The Soap Girls & Jack Kendrick And The Broken Wonder & Hydeout
The Scene, Lincoln
19/5/2023
The Scene is exactly the sort of venue we need to be supporting fully right now (and always). It’s a vital part of the grass roots of music that nurtures new talent. And tonight’s openers Hydeout are exactly why when you go to a gig you should watch the support acts. The alt rockers cover so much ground in a short period of time going from pure post punk to a near progressive upbeat rock. Their songs are quite technical in places but always come with plenty of groove and fun. Then they have Joel Arthur’s immense stage presence too. His vocals are strong and his ability to engage is remarkable. Through him the music gets channelled perfectly to everyone like the show is for them alone. The crowd love them. Bigger things must surely be just around the corner.
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Making the transition from acoustic solo artist to electric trio Jack Kendrick And The Broken Wonder prove to be memorable for so many reasons. Firstly to be able to change the arrangements for a whole set of songs, and then rehearse them so they work on stage is no small task many might overlook. You’ve got a drummer (unusually standing) and a bass player having to learn everything too, and they do a great job. And then they have something else too – chemistry. The trio are just at ease and are beaming right through the whole set. It’s a vibe that transfers easily to the audience. Jack Kendrick it turns out is not only an excellent song writer, he’s also another example of someone who has his stagecraft skills set to eleven. So much so he makes you want to sing every word with him.
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You have to applaud The Soap Girls for their inventiveness and stamina during lock down keeping us all entertained with online shows multiple times a week. They deserve an award just for that alone. With last year’s ‘In My Skin’ album receiving critical acclaim and a hectic global touring schedule ahead of them tonight is all about anticipation and celebration. What we get is a show packed with old favourites, fantastic new songs and a joyous group of fans. This is exactly what you need from a band, and a crowd too. You can feel the positive energy in the room with both Mie and Millie acting as hosts of the party. The set itself flows with songs grouped together and dialogue focussed. Here freedom of expression isn’t just something stated, it’s a part of the gig on and off of the stage. This is where the Soap Girls eclipse many others, their words are also their actions and that means shows like this thrive with people able to feel safe just being themselves. All gigs should be like this, society should be like this, but sadly isn’t. Tonight at The Scene we had a little oasis of bliss. Hopefully soon we’ll have oceans of it.
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Review and Photos by Gary Trueman