos by John Marshall

The sun came out in the morning, and shone brightly on the west end of London as bands and fans from all over the country made their way to 229 The Venue, on Saturday September 18, for the 5th LOUD WOMEN Fest and the first one to be held in its new, more centrally based home close to London Zoo. 

The sun wasn’t the only thing to shine that day, as over the course of ten hours, 20 musical aggregations from this great scene of ours brought their talents to the 229 in celebration of this New Golden Age Of Popular Music that we are privileged to be enjoying.  People came early, and stayed late. There was too much to enjoy at LOUD WOMEN Fest 5 not to do both…

With 20 acts on the bill, there simply isn’t room for seriously in-depth reportage in this overview. Let’s face it, you don’t want to be here until LW6 reading about how great LW5 was, do you?  But apart from Hagar The Womb I did see each and every one of the bands and solo artists that the event offered, and a shortish comment on all of those I did see now follows. I won’t lie to you and say that I liked them all equally, but I admired the way that everyone gave 100% of what they had in the short set times allotted, and regardless of where they were on the bill.

Easy access between the two rooms at 229 – both on the same floor, and only a matter of a few feet between them – made it impossible to miss more than a few seconds of anyone if you wanted to see everyone.  The day ran to time and mostly with the legendary precision of Mussolini’s railway timetables, with Newport youngsters Murder Club – playing only their second gig, and their first indoor gig too – getting things underway in the smaller room just after 1300 with a clever mash up of the Cranberries’ ‘Dreams’ and Blondie’s ‘Dreaming’, which instantly had me on their side. The quartet’s short set and sweet singing belied their inexperience (and also their name!) and proved the perfect way to start the perfect music event.

On the bigger stage, long-time LW favourites Breakup Haircut got the ball rolling,  bringing a high-powered half hour which demonstrated that the enforced absence from performing that every musician has had to endure has taken nothing away from their exhilarating TV-Personalities-meet-the-Ramones approach to making music. This might be the biggest stage BH has ever played on to date. They looked like they were born it as they ran through a mix of old favourites like ‘It Goes Both Ways’ and ‘Mum I Wanna Be A Greaser’ and new creations ‘In My Dream House’ and a song I took to be called ‘Trying To Survive’ before closing with their supercharged version of Dolly Parton’s ‘9 To5’. A bit early in the day for a sing-along?  Didn’t stop a few of us having a go…the debut BH album is imminent and it will of course be wonderful…

A quick shuffle back to the little room, where MIRI was just getting ready to launch into 26 minutes worth of her gentle introspection. If you saw her at LW’s July gig at the Lexington you will know how beguiling a performer she is, and how easy it is to be swept up in her quiet intimacy. Armed with only a small keyboard, MIRI easily charmed those who watched her; the gentleness in her songs frequently belying the seriousness of their words.  I scribbled down ‘Gabriela Cilmi’ (remember ‘Nothing Sweet About Me’?) because that’s who she reminded me of vocally.  Her closing adaptation of Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ brought a new, darker message to an 80s favourite and served notice that MIRI’s time is definitely coming – and soon.

Temporarily down a member but augmented for part of their performance by my Team LW colleague (and previous and/or current member of at least 50% of every good band in the solar system) Charley Stone, long-time LW favourites T-Bitch brought their ‘A’ game to the big stage. “We’re a really serious band,” proclaimed frontperson/drummer Stevie before taking off a top that revealed an illuminated bra, as the Bitches launched into ‘I Just Wanna Be Pretty’ and ‘Fashion Police’.  What followed was no less compelling to watch, or invigorating to listen to. The group has a larger than life persona but the good humour they radiate in their performance never gets in the way of the frequently pointed messages in their excellent songs. They have played LW gigs before, and they will doubtless play many more.

Stevie returned to the big room stage late in the day to bang the drums for the LOUD WOMEN All Stars, but for now it was back to the smaller room where everyone’s favourite literary person Janine Booth was reeling off a couple of her typically pithy, pointed poems before introducing South London quintet Honey Joy, doing their first gig since before the first lockdown. 

Their frenzied, punky attack would not have been out of place in 1977 and went over like Gangbusters with a crowd that was increasingly growing in size as the day progressed. I made a note to check out a recorded repertoire that had previously passed me by before hotfooting it back to the big room to catch what turned out to be a lovely set of soulful, swampy goodies from Piney Gir…

Somehow Piney and I have never connected before, but after this show I am sure there will be many more occasions on which we will be in the same room together. Piney smiled a lot as she and her 5 piece band (including two superb backing vocalists) presented a fine selection of repertoire that evoked 60s southern soul with a country overtone. I liked her very much, and not for the first time in my life I got angry with myself that it had taken me this long to see someone this good…

Not the case with Jelly Cleaver – who I also like very much but who I have seen several times before, and who has appeared at LW gigs and Fests on several occasions down the years.  Like MIRI before her and Lilith Ai to come, Jelly brought a peaceful intimacy to the proceedings as she gently bridged a gap between folk and jazz with her smoky vocals and economic guitar work. ‘Sade-esque’ was how my pal Bill Pidduck (father of ARXX’s Hanni) described her to me. Bill was right on the money, and so was Jelly…

LW has been in GENN’s corner since they were known as Cryptic Street and freshly arrived from Malta (and, with the arrival of drummer Sofia a couple of years ago, Crawley). It’s always difficult being neutral about a band you are friends with away from the stage, but there was no need for any personal bias from me – they were audio and visual dynamite as always. The band has done a couple of gigs already since ‘Freedom Day’ and any slight ring rust they may or may not have had was long gone by the time they hit the big stage in the late afternoon.  In Leona Farrugia they have one of the most vibrant and exciting frontperson of any band, and I’d like to think that they slightly overran as a result of being so into what they were doing that for any other reason. The new songs they have come up with during lockdown show that they continue to move forward, and I don’t think anyone who watched them will not want to see them again…

Vulpynes were the first of several bands during the day to prove that two people is more than enough for a trio, and also were the first of two Irish acts to appear this year.  I confess that I didn’t actually see much of them, due to an appointment with a huge burrito from the most excellent food counter – but I heard and enjoyed every note from the dining area.  They played songs from their half-an-album “Us Against Them” and reminded me a little of 90s duo Shampoo, with their bratty vocal attack and a solid, punky thrash behind it.

Next in the big room it was the turn of Bristol power trio IDestroy to win friends and influence people who hadn’t already done so to buy their wonderful album We Are Girls.  I reviewed the album enthusiastically and gushingly for LW last year and it’s still a frequent visitor to the turntable. To hear it played live just about in its entirety was a thrill and a half – especially with such vibrancy and all out attack.  Singer Bec whipped up a veritable whirlwind of activity, trying her best not to be outdone by her bass playing cohort Nic who charged across the stage and frequently rolled around on it, even jumping down into the audience at one point – while drummer Jenn could have lit up the Blackpool illuminations with the power she generated.  It’s not fair to play favourites, but IDestroy were one of several personal highlights for me and I will be grabbing the very next opportunity I have to see them with both hands.

After all that excitement, something a little more laid back was very welcome – and who better to provide it than this year’s well deserved Hercury Prize winner, the thoroughly adorable Lilith Ai.  A gentle, funny soul with a folio of great songs, Lilith’s music is a manifestation of her laid back stage persona which is, of course, exactly the same as her actual persona.  Beautiful lovable songs, delivered compellingly by a beautiful, lovable person.  Lilith’s Folk You Hard album is the sort of aural treat that should be treasured forever, and the same goes for her live performances of the songs.  If you don’t already have a copy, put it on your Christmas wish list, at the time of writing there are only 98 more shopping days to go…

Those of us who saw I, Doris’ nervous, agreeably shambolic debut gig (supporting the equally nervous Big Joanie) at the Fiddlers’ Elbow a few years back might have struggled to believe that LOUD WOMEN’s semi-official house would have gelled into the professional power that they have become. The current line up of Doris, Doris, Doris, Doris, Doris and Doris might just be the best one so far. The recent addition of Doris from the Crack Foxes to the vocal line up was a masterstroke, while Doris showed that keytar was just one of the instrumental weapons in her arsenal by bringing out her trombone to play on one number. They powered their way through a wholly adorable set that included their greatest hits ‘Wonderwomen’, ‘Just Some Doris’ and ‘The Girl From Clapham’ as well as a great song that Doris-In-Chief Doris has resurrected from a previous life, ‘Does Your Girlfriend Know You’re Here?’. OK, so there was never a chance that I, Doris wouldn’t be on the bill, but the Dorises more than earned their right to play today and if that’s not true then my name’s Boris, not Doris…

Another LW all dayer returnee were setting up in readiness to play in the other room while we were all Dorising.  Derry trio Sister Ghost were a trio last time they appeared but only two were on hand this time to deliver a punch set of robust tunes in an equally robust manner. They connected will with an appreciative audience, so they did, and being temporarily down a member did not seem to impair the potency of their songs.  Again, it was nice to have a bit of ‘light and shade’ between what preceded them in the big room and what came next…

…And ‘What Came Next’ was ARXX.   Now, if you know me personally you will know that as far as I am concerned, ARXX hung the moon. I love Hanni and Clara as a group, and I love them as people. For me they epitomise everything that’s great about our musical scene as they go from strength to strength as a band.  I fear that the day will soon come when we will lose them to headline stadium shows and world tours, so every opportunity to see them as they progress should be grabbed with both hands.

Did they disappoint? Did they heck! They surged through a slightly shortened version of their usual set, meshing old pre-lockdown faves like ‘Moments At A Time’ and ‘Y.G.W.Y.W’ with great songs that Hanni has come up with during and even since lockdown ended, hopefully for the last time. The quality of singles like ‘Deep’ and ‘Call Me Crazy’ – and best of all, the recent ‘Not Alone But Not With You’, a strong contender for Best Single Of The 21st Century – shows that these gal pals have no limits, and to see so many other audience members singing along with Hanni’s great lyrics made me as happy as it obviously did her and Clara.  A quite marvellous half an hour’s worth of wonderfully executed, brilliantly received entertainment and so typical of the voodoo that they do so well.  I couldn’t love them any more if they were my own daughters…

‘Did that feel like a headline show to you?’ asked my LW colleague Julie (I am HER) Riley of me after ARXX’ set – and of course it did. However there was still much more to come, and Manchester four piece the Empty Page had the unenviable job of pushing ARXX to the back of everyone’s mind. They rose to the task admirably with a collection of lively, hooky numbers, which they put over with great conviviality, engaging well with an audience that increased substantially in size as the set progressed. We haven’t seen much of them down south either before or since the first lockdown, but they will be highly welcome returnees any time they choose to be…

With time getting on and still another 5 acts to go, anyone could be forgiven for tiring a bit, but fortunately LibraLibra were on hand to lift any flagging spirits. Full disclosure here – the Brighton residents are not among my own favourite bands, but I can nevertheless see their mass appeal is very strong. [They are one of MY favourites though so there! – Ed.] They went down a storm and, with singer Beth inhabiting the stage like a hyperactive Toyah, earned every handclap of the loud and long applause they received. I am sure that, like several of the bands on offer today, they would have been much further along the road to fame than they currently are had a pandemic not got in the way, and it’s likely that they will also soon be leaving small venues behind for a bigger stage.

One more down, four to go and the small room’s penultimate act, Scotland’s Deux Furieuses, brought the noise – in their case, a metallic, edgy noise that sounded like the work of ten musicians rather than merely two. A superb sound mix acted as a third band member, bringing out the very best in Ros’ buzzsaw guitar and Vas’ big drum sound, and helping to hammer home the messages in their arresting and frequently stark songs – none more so than ‘She’s Not Coming Home Tonight’, a revision of their already potent ‘Wired To Hate’ with a theme that would be explored further in the evening’s grand finale. Even though your observer was running on fumes by this time it was easy to recognise the excellence in yet another band that was playing live for only the first or second time in almost two years…

…As were Doncaster’s Bang Bang Romeo, whose powerhouse lead singer Anastasia – better known as ‘Stars’ – opened by telling us “I’m buzzin’ me tits off!” before launching a profanity-laced, high octane performance that galvanised the big room once more and endeared Stars and her colleagues to everyone in it. A magnificent woman with inspirational pride in her physical appearance and sexuality, and a fulsome, throaty voice to sell her songs, she interacted with us like we were her new best mates and it was all back to hers afterwards for a knees-up. There was absolutely nothing not to like about Bang Bang Romeo, and the joyful noise they made. They were among the first bands that Team LOUD WOMEN picked for LW5, and they more than repaid our faith in their ability to bring it. Their magnificent re-entry into the live arena after being another near two-year casualty of lockdown is something we can all be grateful to have seen…

Hagar The Womb closed out the small room activities, and were the only band I didn’t see over the whole day, thanks to getting caught up in a round of goodnights with people who were leaving to catch last trains and what have you.   I have seen HTW many times in what is now a four-decade existence, and they are always great.  Even though I didn’t see them this time, I have no doubt that tonight’s show was no different…

…And then there was the finale, as the LOUD WOMEN All Stars assembled in their multitudes to bring proceedings to a close with a coruscating live set of two songs, once of which was ‘Reclaim These Streets’ – the recording of which so many of those on stage had participated in. I tried to count the number of Loud Women on stage but gave up when I exceeded 20 – there were certainly more than that. Their performance was prefaced by an impassioned statement by former Dream Nail – and, lest we forget, that group’s founder – Janey Starling, who delivered a chilling list of the kind of statistics that, along with the horrific murder of Sarah Everard, were instrumental in inspiring LW head honch-ess Cassie Fox to create the song and get it out there. When they collectively launched into ‘Reclaim’ the wave of emotion that swept through the crowd was as profound as it was evident.  It really WAS one of those ‘You Had To Be There’ moments, even though it’s desperately sad that we should be living in times when the need for such a song still exists….

For its encore, the LW All Stars performed Bikini Kill’s ‘Rebel Girl’ – appropriately enough on so many levels, as I’m sure BK would have been an influence on more than a few of those who were singing their hearts out up there on the big stage, They didn’t follow it – in fact they couldn’t have followed it, I’m not sure anything could have done. There was an ‘after show’ disco in the small room, but some of us had journeys to make and homes to get to. I relived the previous 10 hours in my head all the way home, and I’m still playing the many highlights over in my mind nearly 48 hours later…

As a small component of the big wheel that is Team LOUD WOMEN, I am fully aware of the enormous amount of work that our beloved leader (and my personal hero) Cassie has had to put into the organisation and execution of this year’s festival. The line up has gone through a great many enforced changes since LW5 going to be held in 2020.  Overseas bands still can’t travel; some UK bands have had to put their careers on hold due to illness and inactivity.  Even as late as late week, Cassie was busy trying to find a caterer (and let’s hear it for the food hall, their scran was truly fab!).  It’s not easy overseeing the running of the most important music collective in the solar system, and I am forever filled with admiration for her and the way she manages to do a real job, be a mum and also a wife in addition to everything she does to put a gig on.  If might sound like a daft thing to do, but why don’t you just stop for a minute, wherever you are, and give her a round of applause. I know she’ll appreciate it, even if she can’t hear it…

Incredibly it’s barely three weeks till the next LW gig – our 6th birthday bash, at the Hope & Anchor here in London. Hopefully there’ll be lots more new faces in attendance after the runaway success of the 5th Festival.  I’m not sure I will have gotten over this one by then – but I’ll certainly see you there…