The Boileroom teamed up with LOUD WOMEN for a Fresh Faces night showcasing a handful of emerging local acts. It had the kind of atmosphere you want from a grassroots show – friendly crowd and lots of support for everyone playing.
Headlining was New Judgement, a full band with a light, summery indie sound, with Stevie Wonder and Declan McKenna covers slotted around their originals. Their set had an easy, upbeat feel to it, with bright guitar lines and a relaxed stage presence.
At the moment only one of their songs, Be Alright, is up on streaming platforms, but they gave the audience several originals during the set. Between songs the band jokingly disagreed about which one was their favourite, which got a few laughs from the crowd and gave the whole set a friendly energy that suited the room.
Julia Faulks opened the night with a full band behind her. The sound was warm and upbeat, with big soulful chords that, as Julia pointed out, occasionally veered into Stevie Wonder territory. It worked well live and got a fair bit of dancing going early on. Her songs seemed to circle around friendship and overthinking everyday life. Introducing the last one she said, “This is the last one, it’s called ‘Overthinking’, something that we all do. Well… I know I do.”
Next up was Alice Geary, performing solo with acoustic guitar, and bringing an intimate feeling to the evening. Her soft, expressive voice carried some really touching lyricism. She told the crowd the last time she’d played the Boileroom she was 17. “Now I’m 22. Let’s hope the songs are better than when I was 17.” She happily chatted away between songs, giving the audience an insight into the stories behind the songs. Leaning into the theme of the night she also covered Chappell Roan, calling her “one of the loudest and proudest women in the industry.” The crowd were into it.
Slaney Bay followed and brought the full band energy into the room. The Kingston indie group mentioned they’ve got a headline London show later this week, getting the audience excited to hear more, and were happy to back at The Boileroom. Their sound swas well balanced: bright guitars, driving drums, and confident vocals. That energy really got the crowd moving, with one audience member running up at the end to make sure they got the band’s social media.
Overall the night gave us a variety of genres with high-talent throughout, moving from solo acoustic songs to full indie band sets. A strong showcase of local artists, and it’ll be exciting to see what they do next!