Girls of Guildford Culture

Girls of Guildford @ The Boileroom (08.05.14)


A ‘Girls of Guildford’ night was presented at The Boileroom on Thursday 8 May in celebration of all the female talent Guildford has to offer. The women who graced the stage had it in spades and really showed off their ability to an appreciative audience. The girls performed a mixture of both covers and original songs in a whole host of genres that had the audience completely charmed. Here is a lowdown on how the night unfolded.

STELLA
The gorgeous Stella Talpo had the difficult job of kicking off the night. It must be daunting to open a gig when it is still light outside, but she immediately pulled the audience in with her soulful and stylised vocals. Her set was stripped back and she was accompanied by just a guitarist alongside, but her voice and charisma filled the room. She performed fantastic original songs, such as ‘Baby’, but a particular highlight was her cover of Bob Marley’s ‘Is This Love’, which was quirky and captivating. She also covered Katy Perry’s pop hit, Roar, which you can check out HERE. Stella Talpo is a student at Guildford’s ACM and most definitely one to watch.

NATALIE ROSS
Natalie Ross (as pictured below) looks, sings and practically breathes vintage- she also makes dresses, a multitalented woman! She is a unique act, pouring fun into the audience with every song. With a vintage aesthetic, combined with a folk style set up, she seems to create her own genre altogether and her originality is a breath of fresh air. She has fantastic vocal abilities and excellent skills on the guitar, so much so that she is talented enough to be on stage alone, but combining her talents with her band makes it all the sweeter. Her great personality also shone through on the night as she offered her EP in exchange for either £5 or a hug.
She had the audience mesmerized as she sang original songs, with the innocence of ‘Feels Just Like I’m 17 Again’ particularly standing out. But the highlight was a fantastic cover of ‘Teenage Kicks’. The quirks and tricks of Natalie’s voice, teamed with a unique take on the song made it really memorable. Check out Natalie’s fantastic sound on her website HERE or our exclusive interview with her from last year if you want to learn more about what makes her tick.

Natalie Ross 3

ERIKA
ERIKA opened her set with just her voice, a minimal synth sound and microphones draped with flowers. It was enchanting and immediately gripping, the venue instantaneously fell silent, captured by her vulnerable opening sounds. The band then kicked in, providing such a stark contrast and juxtaposition between her bare vocals and the instrumental sound that it packed even more of a punch to the emotion of the song. ERIKA delivered a modern, electronic influenced indie sound; using both electric and acoustic instruments, she seemed to span a variety of genres across her songs. At times the music reminded me of Florence and the Machine, but then it would build into a sound resembling the music of Evanescence. She got the whole audience involved, bringing them close, using them for harmonies and even getting them to crouch down ready to jump, reminiscent of something you would expect from a rock band at a summer festival!
The highlight of the set was the incredible harmonies between ERIKA and her female bassist; truly spine tingling. Her set took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, with stark dynamics being an important part of the sound. Her song ‘Warrior’ touched a particular nerve, inspiring people to find the strength within themselves. Check out her music HERE.

PRINCESS SLAYER
Closing the night was the energetic Princess Slayer, who brought something completely different to the night. The electronic duo, made up of Casey Lim and Vince Welch were joined on stage by a full band, creating a huge sound and bringing the act to life. Casey’s stage presence was unbeatable. Her microphone was almost permanently off the stand, as she danced around the stage and got the audience moving. ‘Passion Alley’ was the stand out song; it was reminiscent of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs famous ‘Heads Will Roll’ and impossible not to dance to, with the pulsating lighting effects just adding to the aesthetic. Princess Slayer have a very contemporary sound and deserve to be heard. The vocals were practically flawless and as a live show, it was captivating. Check out Princess Slayer HERE.

Sophia Field

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