Today was the first Girls Rock! festival, which featured a line-up consisting of some of the finest female-fronted Rock bands in the UK. The show was in aid of Refuge, the domestic violence charity, and it was put together by Carl from FireRock. With a line-up as strong as this, the event being close to home, and a few of the bands being friends of mine, there was absolutely no way I was going to miss this. It was my first time at Eleven too, and it's a fantastic venue with a decent sized stage, loads of lights, and most importantly, a great sound. Having seen a few of these bands in tiny pubs in the past, it was really nice to see them in a superb venue like Eleven where they can really shine.
Opening the show at a sober 2pm was Leicester's Gallows High. The band Liquid Sky had to pull out of the show, so Gallows High came in as a last-minute replacement and kicked things off with their own brand of powerful Hard Rock with some really impressive vocals. They were the only band on the bill that I wasn't already familiar with so it was nice to start the day with something new. They're definitely one to keep an eye on.
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| Gallows High |
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| Gallows High |
I'd only seen Fear Me December once before. They were supporting Pulverise at The Rigger, and back then they were using a drum machine. Their set was riddled with technical problems, but they soldiered through. Today, I got to finally see them with a complete line-up. It's amazing what a good drummer brings to a band, and this time they were a hundred times better. Now they've found the final pieces of the puzzle, they're stepping up to being a killer act. They remind me a little of 90's grunge but with a modern heavy twist, and I think they have the potential to go far.
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| Fear Me December |
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| Fear Me December |
Novacrow are easily one of the best bands on this scene and they know how to entertain! I'd seen them twice before, but today was the first time I'd seen them with a drummer instead of a drum machine, and it definitely bolstered their sound. Live, they're a slick machine. Every performance has been tight, and this was no exception. They're also the masters of onstage banter. From a musician's point of view, it's very obvious from watching Novacrow that they've done a lot of gigs together, and this level of professionalism only comes from endless gigging, hard work, and a lot of natural chemistry. Musically, they remind me of 90's Skid Row and Metallica but with a Gothic Pop sheen. Does that make any sense? Probably not, but they're definitely a band you should be checking out, if you haven't done so already.
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| Novacrow |
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| Novacrow |
I have a massive soft-spot for Rap-Metal and Hardcore, having been in a band that played that genre for a large chunk of my youth. Naturally, it's always a delight to watch Pulverise in action, as that's their thing and they do it so well. They've played a lot of gigs over the last year, and it really shows, as they're a seriously tight unit, delivering upbeat Rap-Metal/Hardcore with mountains of energy and enthusiasm. Again, like Novacrow, they're very consistent and never fail to put on a first-class performance. Musically, they sound to my ears like a mix of Madball, Stuck Mojo and early Guano Apes. If that isn't a recipe for awesomeness, then I don't know what is.
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| Pulverise |
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| Pulverise |
The Loved & Lost are another popular band on this scene, but this was my first time seeing them live. I'd heard one song on YouTube before the show, but that was it. They sounded to me like a modern Hard Rock band but with soaring melodic vocals, like Kristen May era Flyleaf, or a harder-edged Paramore. I really enjoyed their set and would definitely see them again, and I think that was the general consensus of everyone in the room.
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| The Loved & Lost |
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| The Loved & Lost |
London based Lilith and the Knight are an awesome Hard Rock band with a healthy dose of Heavy Metal thrown in. I'd only seen them once before, and tonight they were even better. In addition to their own material, they threw a couple of covers into their set (Deftones' Be Quiet and Drive and System of a Down's Toxicity) which went down really well. For me, the highlights of their set were the storming new-ish single Rain Dance, and the powerful set closer Insanity. If you haven't heard of them before, you really need to check them out ASAP!
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| Lilith and the Knight |
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| Lilith and the Knight |
Sertraline brought some Tech-Metal to the event, alongside plenty or slamming riffs to get the crowd moving. Aside from Pulverise, they were the heaviest band of the event and the audience welcomed this injection of energetic Metal. With two impressive EPs under their belts, and a never-ending gig schedule, Sertraline are quickly becoming one of the more popular bands on the underground scene. Tonight, they delivered a crushing set to their growing fan-base, and their tracks Set The World Alight, and the super-catchy Dead Set seemed to go down particularly well.
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| Sertraline |
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| Sertraline |
I've played several shows with Bad Pollyanna in the past with my own band, but it's been about three years since I've last seen them. The line-up has changed a little since then, with a new guitarist and drummer, and tonight they were absolutely on top of their game. With both of their albums having been out for a while now, their material is quite familiar which made the show very enjoyable. The set featured all of their fan favourites including Hollow, Define Me, and the industrial-tinged, sleazy Hooks. They played a superb set tonight and finished off an amazing all-dayer on a massive high.
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| Bad Pollyanna |
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| Bad Pollyanna |
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| Bad Pollyanna |
Girls Rock! was a really cool event. Money was raised for a good cause, and some of the finest bands in the land all got together and put on a great show. If there was any justice in the world, any one of these artists should be selling out a venue this size by themselves. It was definitely a window into the underground scene proving that there is some immensely talented artists out there, and this show effectively gave the audience front-row seats to some of the best bands around. If there's another next year, don't miss out!
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