A Sunday night is never a good night for a gig, everyone is knackered and getting ready for the week ahead. Goat Girl, however, managed to blast this bleakest of nights into the stratosphere...
I started at the door and had my hands stamped twice to ensure there was no possible way I would get a cheeky cider in before going upstairs to join the buzz of the crowd. It was not long before Leicester band, The People’s Assembly, took to the stage, giving a sharp half-hour set where they managed to get the crowd going, ready for Goat Girl.
The highlight of their set was Stetson Sorrel, a western-inspired ballad which transformed The Bodega into a dusty saloon (it helped that a group of people came with cowboy hats, even if they were pink and sparkly). This rowdy six-piece was so good that I made my way to their merch stand and copped a hand-printed t-shirt for only a tenner (bloody bargain!).
At this point, everyone rushed to the toilet as their weak bladders couldn’t hold the pre-show pints, which gave me a prime opportunity to get a spot right at the front of the stage. My young healthy bladder holding a pint of Coke happily!
Things started to get exciting when they turned down the music and a strange soundscape started to play, filling the room with mysterious sounds and plenty of fog (thanks to the huge smoke machine) in anticipation for Goat Girls entrance. After about 10 minutes of ambient noise, enough mystery had been created and Goat Girl finally made their entrance. Their keyboardist was at the left, drums on the right and guitar/bass at the back. It was an odd set-up to what I was used to, with the band further away rather than front and centre.
They wasted no time diving straight into it, with Where’s Ur <3 from their upcoming album Below the Waste. Their performance confirmed that I will be purchasing a copy as soon as it's out.
For a sold-out show, I expected a little more excitement from the crowd. Instead, I was presented with a sea of swaying bodies and bobbing heads. Everyone was consumed in the music and I can’t blame them. The sound that came from the stage was phenomenal, especially stood next to the speaker, I could feel the bass through my bones.
As I wasn’t particularly dancing around, I paid more attention to what was happening on the stage and I’m glad I did. The drummer, Rosy Bones, gave an amazing experimental performance using their whole body to play, their feet creating a drum roll on the snare. Meanwhile, bassist Holly Mullineaux had a real presence on stage and knew how to wield her instrument.
As the gig came to a close, I wasn’t quite sure how to verbalise what I had experienced, but it was new and exciting. A special thanks to one of the many photographers who passed me the set list at the end of the show.
All in all, I discovered live music doesn’t have to be manic to be entertaining. I can get just as much out of the music by just being present in a room full of fans who are all there because they love Goat Girl, and you should too!
Goat Girl performed at The Bodega on 24th March 2024.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
