KATE NASH + REVENGE WIFE + ORCHARDS – CHALK, BRIGHTON 23.5.22
Today’s big national festival news piece is about the rather poor gender-mix on big stages across the UK this year.
A bit of BBC data-crunching shows a woeful lack of female talent in the headline slots at the UK’s largest festivals.
So tonight at Chalk in Brighton courtesy of local promoters LOUT it’s good to see all three bands on the bill with women up front.
Orchards are first up and might have thought they had the short straw with a Monday night 7.10pm start time – but although the opening numbers were to a small crowd, the numbers swelled nicely by the time they had found their pace and by the end of the set it really was a decent sized audience.
We caught Orchards just last week in their adopted home town of Brighton at The Great Escape Festival, and tonight they once again put everything into their show, clearly seeing this opportunity to share a line-up with Kate Nash as a big one.
The band fizz with enthusiastic energy, and Lucy Evers ends up dancing on the bar after diving into a more-than-delighted crowd.
They have been described in all sorts of ways… but essentially Orchards are good-old-school indie-pop. Up-beat and infectious and just what you need to shake out the cobwebs as you let your hair down for some unpretentious fun.
The mid-section of the night is Revenge Wife – Kate Nash’s friend from LA, Elizabeth Nistico (formerly of LA band, Holychild).
Revenge Wife is main support across Kate’s UK dates, and steps out in front of an initially bemused audience dressed in a white skater/cheerleader style dress and patent boots.
Fortunately the bemusement swiftly turns to appreciation as Nistico wins hearts, ears, and minds with some very personal and honest (as well as often explicit) lyrics.
Despite an upbeat tempo and an energetic dance routine, there is also a melancholy and vulnerability in her choice of words – you can easily see how this will be popular in an LA club or as a soundtrack to work out to.
As her set draws to an end the crowd applause and reaction clearly leaves Nistico moved, and we anticipate a similar reaction at venues throughout the rest of the tour.
And so, to Kate Nash.
