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kamile serenaite, @serskaten
words: aggy kazlauskas
a night to remember
“hey, i’ve got an invite to a gig by this up-and-coming band – they look reaaaally awesome. would love for u to tag along and snap some photos if you’re keen,” i type out in a text to my friend kamile. it’s late october, crunch time for halloween, and i haven’t seen her in ages; catching up and celebrating human art all the while seems like a no-brainer – it’s what sparked our friendship in the first place.
thankfully, it’s a yes from my mate.
a couple of weeks down the line, we find ourselves at the doorstep of moth club, hackney’s hotbed for emerging talent. the great escape’s FIRST FIFTY extravaganza is back tonight, and the line-up is stacked – a promising taster before the festival returns to brighton next year. Dublin’s newcomer Annie-Dog kicks off the session before handing over the reins to alt-indie sensation max baby. there’s one act in particular, though, that kamile and i are so eagerly clock-watching for – liverpool’s brat-punk five-piece, girl group. before you ask, yep, that is indeed their name – a fitting moniker that Does exactly what it says on the tin.
roughly fifteen minutes before girl group takes the stage, kamile and i escape the club’s bustling, pub-adjacent bar area to make sure her Canon EOS M50 is all set up and ready for action. naturally, we decide to have a photoshoot of our own; brief bursts of light flash left, right, and centre – which is exactly when we notice girl group’s member katya run down the stairs, presumably towards the stage. kamile and i say hi to her, and she even humours us with a quick chat – a sweet act of kindness amid an undeniable urgency when you’re about to perform. i mention that i’ve got a norwegian housemate, utter out a few phrases i’ve been taught, and then wave goodbye as she leaves to get ready for the show. ’tis the life of a performer. you’d be right to assume that a flurry of activity is taking place behind the scenes.
the band’s very own lil and thea make an appearance, too; kamile snaps a quick photo of them – it looks like they’re running on full star power this evening, and we’re on a mission to capture an exciting part of their career in its full glory.
after a short while, kamile and i find our way into moth club’s auditorium, where a glittery, gold tinsel-drenched stage catches my eye right off the bat. “i can’t believe i’ve never been here before,” i whisper to kamile. she responds by saying that this isn’t her first rodeo. needless to say, she’s much cooler than me – and this is about to be a night to remember.
the chatter in the audience gets interrupted in due course, although less so by words and more by the sheer power that girl group possesses – the whole room goes quiet in anticipation as soon as they walk onstage. all five of them step over the invisible Proscenium line to take in the moment, and the performance commences.
the brutally honest ‘flink pike’ – norwegian for ‘good girl’ – is the first offering from the band’s seven-track setlist. it’s a high-energy number propelled by girl group’s ability to employ witty, razor-sharp lyrics that cut through unrealistic societal expectations: “And I’m so polite, it aches my cheeks / Is this your favourite type of me?” they sing in the second pre-chorus.
unapologetic sincerity is hard to come by these days, but it seems to be second nature for the Liverpudlian stars – their candid demeanour is extremely inspiring; what’s more, girl group’s adventurous sound translates well in this type of setting, where a bunch of rebels come together to have fun and wreak a bit of havoc. there’s a real sense of community between me and my fellow concertgoers, even though i barely know anyone.
kamile is also in her element, documenting the night from one side of the stage to another. she’s grinning from ear to ear, even if she doesn’t realise it yet; i catch her bopping along to girl group’s groovy melodies in-between shots – a sign of pure joy and freedom.
despite making their debut only two years ago, all five members – katya, mia, lil, thea, and maria – command the stage like true professionals. it feels as if they were born to perform, from a tightly-choreographed dance routine during the upbeat, genre-blending ‘your fantasy’ to stage presence that makes you want to book tickets for their next concert.
all at once i think to myself that it must be their Perfect Band Chemistry that makes them so incredible. they’re fully in control, uplifting each other every chance they get. i recall reading that they all met at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and have been inseparable ever since, which makes absolute sense – genuine friendship is often the groundwork for success, after all.
the gig eventually reaches its conclusion with ‘yay! saturday’ – the crown jewel of girl group’s discography and a thrilling musical odyssey that takes the listener on a somewhat messy night out. who hasn’t had one of those, am i right?
kamile and i, now fully free of any shyness we might’ve felt initially, find ourselves dancing along like nobody’s watching. we’re fully immersed in girl group’s sonic realm – a place where everyone belongs; in fact, you’re encouraged to be your most authentic self here. making your audience feel this welcome is a unique gift that not many artists have been blessed with – fortunately for girl group, it’s something that they excel at.
a wave of applause rounds off the performance, and deservedly so – girl group put on an amazing show. all there’s left to do now is reminisce about the magic that just occurred on the walk to the tube station, which is exactly what kamile and i end up doing. in that moment, i can guess exactly which songs we’ll be listening to for the rest of our journey home… and after that.
yeah, we’re officially in our girl group era.
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check out girl group’s latest single, ‘she goes’, below. x
echowave 