The Exchange – 24th September 2022
Following a summer of festival appearances among some of the finest in the alternative scene, 2022’s answer to good old-fashioned girl power came storming through Bristol in the form of brat punk hip hop power train Delilah Bon. Fully equipped with a flurry of pink hair and an attitude so bad it could overthrow the male agenda, Delilah (also known as Lauren Tate), wasn’t here to f*cking play.
For a start, she certainly knows how to fill Exchange on a post-summer Saturday eve. Support acts STORM ST CLAIRE and duo Try Me, were both very different acts to one another at face value, however both complimented Delilah’s artistry perfectly.
STORM ST CLAIRE’s emo pop echoed the bratty attitude Delilah brings to the stage. With a haunting stage presenceand angelic voice, their performance was captivating. The unbelievably catchy ‘NO ONE’ was a particular highlight of the set and has been stuck in my head ever since.
Try Me’s slapstick humour and 90s funk-laced electronichype tunes gave away their Bristol roots pretty quickly. Notably ‘Road Runner’ got every single person in the room moving, nothing less than a warm welcome for their homecoming date on this tour. I don’t think I’ve seen a crowd so hyped up by a support act, their energy was infectious.
There are often preconceptions around those who speak out strongly through their art form about matters some may consider political, easily assumed to be cashing in on the real issues women and the LGBTQ+ community face every single day. However, there is nothing performative about the activism that Delilah plays a strong role in through her music. Her anger at the modern man for dictating women’s bodies (‘I Don’t Listen To You’), while simultaneously uplifting those around her and creating a safe environment at her shows, is something truly impressive.
And not only is she actively speaking out, but she is also redefining femininity. Sitting on a metaphorical throne in the form of a wooden chair adorned with nails, and carrying bats wrapped in barbed wire (in true Negan style – for those fans of TWD), Delilah Bon is abolishing misconceptions about femininity equalling being sweet and submissive. And not only that but her girl power anthems with a clear influence on the finest of pop punk in the early 00s such as Sum 41 and Limp Bizkit (particularly evident in the unbelievably catchy ‘Bad Attitude’) were catchy, true screamers and headbangers for her audience. A room filled with empowerment, while bringing the goddamn roof down with heavy melodies in ‘Rat Boy’ and ‘Devil’, as well as some surprisingly impressive spins on Nicki Minaj’s ‘Chun Li’ and Eminem’s ‘Godzilla’.
The biggest takeaway from the show is that Miss Delilah Bon is much more than a pretty face and a pretty voice – she is a woman, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and she’s sick of prejudice. She is a voice of a generation, a powerhouse in the industry, creating a safe space to uplift and empower the girls, gays, and non-binary baes.
Daisy Kent – Music Photographer
