Kate Nash at The Roundhouse: A Defiant, Joy-Fuelled Performance
If you managed to catch Kate Nash at The Roundhouse, Camden, on 19th March, I guarantee you had an amazing night! Unless you’re a transphobe, my friend and I did hear someone walk off during ‘GERM’, saying “we’re clearly in the minority here”, in which case, I hope you had a terrible night. Nash has long been a vocal feminist, and it’s heartening to see her be so passionate about trans rights. Another gig for the girls, gays and theys, the crowd was pretty diverse!
Supported by Bimini Bon-Boulash, the show got off to a chaotic, lively start, with drag queen and singer/DJ Bimini’s self-described “Electro Cunt Punk” blasting our eardrums clean off! They delivered a bombastic set of songs like ‘Tank Top Bum Boy’ and ‘God Save This Queen’, with iconic lyrics like “Oi, stop! Are you a boy or a girl? Or what?” (relatable). I think there were a lot of straight men re-evaluating themselves in that crowd, between Bimini’s outfit and sensual dancing, and honestly, I don’t blame them. Their music would be right at home at a queer rave or a Pride festival, and it was a fun start to an excellent evening.
Kicking off her set, Kate Nash came out singing ‘Lullaby for an Insomniac’, surrounded by her backing musicians, notably, with not a man in sight. Backed by a string quintet, a pianist-slash-conductor, guitarist, bassist and drummer, ‘Millions of Heartbeats’, from the album ‘9 Sad Symphonies’, gradually built the energy with its beautiful piano introduction. ‘Misery’ was a surprisingly optimistic and upbeat song, given the title and it got the crowd pumped for more. Showcasing her musical prowess by playing acoustic guitar for ‘I Hate Seagulls’, bass for ‘Sister’, flute for ‘Famine’ and piano for her encore, we were treated to her talent as a multi-instrumentalist.
Oscillating between spinning joyfully around the stage in her dark green prom gown and making powerful political statements, Nash reminds us that joyousness and activism aren’t enemies, and that, in times like this, happiness is an act of resistance. Songs like ‘Mouthwash’ inspire self-love, whilst her moving cover of ‘Famine’ by Sinéad O’Connor seeks to educate listeners on the An Gorta Mór, which translates to “The Great Hunger”, and how it was a direct result of British imperialism. For this song, she was accompanied by a harpist, lute player, traditional drummer and accordionist, and she spoke about how her Irish roots influenced her decision to cover it. ‘GERM’ (which stands for “girl, exclusionary, regressive, misogynist”, a term she coined herself) is part essay, part song, rallying against transphobia, so-called ‘Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists’, misogyny and the way the patriarchy harms everyone, including men. The response was overwhelmingly positive in the room, and the vibes were immaculate.
‘Dickhead’ was definitely a crowd favourite, I think we all secretly want to shout “Why you being a dickhead for, stop being a dickhead” sometimes. The ‘Later On/Mariella’ mashup also went down a treat, bringing us to the highlight of the night… which was, of course, ‘Foundations’. This is the first Kate Nash song I heard at 12, and the song that made me a fan. I was also very excited for ‘Merry Happy’, which she saved for the encore, playing on a piano covered in baubles beneath an explosion of confetti. With the dress, hair and voice that would be the envy of any Disney princess, it truly was an evening of joy, interspersed with moments of genuine protest.