First up, The Bodega was treated to a royal visit from a certain local pop princess. You can always rely on Lucy Crisp for a good time. The eternal poptimist kicked the night off with her joyful blend of 80s synths and pink pop sounds. There's something incredibly charming about Crisp as a performer - it's immediately clear that having a dance on stage is her happy place, and that positive force of energy is intoxicating. She's a great choice as a support act because she’s extremely good at welcoming you in as part of her gang and her world.
Lucy Crisp has a condition called cystic fibrosis, which inspired the title of her debut EP 65 Roses, and indeed informs a lot of the experiences she translates into the music that she creates. Her track I Miss You, which is about losing someone to the condition, really showcased her impressive vocals and in turn brought about a handful of emotional responses around me.
There's a Pink Pony Club-esque feel to this one, and it's clear that Lucy is very much at home within the Chappell Roan, Sabrina Carpenter, Dua Lipa era of pop girlie bangers we currently find ourselves in. But she's in no way copying any of these established pop sensations; she's doing this her way, which the fully DIY synth soundscapes she's been conjuring up. Lucy Crisp is the perfect artist to get ready for a night out with; I’m talking hairbrush karaoke in the mirror, choreographed bedroom dance routines and hyping yourself up. For that reason, she did a brilliant job of warming up the space and making it feel like home.
Where Crisp is bubblegum pink, Soda Blonde would be a velvety crimson. The Dublin four-piece have captured hearts with their deeply personal, alluring storytelling. Their performance combined rich, full sounds, silky smooth melodies and disco inflections in a beautifully refined package.
The thing about Soda Blonde that stood out the most throughout the night was the chemistry that’s abundant between all four members of the band. It was a delight to see just how in sync with each other they all were at all times. It seemed like they were able to speak to each other in intricate detail with just one look, with their own sort of secret language. Whatever thread that ties them all together must be bound with some sort of magic, because the sounds that they create together are otherworldly-good.
Addictive melodies that linger, chirping electronica undertones and dreamy, jangly pop guitars galore that make them impossible not to love. Coming into their world for the night felt like walking into a moody jazz club turned bedroom under a mirrorball - combining class, intimacy and fun.
Faye O’Roarke is a simply mesmerising vocalist - she oozed charisma behind the microphone, leaving the audience hanging off of every word. Her tone is incredibly defined and articulate in an almost theatrical or cinematic way, meaning that the deeply personal and emotional storytelling of Soda Blonde is never lost within their otherwise fully fleshed out wall of sound style.
Beyond the music, her witty remarks about exes and sunday nights heightened the intimate feel of a night in with Soda Blonde at The Bodega. Whenever her stunning vocals were combined with the guitarist and vocalist Adam O’Regan, it genuinely felt like being blessed by angels. Their harmonies melted perfectly together, given his very similar silky vocal qualities. I could be nothing other than infatuated by them.
By far the stand out point of the evening was when the band brought the music into the crowd for an acoustic performance of Space Baby. It wasn’t long before the entire room was joining in for the chorus, which sounded absolutely beautiful (I’m also pretty sure I heard a handful of punters joining in with some of their own gorgeous harmonies - some future Bodega headliners in the room perhaps?) Written during the Covid-19 lockdowns, at a time where getting any sort of space from the people or person you’re co-habitating with was borderline impossible, there’s something quite poetic about creating luscious fullness on a more stripped back song with a room of other people. The delicate finger-picking patterns, dreamy vocals and waltzing tempo made for a really special moment.
The band delivered fiercely anti-war sentiments with their protest song Why Die for Danzig, a protest song dedicated by Soda Blonde to Palestine. This powerful performance saw all four band members join together to sing “How many bullets do you have to sell?” during a swelling chorus to drive forward their plea. It was abundantly clear how steadfastly important this cause is to the band, and thus the band really gave this song a place to breathe on their set list to emphasise its message.
Tracks like Terrible Hands, Small Talk and Midnight Show went hand in hand with a gentle Sunday sway. The latter borrows everything that makes Jessie Ware so much fun but brings the disco into Soda Blonde’s slightly deeper colour palette beautifully. People Pleaser - one of their newest songs - in particular demonstrated the band’s brilliance, allowing those aforementioned delicious harmonies to really shine within an irresistibly catchy chorus. With this brand new EP, there’s so much to be excited for with Soda Blonde. I’m certain they’re only going to continue to be astonishing.
Soda Blonde performed at The Bodega on 4th May 2025, with support from Lucy Crisp.
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