Featured image and gallery: Gracie Hall
The evening kicks off with an indie-rock set from Jaxn, singing songs about girls and past relationships. Backed by a talented band including guitarist Aidan, drummer Max and bassist Joey, Jaxn’s musical layers create an interesting sonic experience. The audience is even treated to an unreleased song ‘Cressandra’, about his therapist who he started to develop feelings for.
Beren Olivia is up next; she explains that while her songs are usually filled with bass and drums, tonight is unplugged – just Beren and her guitarist. ‘Stranger on Fire’ is fast-paced, detailing a whirlwind romance with a stranger who’s no good, though the stripped-back performance doesn’t allow for the audience to feel the song’s full power.
The set slows and Beren sits down to perform latest single ‘Almost’, the emotional lyrics conveyed perfectly through this acoustic rendition. For her final song, she walks into the crowd to serenade with ‘Read My Mind’, mixed with a little of the 1975’s ‘Robbers’.
South Arcade kick off their set, amping up the energy with ‘Silverlight’, showcasing lead singer Harmony Cavelle’s vocals. Like Avril Lavigne crossed with Christine Aguilera, Cavelle has a confident stage presence and the vocal power to back it up, fronting the Oxford-based band with Cody Leigh on drums, Harry Winks on guitar and Ollie Green on bass.
It’s a set packed with new material (‘Nepo Baby’), older tunes (‘Bigger Than Anything Ever’) and even unreleased songs (‘At the Lights’, ‘Worth It’). Covers of Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’ and Avril Lavigne’s ‘Sk8ter Boi’ demonstrate the clear influence that alt-pop has had on the band’s sound.
Winks and Green jump around the stage with a sprightly energy while drummer Cody rocks out behind Harmony, injecting every song with a catchy drumbeat. Delighted fans rock out with the quartet as they storm through the evening, ending on 2023 single ‘Sound of An Empty Room’. The title couldn’t be further from the truth, the crowd screaming back every lyric before erupting into cheers.
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