The insider
First to take to the stage was the Birmingham-based band, The Insider, who captured the audience immediately with their fresh, youthful energy. Their indie-rock music really raised the energy in the room, creating a rippling, buzzing atmosphere as they performed their original song, ‘Belong’. They presented their ever-growing audience with a range of covers, including a unique take on Icona Pop’s ‘I love it’, adding an energising indie-rock tone to the iconic song. The highlight of their set for me was their original song, ‘All my Faith’. By this time, the audience really had a good feel for the energy that the band brought to the room, with lead singer David’s natural stage presence and charm making the band seem destined for the stage – joining the audience, filled with a variety of backgrounds and ages, together with the excitement of live music.
Marathon
Following the youthful charm of The Insider, came the more mature sound of guitarist Victor’s chords, as the band Marathon began their set. As soon as the first song started, a ripple of excitement was felt through the audience, and the small room gained an electric atmosphere as they performed their song ‘Mosquitoes and flies’. The band, having come from the Netherlands to the Sunflower Lounge, truly looked at home on the stage, making the audience come alive.
The mixture of guitar and vocals throughout their set, especially during their new song ‘Mind’, added to a more rock-like atmosphere compared to the first openers. The guitar riff in this new song especially, had quite a fast rhythm, slowing down in the middle to allow the audience to get their energy back, before blasting into an intense guitar solo to end the song.
Girl Scout
After these thrilling openers, came the main event – Girl Scout. The much- anticipated Swedish band came to the stage full of energy and excitement, with lead singer Emma Jansson thanking the audience for being there. Contrasting their rock- like openers, the tone of this set was much more indie, with their more soulful lyrics.
Despite the temperature in the room rising as the audience danced and moved around to the music, the band carried on regardless, even performing a not-yet-released single, ‘I Just Needed You To Know’, which the audience loved. Their true sense of gratitude for the opportunity to play their music live really stuck with the audience, as they performed their original, energetic set.
My personal favourite moment from their set was the song ‘All The Time And Everywhere’, as the vocals from Jansson worked perfectly with the catchy tune from the guitar. The lyrics from their songs largely revolve around being individual and unique, so this was largely relatable to and resonated with everyone in the audience. By their last song, ‘Do You Remember Sally Moore?’, the entire room was singing along, and the evening ended with a long guitar solo, bringing the excitement and atmosphere of the night to a close.
All in all, the night was filled with a mixture of guitar solos and drumbeats, some indie, some rock – all filled with the excitement and thrill of live music. The intimate setting of the stage and the audience really made the whole room immersed in the bands’ performances, and there was no choice but to forget the stresses of the bland everyday, and be consumed by the variety of talent in the room.
The evening began with Birmingham based, alternative indie band The Insider taking the stage with their unapologetic charm and charisma. The youthful energy brought by the band clearly translated into their music, taking the ever-growing audience through a unique collection of original songs, as well as a cover of Icona Pop’s ‘I Love It’. This popular hit spoke volumes to the audience, taking a familiar song and injecting it with a newfound indie-rock lease of life. Despite The Sunflower Lounge being their first gig in 5 months, you’d have thought lead singer, David, was used to life on stage, keeping the audience entertained between songs with his funny quips and remarks. I especially liked when he said he thought it best the audience get a drink during their original songs as they perhaps wouldn’t have heard of them. However, as a member of the audience myself, I didn’t witness a single person exit, proving the intrigue and excitement surrounding the band themselves. Bringing a thrilling mix of youthful enthusiasm and appeal, The Insider set the scene for an infectious evening of live music.
The evening continued with shoegaze and post-punk band, Marathon, taking the stage, bringing with them an explosive line-up of music. As a collective, lead drummer, Lennart, vocalist, Kay, and bassist, Nina created a high-energy and captivating atmosphere at Birmingham’s Sunflower Lounge, their music transcending the four walls of the venue and leaving a lasting effect on each audience member, including myself.
While watching Marathon perform, I didn’t just feel like I was an onlooker, I felt as though I was in their music itself. It is rare to see a band connect with their art as much as Marathon did, with the crowd enthralled and feeling the music just as much as the band themselves. Towards the end of their set, they played their latest single, ‘Mind’, bringing with it an exploration of the human psyche, translating the emotions we seek within ourselves into mind-altering melodies. Marathon is a band that demands attention and after watching them, giving it is next to impossible.
The climax of the evening arrived with the highly anticipated Stockholm-based Girl Scout making their way onto the stage, greeted by fans already energised and enlivened by the two opening acts. Beginning with ‘I’m So Sorry’, leading into ‘Boy in Blue’, the band introduced the audience to their infectious hooks and bittersweet melodies.
Lead vocalist, Emma, charmed the audience throughout the set, starting by asking what the preferred nickname for Birmingham was, to which the audience enthusiastically replied ‘Brum!’. She then continued to use this to address us, connecting with the band’s ever-growing fanbase and inevitably, gaining many more that evening.
A change of pace and tone was introduced by the ballad ‘Bruises’, my personal favourite, a song brimming with raw emotions, colliding with unapologetic devotion and admiration.
Despite only being a 120-capacity venue, the applause the band received after each song was immense, encapsulating the sincerity and joyous excitement of each audience member. Towards the end of the set, the band introduced us to a new, unreleased song, ‘I Just Needed You to Know’, currently out now on all streaming platforms.
Blending elements of 90s alt-rock, indie pop, and garage rock, Girl Scout provided an evening of irresistible melodies and unbridled creativity, captivating a varied demographic of concert goers, proving their versatile appeal. The band have just announced their second UK tour and I am certain their bittersweet lyricism, intuitive chemistry, and indie-rock charm will take them far.