Brighton punk trio The Lambrini Girls played the Rescue Rooms on Friday night with fierce energy and a lot of things to say...
The Lambrini Girls last came to Nottingham in January when they sold out Rough Trade. With this most recent gig having initially been booked for The Bodega, demand gave reason for it to be upgraded to the 450 capacity Rescue Rooms, a testament to the band’s growing popularity. I had unfortunately missed the January gig, so heading to Rescue Rooms I was already feeling a buzz of excitement, knowing a flavour of what the night would hold.
Support came from Manchester band Loose Articles, whose Instagram bio has the wonderful epithet of ‘feminine and threatening’. With awesome outfits, pew pew sound effects and pink lights upon them, they were instantly reminiscent of some kind of crime-fighting girl band from a 70s cartoon, a vibe which was enhanced by the groovy Cramps-esque psych rhythms that would have worked nicely in a Munsters drag race. Natalie Wardle brought shouty, magnetic energy on bass, while Erin Caine’s lo-fi, drawling vocals added a contrasting cool.
It was Friday night, but the audience needed a bit of an energy kick and I felt that slight support-act trepidation in the room that you sometimes get at a gig. By the end of the set however, they had managed to rouse and win over the crowd with songs like I’d Rather Have a Beer, finishing with the band heading out into the crowd and starting a limbo under the mic cord.
It’s easy to see why they were paired with Lambrini Girls - they share a certain fun, unhinged, feminist fury - but Loose Articles are definitely a band worth catching on their own terms without the mighty headliner looming. I’ll be keeping an eye out for their next headline show.
As soon as Lambrini Girls exploded onto stage with their 2024 single Big D*ck Energy, it felt like a fuse had been lit in the audience. When covering a gig, there's always a decision to be made whether to carefully observe from the back, or to get in the middle of things. The latter coming with the risk of getting too carried away for clarity. But tonight I decided to head down to the front. I wasn't disappointed in my choice; this was Lambrini Girls after all, not the place for a polite toe tap.
Formed in Brighton in 2019, The Lambrini Girls are vocalist/guitarist Phoebe Lunny and bassist Lilly Macieira-Boşgelmez. I first came across them back in 2023 when the name caught my eye whilst scanning the Boomtown Festival line up. I spent the next few days devouring their 2023 EP You’re Welcome, the cover of which features a hot, fiery pile of excrement. Along with the beautifully heavy chaotic sound, it was the wittily, candid on-point lyrics of songs such as Help Me I’m Gay, White Van and Terf Wars that got me hooked, and after seeing a blazing performance at Boomtown I’d been looking forward to checking them out again.
The Lambrini Girls are definitely a band I’d like to have on my side in a fight. Calling out everything from sexism, unearned privilege, gentrification, police corruption, 'flag-shaggers’ and toxic masculinity, this is music likely to rile up the anti-‘woke’ crowd who are happy to turn a blind eye to injustice. Throughout the night they speak about sexual abuse in the music industry and police corruption, with the crowd on their side.
With her uninhibited candour, Phoebe Lunny’s voice feels essential for these divisive times, and throughout the night as she weaves in and out of the audience she has the crowd eating out of her hand.
Hand-in-hand with articulating these serious topics, there’s a humour, spiciness and a sense of unity to their message, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a diverse range of people in a mosh pit. With her uninhibited candour, Phoebe Lunny’s voice feels essential for these divisive times, and throughout the night as she weaves in and out of the audience she has the crowd eating out of her hand.
The evening ends with C*ntology 101, the final track on their debut album Who Let The Dogs Out. A bit more electro than their usual guitar driven tracks. Phoebe and Lilly ditch the instruments for a dance off, and it feels like a fittingly chaotic climax to a night that’s been part-gig, part-political rally, part queer punk exorcism. By the time they bow out, the Rescue Rooms is left reeling - in the best way.
The Lambrini Girls don’t just play shows; they unleash them. This was a set that didn’t just shake the walls, it rattled assumptions, challenged norms, and reminded everyone in the room that punk is far from dead - it’s just been rebranded with glitter, rage, and a lot more bite. If you weren’t already on board, it’s time to crack open a bottle and catch up.
Lambrini Girls performed at Rescue Rooms on 11th April 2025, with support from Loose Articles.
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