For all its downfalls and caveats, social media does have the undeniable potential to produce truly positive outcomes — and for the ardent followers of the iconic alternative rock band Bôa, this is certainly the case. Formed in 1993 and releasing their debut album five years later, Bôa’s history predates the profoundly online environment of today. However, it is through the power of social media — namely TikTok — that much of the London-based group’s musical return can be attributed. Gaining traction in 2021 with their track “Duvet,” Bôa has attracted a fresh generation of adoring fans. This recent influx of support has, in many ways, brought the mesmerizing musical talents of Bôa back to stages across the world. Having recently finished a sold-out tour in America, the band returned to familiar ground to embark on a nine-date tour of the United Kingdom, starting at Bristol’s Thekla last Thursday.
Walking through Bristol, accompanied by a cold autumnal breeze, one of the most noticeable sights was the queue. Stretching halfway down the pier, fans, old and new, waited in excitement for the evening’s events to unfold. As the doors opened at seven o’clock, those who had arrived earliest rushed into the hull of the ship, forming an unbudging group at the front of the venue, hoping to secure the best views. When the clock struck half-past, fans were treated to one of the most exciting up-and-coming groups: Candar. Hailing from North Devonshire, Candar is a duo consisting of Ella Crossland and Finn McAuley, who partner enticing riffs with Ella’s phenomenal vocal capabilities. The duo took the stage, playing a half-hour set that perfectly warmed the crowd up for the much-anticipated return of Bôa.
As the time hit half-past eight, the lights dimmed to an orange hue, and the eager excitement reached its peak. For the first time in twenty-seven years, Jasmine Rodgers, Lee Sullivan, and Alex Caird made their way onto a Bristol stage — much to the delight of the packed South West crowd. Over the noisy cheers of the mesmerized fans, Bôa began with the familiar riff of “Deeply.” Heads began to nod, and smiles quickly filled the venue as the extraordinary voice of Jasmine Rodgers echoed throughout the intimate space. When the opening track began to come to a close, fans roared in support. Shifting from a track on their debut album, the band wasted no time in selecting a song from “Get There” (2005) — “Angry” — perfectly demonstrating the group’s versatility as they leaned into a true rock song. The final song of the opening trio celebrated the band’s earlier years, as Rodgers seamlessly introduced “For Jasmine,” capturing the emotions of every fan.
Following the successes of the opening tracks, the band took a moment to recognize and thank every single audience member for their unwavering support in recent times, emotionally claiming that if it had not been for the fans, this would not have happened. After this heartfelt appreciation to the sold-out South West crowd, the band announced that it was the night before they would release their third studio album, “Whiplash.” To celebrate, they launched into the album’s title track, which had been released as a single in July. Although it had not been played much before, the song was extremely well received, adding a final touch of suspense before the album’s release the following day.
As the set progressed, the band treated their loving supporters to songs like “A Girl” and “Welcome.” However, one of the set’s many highlights came when Rodgers picked up her acoustic guitar and began playing “Drinking.” The slow start allowed fans to collectively raise their mobile torches into the air and join Rodgers in singing the emotional lyrics. The band quickly returned to celebrating their upcoming release, treating the crowd to “Beautiful & Broken” and soon after, “Worry.” Interspersed between previews of the upcoming album were nods to the band’s early years, including tracks like “Elephant” and “Fool,” bringing a well-rounded set to a close.
Fans throughout the venue were quick to vocalize that some of Bôa’s crowd favorites had yet to be played, chanting in unison, “WE WANT MORE!” Their requests were quickly answered as an event manager walked on stage and asked the enthusiastic audience if they would like “three more songs.” Unsurprisingly, the crowd obliged. Bôa returned to the stage, opening what would be a three-part encore with the title track from their debut album: “Twilight.” Once again, the alt-rock group’s followers sang at the top of their lungs, giving the London-based group a final South West welcome. As “Twilight” drew to a close, Bôa prepared to play one last single from their upcoming album as the penultimate song. Lee Sullivan expertly led the way as drums pounded to the beat of “Walk With Me,” soon joined by Caird and the group’s touring bandmates. As the track progressed, a formidable force of excitement filled the venue — the fans knew what was coming next: “Duvet.” The band showed one final piece of appreciation before Jasmine opened the grand finale with the opening line, “And you don’t seem to understand,” echoed back by every member of the audience. The connection between fans and band during “Duvet” is something that every indie lover needs to experience; Bristol, for one last time, was filled with unfathomable amazement.
Role - I am a passionate writer with an interest for reviewing concerts and music.
Available For - Gig reviews and artist interviews.
Qualification - Currently I am studying BSc in Politics and International Relations at the University of Bath.
First Concert - The first concert I ever attended was Coldplay at the Royal Albert Hall (2014). It was to promote the release of their ‘Ghost Stories’ album. I will never forget the call my dad gave me to say he had managed to get two tickets for the both of us. The whole experience was just pure joy. The relative intimacy (for Coldplay) of the Royal Albert Hall, will always make that night one of the best (if not the best) concerts I have ever attended.
Dream Concert - In all honesty this is too difficult to answer with just one concert. If I were to select a few artists that I would love to see, it would have to be: Hope Sandoval, feeble little horse, Greg Foat, Kurt Vile, Lucy Dacus (specifically playing ‘No Burden’ in its entirety), Jadu Heart and The Moldy Peaches.
There is also the difficulty of dream gigs that are not able to be done. These would be: Mahalia Jackson, Etta James, Ann Peebles, Karen Dalton, Leon Russell, Mojave 3, The Smiths, and George Harrison (“All Things Must Pass” just from start to finish).
