The Brudenell in Leeds is the perfect venue for some cosy live music on a Sunday night. Which is what I thought I was in for when Prima Queen took the stage with their acoustic set.
I’ve not been in the ‘Main Room’ at Brude before, but it’s just as good, if not better, than the other concert room. It has its own little bar and a balcony for accessible viewing, which creates a pit in the front closest to the stage for an intimate gig experience.
Prima Queen
Prima Queen is an all female indie/alternative rock band fronted by Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden. Their music tells a story and has a lovely, nostalgic feel to it.
The band were two members down and ended up doing the tour without percussion or bass. Which is pretty impressive. They didn’t let that stop them captivating the whole crowd with their mellow tunes and indie bops. The two of them had an incredible chemistry which really shone through the whole set. They pre-warned the crowd that they’re usually more ‘rocky’ but with only half of the band members able to tour, we were greeted with a more mellow experience. Which was perfect for a late Sunday night slot.
They filled the gaps in between their songs with anecdotes about their songwriting process, and kept the audience smiling with their witty humour and jokes – one being that Katy Perry is trying to sabotage singers by telling them to take some paracetamol and a can of coke before a gig… turns out it just makes you extra gassy and makes everything a bit more difficult.
Their song ‘Dillon’ stirred a conversation over the lack of Dillons in the crowd. And any other crowd for that matter. Which is a shame because had there been, he would have had a whole song dedicated to him.
The lyrics in their songs were really relatable to a 20-something woman. They remind me of bands like ‘The Big Moon,’ who create a similar movie-track atmosphere with their music. They definitely give ‘main character energy.’
I can’t wait to catch another gig with the whole band to compare the difference. But if all else fails, the duet worked perfectly in my opinion.
Ash Kenazi
Ash Kenazi is ‘the OG drag Jewish Princess from North London’ (AshKenzai.uk). She was an absolute mood. Ash was 100% best dressed in the whole building. Well, for the most part – before the clothes came off! Ash has such a beautiful and unique voice that I can’t even put into words.
I was in the bathroom when her set started and heard others in the cubicles ask, ‘Oh. What’s that? Is it an opera? Wow, sounds like it’s coming from the stage!’ And they were right. Ash was described by Dream Wife as, ‘an incredible artist with a beautiful voice and a beautiful heart.’ And it couldn’t be more true. Ash brought an incredible energy to the stage throughout that got the audience singing along, waving their hands and getting involved in the performance.
It was a combination of opera, ‘slut dropping’ and dancing around the stage. A highlight for me was the costume change into a ‘Stop Being Straight’ t-shirt that was available to buy from the merch stand. It definitely got the crowd cheering (and queuing to get their own).
That wasn’t the last we saw of Ash though, who came back on after the interlude to introduce Dream Wife to the stage, helping to keep the energy up and get the crowd in the mood for a good night!
Dream Wife
Dream Wife is a London based band who have created a sound that is a mixture of punk rock, pop and indie rock. The band includes Rachel Mjöll, guitar and vocals – Alice Go and bass and vocals – Bella Podpadec. On the drums, they have support from Alex Paveley. They put on an exhilarating show that you just HAD To be there for.
Before Dream Wife’s set even started, we were giving orders for ‘all the bad bitches to come to the front’ by Ash Kenazi. That immediately set the mood for the rest of the night. I knew I was going to be in for a treat.
The best way to describe Dream Wife’s set is liberating. It wasn’t just a gig. They didn’t just play their music. They made a statement.
I had a listen to their music before the gig, but I don’t think I really listened to the lyrics as well as I did during their live set. Every song has a powerful message about gender, politics and sexuality. I was left feeling inspired, a fire in my belly and ready to conquer the patriarchy.
Lead singer, Rachel Mjöll, has such a way of keeping your attention. The way she makes eye contact with the audience and makes everyone feel completely included is incredible. She checked in to make sure everyone felt safe and to make sure we were looking after one another. Inclusivity and safety was definitely at the forefront of the night. The way she commanded the stage with her presence was mesmerising and I didn’t want the night to end. She has such a unique voice and way of performing. She almost chants the lyrics, which makes it even more captivating.
The rest of the band each brought a unique element to the gig. From the bass player rocking out on the floor and the guitarist jumping into the crowd and playing their solo – the whole atmosphere was unmatched. I love the way each member was so enthusiastic towards one another and towards the crowd. They all had something to say and they made sure they were heard. We were again asked for the bad bitches to come to the front of the crowd. We were reminded that being a bad bitch does not mean you are a certain gender. ‘Anyone can be a bad bitch.’
One stand out moment for me was during their song, ‘somebody.’ Rakel dedicated the song to her trans siblings. Given current political controversy, it couldn’t have been more of a statement of solidarity if they tried. The lyrics read, “I am not my body, I am somebody.” Which echoed through the whole venue as everyone was chanting along in shared interest and protest. I honestly had goosebumps throughout the whole song.
When I tell you the gig was an immersive experience, I’m not lying. The crowd was split into two sections, ‘player 1’ and ‘player 2’ as we battled it out to see who was the loudest and bringing the most energy. And the verdict? ‘Everybody is a winner, baby!’
They told us all about the new album and how it was their favourite because it was produced by Alice, the guitarist. They recorded the album in Leeds, so playing at The Brudenell was a special moment in their tour.
The energy never dropped below 99% at any given point throughout the night, but it definitely was turned up a notch during ‘cut your hair.’ The crowd went wild as they created mosh pits in the front and centre whilst everyone else was letting go and having a good old boogey. They gave us a special treat by covering Tatu – All The Things You Said. There wasn’t one person in the room not singing along as they blasted out this absolute banger.
The whole band couldn’t have been more grateful for their support acts. They praised each of them and told us anecdotes about the tour and what they’d got up to behind the scenes.
The night finished with Ash joining them on stage. They chanted and got the crowd to sing along with their famous quote, ‘I spy with my little eye, bad bitches. Dream wives for life.’ The energy was contagious and they had us all bouncing around the dance floor singing for our life. You could tell just from all of the ensemble being on stage together that they were having a party in the green room after this gig. And to be honest, I’ve got FOMO.
I think this gig really spoke to me in a way that I wasn’t expecting. It made me angry, sad, happy, ecstatic – all in a matter of an hour and half. It was amazing to see a room full of people of all genders, ages, sexualities, the works: all coming together for shared interests: great music and liberation.
Photography by Maddie Armstrong.
