Live review: Sofia Isella and Nxdia at The Electric Ballroom, Camden

London’s Electric Ballroom was wall-to-wall with Gen Z youths on Tuesday night, all there to worship at the altar of Sofia Isella. Her first London headline show was a sell-out, a sea of excitable young fans drawn in via her viral clips on socials. The energy was palpable before she even stepped onstage.

Support came from Nxdia, who was nothing short of fucking awesome. Their sound was mesmerising, their set had the whole room bouncing, and they more than held their own in such a cavernous space.

Then it was time for Sofia — and unfortunately, time for the PA system to do its best impression of a wet paper bag. Vocals were muffled, the mix quiet enough that bar chatter carried across the room, and the crowd more than once shouted “turn it up!” between songs. A nightmare scenario for most artists.

But here’s what separates the stars from the rest: Sofia was utterly undeterred. She performed with theatrical magic, switching seamlessly between guitar and violin, giving a performance that deserved the room’s full attention regardless of the tech. And where the sound faltered, the crowd filled the void. A thousand young fans screamed every lyric right back at her, turning the gig into a collaborative event: Sofia leading, her audience roaring in unison.

I took along my lovely friend Gaby as my plus one — she hadn’t heard of Sofia before, but seeing Jane Weidlin and Kathleen Hanna following her on Instagram was recommendation enough. A few songs (and wines) in, “Fiona Apple meets Halloween” was Gaby’s apt review.

We were definitely amongst the oldest in the room, but the warm, inclusive atmosphere made it feel like we belonged. At the bar, a new friend admired my Lambrini Girls t-shirt and promptly adopted me, Gaby and Keira as her “aunties.” She told us she’d come alone, having discovered Sofia on TikTok, and loved her so much she couldn’t miss it. That’s the kind of inspiring artist Sofia Isella is: one who makes young women feel safe enough to walk into a huge venue solo and walk out with new friends.

The only slightly dystopian note was the sea of glowing phone screens — a Black Mirror moment as it seemed almost the entire audience watched the gig through a lens. Especially when Paris Paloma joined Sofia onstage — cue even more frantic recording. I would like to be able to say I kept my phone zipped away like a well-behaved aunty, however I couldn’t resist…

Despite the gremlins in the sound system, Sofia Isella’s show was nothing short of triumphant. The packed-out Ballroom sang her songs like gospel, she commanded the stage like a seasoned headliner, and a whole new wave of young fans left believing in her magic.

And cheers to Gaby for making sure a sizable chunk of that audience also went home with LOUD WOMEN Fest London flyers in their handbags. We promise to have the PA turned up to 11.