4 piece Tough Cookie was the opener for the night, with August on vocals and guitar, Jess on guitar, Dan on bass and Gavin on drums.
The band, based in Dalston, London, release their EP “The Countryside Is Good For You” on 10th Octobr, ahead of their headline tour in November.
Tough Cookie started their set with their song “Dick Of The Year” and it had the crowd engaged from the first bars. Lots of heads nodding in sync with the beat.
There was a palpable sense of anguish with “Disappear” and just before “Control”, vocalist August shared that the song is about his OCD
Debut single “Emory” closed off their set with its instantly recognisable guitar riff and signing off with “enjoy the pill” was just what we needed.
I enjoyed their set, and Tough Cookie are definitely an appropriate band to open for The Pill. They looked to have a good relationship, rocking out and enjoying their time.
Some songs seemed emotionally connected to August, seen by his anguished expression and gritted teeth.
Headliner The Pill, were about to make their entrance, with Lily on guitar and vocals, and Lottie on bass and vocals.
From the Isle of Wight, the band formed in May 2019.
In 2025, their festival billings have included Reading and Leeds, Latitude and Truck, to name a few.
Leeds is the first stop on the autumn leg of the tour after a standalone show in London in June.
The room was at its maximum capacity, almost spilling out the door to see them. Beers in hand, people cheered as The Pill snaked through the crowd to the stage.
Their song “Scaffolding Man” brought us their signature choreography.
Before their song “Problem”, a guitar change happened, and the Lottie joked “I want to look like a Christmas tree” with her sparkly green bass guitar and red knee-high boots. In fact, it was good to see lots more joking with the audience. Their ballerina dancing, guitars raised above their heads, added to the entertainment.
The Pill were fun, using humour to make light of very real issues whilst still driving home the messages. They touched on subjects such as grooming, sexism and never trusting a man with a mullet. During their set, they would often turn to face each other and dance, leaning against one other.
If youre not already a fan, The Pill may well be added to your playlist now.
Photography by Holly Hemingway.
