Rising star Nxdia burst onto the stage of The Garage in London for a sold-out show in what can only be described as an exceptional night of celebrating queer joy and individual authenticity.
In what was only their second ever headline show in the capital, Nxdia had the crowd in the palm of their hand from start to finish – both metaphorically and physically. From leaning over to hold hands or giving the fans a hug, to having a 5 minute long segment discussing crazy animal facts, to climbing into the crowd on three separate occasions, Nxdia truly does everything they can to connect with their fanbase. A group that they know incredibly well, as seen by not only their show, but the choice in support act, it was methodically planned. Though many may have Nxdia penned as a ‘TikTok artist’ due to two of their tracks going viral on the platform, any thoughts of that nature would have been dispelled by the end of the first track alone – they are a born performer with talent and charisma by the bucketload, as seen in the aforementioned tracks ‘She Likes a Boy’ and ‘Feel Anything’, but also particularly in ‘Boy Clothes‘ wherein they created a catwalk through the audience for fans to show off their concert outfits.
They have the perfect balance of using their own experience as a queer, neurodivergent person of colour to be relatable and give their music life and humanity – something seen the most in track ‘Ambulance’ where they stood in the centre of the crowd crooning an emotional ballad amongst a sea of sobbing fans. Included in the, already packed, setlist was a cover of ‘Undressed’ by Sombr and the iconic ‘I Kissed a Girl’ by Katy Perry – the latter of which had the crowd screaming and dancing along from the first to last second. Nxdia is an artist who knows exactly what their fanbase wants, and if this is the concert they’re putting on for their first ever headline UK Tour…the sky is the limit really.
Nxdia was supported by GIRLBAND! a Nottingham-based group that perform with heart, soul and a whole lot of wholesome silliness. If singer, Georgie, wasn’t busy shredding the guitar, they were recreating the ‘girlypop’ dance to their own rhythm. Musically, the trio blend alternative and rock styles with a more indie pop twist – creating a perfect blend of music to both headbang to but also dance along to. A particular crowd favourite was ’21st Century Suffragette’ talking about modern day issues for women, opened with an empowered cry to Protect The Dolls. As a whole, GIRLBAND! have incredible stage presence for a small group with a unique sound and vocals that just scratch an itch; they’re ones to watch.
