Gig review: Lizzie Esau + Dirty Blonde at Billy Bootleggers

This was my first time attending the Billy Bootleggers venue and the first challenge I faced was finding out how to get upstairs. It turns out, the door immediately on your left once you enter the venue reveals a spiral staircase, which takes you straight to the area of the venue which is reserved for gigs. With no signage or directions at all, this may have been confusing, but added to the DIY feeling of the venue – almost as if you are entering a secret club no one else knows about.

Having said that, other people definitely did know about it, because by the time I arrived at the venue, it was already filling out nicely as support act Joey Collins took to the stage. A regular performer in the Nottingham gig scene, this was surprisingly my first time seeing Joey live. This short but sweet set both started and finished early, with Joey wasting no time in showcasing his alternative rock sound and proving his talents to the crowd.

In the short gap before Dirty Blonde performed, I took the opportunity to get a drink from the bar at the back of the room, as well as exploring the venue a bit. The room was relatively small, which caused the music to echo off the wood-panelled walls, reverberating around the room to enhance both the energy and volume. This worked perfectly for all three artists, who clearly thrived from being in an intimate environment where they could interact with the crowd without barriers.

Dirty Blonde’s lead vocalist Ailis Mackay didn’t waste this opportunity, starting the set in the crowd as the band opened with Come Over. Comprised of Mackay alongside Hayley Tait, the duo from Manchester have been making waves in the alternative scene.

Until this point, the band hadn’t been on my radar all too much – likely due to the fact that this is their first time performing in Nottingham, as they told the crowd during the set. I was very grateful for the opportunity to discover them, as it immediately became clear that they have something special.

Powering through tracks such as Checkmate, Adore Me? and Northern Twang, the latter of which has been released as a single from their upcoming EP, the duo showed no signs of slowing down throughout the set. The energy level and tempo remained consistently high throughout, which had pros and cons – it kept the crowd captivated for the entire 45-minute set, but I imagine for people who may not have heard their discography in advance, the songs may have started to sound a bit similar to one another by the end. However, as they become more established, it seems certain that both their discography and set will naturally become more varied over time.

Highlights included Favourite Record, the title track of their 2023 EP of the same name, and Rage, a
track where the crowd was encouraged to let any anger out un-apologetically, without the shame
and guilt that often accompanies the emotion. The band’s most recent single Polly also went down
well, building anticipation for their Looking for Trouble EP, which was announced in conjunction with
the single’s release and is set for release on 17th April. Closing with Run (When I Tell You), there’s no
doubt that the band left a lasting impression on the crowd, who will be eagerly awaiting the release
of the full EP in a couple of months’ time.

As the venue got darker throughout the evening, the true charm of it was unveiled, with the neon writing on the walls beginning to radiate around the room in the absence of other light sources.

The room didn’t stay dark for long, however, as Lizzie Esau took to the stage, again arriving earlier than her scheduled time slot.

Just like Dirty Blonde, she took advantage of the lack of barrier between herself and the crowd, giving her fairy wings to a lucky member of the front row, and entering the crowd with her microphone on multiple occasions throughout her set.

Unlike Dirty Blonde, Lizzie wasn’t promoting an upcoming EP, but instead celebrating the release of a recent one.

Tracks from Spilling Out The Truth, released back in October, made up the core of her set, starting with Wait Too Late before performing She’s a Scorpio and Impossible + Strange a little later on. The EP continues perfectly from where she left off in 2023 with Deepest Blue, and tracks from this previous EP also featured heavily in the set, with highlights including Killer, Lazy Brain and Jellyfish. The setlist seamlessly wove tracks from both EPs together, with nothing feeling out of place, but also no two tracks sounding too similar. 

With producer Steve Grainger in the audience, this was somewhat of a homecoming show for Lizzie. While she isn’t from Nottingham, she has a strong affiliation with the city thanks to Grainger, and we very much treat her as one of her own despite her Newcastle roots. This always makes a show more special, especially in light of it being the last night of the tour.

As a result, Lizzie said she was going to give her all when performing the last track of the set, Bleak Sublime, which also happens to be one of her most well-known songs. Before that, she had come into the crowd to perform Day in the Life, an unreleased song about hating your job, so the crowd’s energy was riled up and ready to match hers as she closed the swift 45-minute set out.

Overall, Billy Bootleggers provided the perfect setting for a night of raw, high-energy performances that thrived on intimacy and connection. From the moment I navigated my way upstairs to the final echoes of Lizzie’s set, each artist made their mark in a venue that only amplified their strengths. 

While this was the last night of the tour, Lizzie was already looking ahead to her gig in Stoke the following night when we chatted to her briefly at the merch stand after the show.

She closed our conversation with a great summary of the evening: “This was a really good gig – it was so much fun. I always really enjoy playing in Nottingham. It’s such a party city!”

Lizzie Esau and Dirty Blonde performed at Billy Bootleggers on 1st February 2025, with support from Joey Collins.

@lizzieesau / @wearedirtyblonde