FLAT PARTY + BLACK BORDELLO + COWZ + SKI LIFT – THE HOPE & RUIN, BRIGHTON 7.5.25
The Hidden Herd monthly new music discovery nights certainly do shine the spotlight on some of the most exciting emerging artists around at the moment. There’s always a blend of ones-to-watch and hidden gems on offer and this month’s edition at The Hope & Ruin on Queens Road in Brighton didn’t buck the trend. We were rewarded with a quartet of differing musical styles from Flat Party, Black Bordello, COWZ and Ski Lift.
Tonight’s headliners were Flat Party who finally made it down to Brighton after a couple of previous aborted attempts, but it was certainly worth the wait. Flat Party are currently a quintet on account of recently losing their keyboard player, which is a real shame, I truly hope that they get a replacement as the one tune this evening that did make use of the battered synth was all the more better for it.
Flat Party are a London-based outfit consisting of Jack lawther (vocals), Rory O’Rourke (guitar, backing vocals), Dylan Tarayan-Bibbs (guitar, synth), Nic Morris (bass, backing vocals) and Zander Hearn (drums) and they wrap flamboyance, humour and complex emotions around their urgent brand of indie rock. Influenced by icons like David Bowie and Suede – evident in vocalist Jack Lawther’s soaring, emphatic delivery – the band’s prolific output to date ranges from jagged art-rock to crooning 60s-tinged pop.
Signed to Submarine Cat Records (home to ARXX, FEET, Swim Deep, Home Counties and Fräulein), the band’s second EP, ‘It’s All Been Done Before’, is a darker, more hedonistic and more dramatic collection than its predecessor. The singles have already been championed by DIY, Dork and The Line of Best Fit, along with spots on Spotify and Apple Music editorial playlists and airplay from Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 6 Music. On the road, Flat Party have headlined shows across the UK, appeared at The Great Escape Festival and Mutations Festival, and shared stages with English Teacher, Courting, Opus Kink and Goat Girl.
This evening’s set lasted 44 minutes (from 10:07pm to 10:51pm) and comprises eleven numbers, with a trio coming from their self-titled EP from last year, and as far as I can tell the remaining eight are currently unreleased. They start with ‘Four Starts To Every Sentence’ and immediately I pick up on the Brett Anderson (Suede) sounding vocal delivery. This has a Britpop feel to it, but Nic had an immediate emergency as a string on his bass guitar broke. Sadly there wasn’t another available bass on offer and so he was forced to repair it in front of us, whilst he chums performed an impromptu jam session. New string in place and the band next played ‘Mother’s Boy’ which we are told is “a new one” and it’s “about terrible men” and that they have just recorded the song which might be out some time next year. It has some impressive guitar licks atop a fitting drumbeat.
The next two tunes can be found on their self-titled EP, the first of these being ‘Aching For Living’ which has a big nod to Blur and comes with a false ending, the second track was ‘Glances In The Dark’ which had a good drumming intro and bass guitar combination which was reminiscent of New Order, and for me this was their best tune thus far. Jack tells us that the next tune is another new one and this is the track where the old synthesizer is used. Jack points out that it’s on its last legs and if we crouched down we would be able to see straight through the side of the instrument. The keys however sounded awesome and this was the best track of the set, the tune is called ‘C4mgrrrl’ and Jack’s vocals were more immediate. We are told they have also recorded this track and that it will be out some time this year. This too is also about bad men!
The synth player switches back to his trusted guitar for ‘Like Dust’ and Jack makes some Taylor Swift reference that I didn’t quite catch. After this we are given the debut live outing for ‘Tudor Mannequins’ which has a pleasant drumming intro and some funky guitar interplay. This is followed by yet another newbie, this time it’s ‘Waste’ and this has a Britpop vibe. ‘Shotgun’ is their next selection and this, for them, is a funky number which benefits from some added cowbell action courtesy of Zander on drums. It reminded me of the Scissor Sisters. Their penultimate composition was ‘Vulgar Tender Scene’ and Jack’s vocals initially reminded me of Lou Reed. It was yet another toe-tapping head-bobbing tune. They signed off with ‘I’m Bored, Give Me Love’ from their EP, which was a great tune to end on. This shows the lads in unison and highlighted their more hedonistic side. Judging by tonight’s performance with its loud applause at the end, I would anticipate Flat Party to be headlining larger venues in the future, hopefully with a full-time synth player.
Flat Party:
Jack lawther – vocals
Rory O’Rourke – guitar, backing vocals
Dylan Tarayan-Bibbs – guitar, synth
Nic Morris – bass, backing vocals
Zander Hearn – drums
Flat Party setlist:
‘Four Starts To Every Sentence’ (unreleased)
“Impromptu Jam Session”
‘Mother’s Boy’ (unreleased)
‘Aching For Living’ (from 2024 ‘Flat Party’ EP)
‘Glances In The Dark’ (from 2024 ‘Flat Party’ EP)
‘C4mgrrrl’ (unreleased)
‘Like Dust’ (unreleased)
‘Tudor Mannequins’ (unreleased)
‘Waste’ (unreleased)
‘Shotgun’ (unreleased)
‘Vulgar Tender Scene’ (unreleased)
‘I’m Bored, Give Me Love’ (from 2024 ‘Flat Party’ EP)
The third band on the bill this evening were Black Bordello who I have previously seen live in action. My recollection of that meeting was that they don’t look how they sound, would this be the same tonight I wondered. Since emerging out of the pandemic, Black Bordello have become one of the most promising burgeoning groups in the UK. Spearheaded by Sienna Bordello’s operatic vocals and vivid, fragmented lyricism, their metamorphic brand of alternative rock is enchanted with elements of vaudevillian chamber pop, post-punk, avant-garde gothic rock and progressive rock.
The group – composed of Sienna Bordello, Daniel Gowers, Jerome Alexandre, Melody Wayfare and Indigo Pearce – have earned a strong live reputation and grassroots following. Since releasing their self-titled debut album, described by Loud and Quiet as “an exercise in world-building”, the band have supported The Libertines, Goat Girl, Bad Nerves and Fat Dog. Their single ‘Nunhead’ was recorded at Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 and remixed by David J Haskins, bassist of the legendary goth group Bauhaus. Black Bordello’s second LP, ‘White Bardo’, steers the band’s songwriting in a more exploratory, outward-looking direction – a concentrated attempt to break away from obvious paths, exploring alternative perspectives with an open heart and a pinch of ink-black wit.
Tonight we are rewarded with a mere half dozen tunes, but this outfit doesn’t specialize in three minute pop tunes, and thus they were on The Hope & Ruin stage for 33 minutes, from 9:15pm to 9:48pm. The first thing I notice is that once again the quintet have small black crosses on their foreheads as a sign of unity – or possibly giving the impression of being members of a religious horror cult – and then I notice how cool Sienna’s signature guitar is. Thankfully there are two keyboards on the go courtesy of Melody, a Nord Electro 3 and a Korg, which adds to the enjoyment of their set. Right from the very off Sienna moves forward off of the stage and standing atop the floor speaker, she clearly knows how to hold court and how to supply the handful of excited photographers with the desired results.
First up is ‘Acid Mary’ from 2024’s ‘White Bardo’ album and this is a drums and keys dominated tune and Sienna is able to adjust her voice when desired via a small box attached to her microphone stand. After this, Sienna informs us that the second song will be ‘Nunhead’ and that this was penned about people putting a nun’s head on a stick on a hill, which sounded really gruesome, but did this really happen or is it a folklore tale? This could simply be a saying referencing the name of the area Nunhead in Southwark, London. The name Nunhead is believed to have originated from a local inn called ‘The Nun’s Head’ or ‘The Nunhead Tavern’. There are rumours that people in the area had a penchant for beheading nuns, but there’s little evidence to support this theory. The area, now known as Nunhead Green and Nunhead High Street, was once a separate settlement from nearby Peckham Rye, separated by fields and the River Peck.
Moving on…Black Bordello next play ‘Prufrock’ which is from 2020’s ‘Black Bordello’ album and this has some enjoyable joint vocals from Sienna and Melody. I noted that Daniel had switched to drumsticks with cotton pads on the end for this tune. This song has a late 1960’s early 1970’s soft rock vibe. Sienna then informs us that they recorded a brand new song last week and that we are only the second audience to hear it. The song is ‘Yellow Flower’ and it’s a jaunty beat changing number littered with Kate Bush vocal vibes in certain places throughout. Sienna is back atop the speaker for added dramatic effect. Melody unleashes some enjoyable Korg action on ‘The Garden Of Earthly Delights’ (from the ‘White Bardo’ album) and this song you would expect to have been used as a backing for a psychedelic vintage horror movie.
Before they sign off, Sienna tells us that the final number was inspired by “a mushroom trip” she had with the mother, who incidentally is standing behind me. I can’t see any mushrooms, but I can see her dark mystical beauty. During the said trip, her mother told her that Sienna has “Daddy issues” and thus the song of the same name was born. This is another new tune that is getting its second live airing this evening. For this Sienna comes and sits on top of the speaker for a while for that up-close-and personal effect, before having a brief wander. Each song has been delivered as if it’s a story in its own right and there’s certainly an air of mysticism with this lot.
Black Bordello:
Sienna Bordello – vocals, guitar
Jerome Alexandre – lead guitar
Daniel Gowers – drums, backing vocals
Melody Wayfare – synth, piano, backing vocals
Indigo Pearce – bass
Black Bordello setlist:
‘Acid Mary’ (from 2024 ‘White Bardo’ album)
‘Nunhead’ (from 2024 ‘White Bardo’ album)
‘Prufrock’ (from 2020 ‘Black Bordello’ album)
‘Yellow Flower’ (unreleased)
‘The Garden Of Earthly Delights’ (from 2024 ‘White Bardo’ album)
‘Daddy Issues’ (unreleased)
The second act on the bill this evening are Brighton-based alt-pop duo COWZ, featuring Saga Wahlström and Tasha Nicholl. They describe themselves as “bubble-gum pop in dire need of therapy.” Since forming, they’ve been making waves with their infectious sound and unique live show. Their self-produced debut EP, ‘That’s Cute! Baby’, was released in May last year and has quickly racked up over 100K streams on Spotify. The duo are set to drop their next single, ‘Elephant’, which can be pre-ordered HERE.
COWZ have also had support from BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders, BBC Music Introducing and Radio X. Live. COWZ have shared stages with the likes of Welly, Getdown Services, Deep Tan and Congratulations. In 2023, they opened the TGE Beach stage at The Great Escape Festival and have also performed at Loud Women Fest, Victorious Festival, Homegrown Festival, Night Currents Festival and MumFest.
I don’t mind admitting that every time I catch this double dose of Billy Nomates, I find myself watching the girls doing their thing with a broad smile on my face. Their music is infectious and littered with earworm hooks and choruses that you will find yourself suddenly singing days after the event, no wonder that I really “La La Like You”. Add to this their over the top Betty Boo (the vintage cartoon, not the singer) facial expressions and movements and it’s the full joyous package! Or is it….Of late, I can’t help thinking, that maybe they could just try and take things to a new higher level, by that I mean rather than their being just the two of them singing away on top of the music (which is recorded by Saga) on their laptop, it might be fab if they had a backing band actually playing the instruments with them still both out front.
This evening we are in the company of these modern pop princesses for 29 minutes, from 8:29pm to 8:58pm, and in that space of time, they perform 9 joyous numbers. They kick off with ‘Video’ which has the “round and around” earworm lyrics. The crowd are already on board, and as is usually the case, the longer they play for, the more punters come on board. Their dual vocal deliveries work a treat on ‘Most Fun I’ve Had In Ages’, which is the first of four tracks played from their ‘That’s Cute! Baby’ EP. This song greatly reminds me of Lynks. Their forthcoming ‘Elephant’ single is up next. We are informed that this will be out in two weeks. So you might as well get ready now by practicing “Elle-Errr-Fant”.
The unreleased ‘Ur No Rockstar’ is up next and we are informed that this is about “having healthy relationships with musicians” (or was it unhealthy?). This is another example of a perfect tune for pre-teen and early teen girls to practice singing along with their hair brushes in front of their bedroom mirrors. Also this, like all their material, would be absolutely bang on for Pride or even as a support act to Confidence Man or the aforementioned Lynks. Song five, ‘Domination’, from the EP, is a slower number about “eating rich people”. After this, the crowd are asked if anyone is into the ‘Twilight’ TV series as the next song is about Rosalie from the show and how hot she is, this track is not surprisingly called ‘Rosalie’ and this is another great example of their joint vocal prowess. Because of this, it’s no surprise that they (here) remind me of Let’s Eat Grandma.
Selection seven is the yet to be released ‘La La Like You’ which is about not liking people and it’s a really bouncy number, once which Lynks might have penned. Their penultimate tune is less immediate for me, this being ‘Miss The Fun’, with its “I miss the fun fun fun” catchy chorus. They leave us with a tune about “being a crazy bitch”, this being the EP highlight ‘Psychos’ with its memorable “It is not my fault you fall for psychos” line. If you’re feeling a little down and in the dumps and in need of cheering up then stick on some COWZ and (hopefully) before you know it you will be singing and jumping along….COWZ with added Serotonin (always read the label).
COWZ:
Saga Wahlström – vocals, laptop
Natasha ‘Tasha’ Nicholl aka Tasha Bloom – vocals
COWZ setlist:
‘Video’ (unreleased)
‘Most Fun I’ve Had In Ages’ (from 2024 ‘That’s Cute! Baby’ EP)
‘Elephant’ (forthcoming 2025 single)
‘Ur No Rockstar’ (unreleased)
‘Domination’ (from 2024 ‘That’s Cute! Baby’ EP)
‘Rosalie’ (from 2024 ‘That’s Cute! Baby’ EP)
‘La La Like You’ (unreleased)
‘Miss The Fun’ (unreleased)
‘Psychos’ (from 2024 ‘That’s Cute! Baby’ EP)
Openers this evening were Ski Lift who are led by Welsh born Croydon-based songwriter Benji Tranter, alongside bassist and vocalist Lizzy Walsh. Their drummer is Adam Fletcher but he is not present this evening and is repped by a guy called Jovis. Completing the lineup is a chap called Dan on keyboards.
Ski Lift are a North and South London-based power-pop trio acting out their teenage indie-rock dreams. Since forming in 2018, the group has played shows across London and throughout the UK, sharing stages with bands like Holiday Ghosts, ARXX and Mary in the Junkyard. Releasing a flurry of singles and last year’s ‘Fold In On Yourself’ EP. They’ve received consistent radio support, including spins from Gemma Bradley on BBC Radio 1, Huw Stephens and Tom Robinson on BBC Radio 6 Music and John Kennedy on Radio X. The band has also been featured on Spotify editorial playlists like Fresh Finds and Feel Good Indie Rock, while their biggest single, ‘Portal’, racked up over 130,000 Spotify streams after being featured on the soundtrack for Channel 4’s ‘Made in Chelsea’.
Ski Lift kick off the night with an 8 tune, 27 minute set, which runs from 7:52 to 8:19pm. Sadly the venue is a little sparse, but the band get on with it and set the ball rolling with two tunes from the aforementioned EP, these being ‘Have Fun, Make Friends’ and ‘Living The Dream’. For ‘Have Fun, Make Friends’ Dan is sporting a pair of ski goggles, but without a ski slope in sight he takes them off before starting to play his Nord Electro 5 keys on tune two. Choice three is ‘I Wanna Be You’ which is from their ‘The Singles’ EP and their music is in essence colourful beat indie pop music, most of which tend to abruptly end, which keeps the punters on their toes.
It’s clear that this evening is a rare outing for the band as Benji tells us that he hasn’t played a gig in five months. ‘Portal’ also from 2022’s ‘The Singles’ EP is next and adds to their tally of three minute ditties. Benji then informs us about them releasing an EP at the end of last year and they are going to play a song from it, this being ‘Dance And Cry (Your Life Away)’. He then told us that they are going to play two new songs which should come out this year, the first of these is titled ‘Drummer’ and the second is ‘Dilemma Generation’. Their final tune was ‘Moaning Again’ from ‘The Singles’ EP.
It has been a fairly enjoyable evening out and Leon on sound and lighting got it just about perfect all night long. Roll on the next Hidden Herd event!
Ski Lift:
Benji Tranter – vocals, guitar
Elizabeth Walsh – bass, backing vocals
Dan – keys
Jovis – drums, backing vocals (filling in for Adam Fletcher)
Ski Lift setlist:
‘Have Fun, Make Friends’ (from 2024 ‘Fold In On Yourself’ EP)
‘Living The Dream’ (from 2024 ‘Fold In On Yourself’ EP)
‘I Wanna Be You’ (from 2022 ‘The Singles’ EP)
‘Portal’ (from 2022 ‘The Singles’ EP)
‘Dance And Cry (Your Life Away)’ (from 2024 ‘Fold In On Yourself’ EP)
‘Drummer’ (unreleased)
‘Dilemma Generation’ (unreleased)
‘Moaning Again’ (from 2022 ‘The Singles’ EP)
