A double treat tonight with Paige Kennedy kicking things off, followed by She Drew The Gun warming up a cold February night.
As I am still very slowly unfurling from the my 2024/25 winter hibernation, it was good to have a great reason to head out into the night with my trusty EOS R! Curated by the always awesome Love Thy Neighbour and hosted by vibrant Brighton night hotspot Revenge – I was looking forward to some of my ‘lack of night life cobwebs ‘ being blown away.
From a photographer’s point of view, I was also looking forward to the gig as my only previous visit to Revenge had been a really enjoyable experience. Excellent lighting and really easy stage access from varied angles. You can’t really ask for more to start with. So I had high hopes for capturing some clear images tonight. Creatively, I then have the task of capturing something unique. Tonight I’m shooting for Nick Linazasoro, music editor at Brighton and Hove News.
Paige Kennedy
Paige Kennedy is a musician/producer based currently in London and originally from Kent. Their sound has been described as ‘fragmented, synth-driven, dance-pop’ in DIY mag – and tuning in to their spotify tracks reveals the fun, compelling and upbeat attraction of the quirky lyrics and hook laden songwriting. I had a very enjoyable few hours getting to know these songs prior to the show. I should add that Paige’s Instagram feed is also a joy!
The gig was very well attended with one of the sweetest crowds I have ever encountered. People couldn’t have been more helpful in terms of letting me through to capture shots and pulling me up to ‘The Shelf’ at the side of the room. And as well as some excellent between songs chat, reminding me a lot of James Acaster in their delivery, Paige has a very entertaining stage presence. Performing solo, they filled the stage and the room with energetic fun. The songs were instantly engaging with thought provoking and humorous lyrics.
With a short break spent in the lovely company of Brighton and Hove News regular contributor Jess Kemp – we headed back to the stage for the headline act She Drew The Gun.
She Drew The Gun
She Drew The Gun began as a solo project for Louisa Roach after she was spotted by The Coral frontman James Skelly. This led to a signing with Skeleton Key Records in 2015. With the first album ‘Memories of the Future’ being released the next year and being winners of Glastonbury’s Emerging Talent.
Fast forward to February 2025 and the release of their fourth studio album HOWL, we are treated the full band tour in the UK. The current line up for She Drew The Gun includes Jimmy Moon on guitar, Abbi Phillips on drums, percussion and backing vocals, Lucy Styles on keyboards, synthesiser, guitar and backing vocals, and Jack Turner on bass and lead guitar. Delivering the darkly ornate psych-pop with captivating style and wonderfully crafted lyrics, this was a hypnotic performance that distracted me from the job at hand of grabbing those shots! Looking around the room I could see a hugely appreciative audience with everyone entranced by the charismatic She Drew The Gun. Add to this the powerful spoken word compositions, this was a truly memorable evening.
Unfolding the night in my head as I catch the train back to Hastings, I am, as always, grateful for the passion we have for live music. The gift of these uniquely individual grass roots venues and the huge amount of people it takes to put these shows on. From promoters, light and sound engineers, the gig-goers, the music reviewers, the content creators, the musicians…the list goes on and on. And of course, the importance of continuing to support music from the grass roots level and the journey that every performer takes. Please do click on the links provided and enjoy the music of both incredible acts!
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