GIHE: Personal Highlights Of 2023

We’ve already shared our Albums & EPs Of 2023, Tracks Of 2023 and our final Soho Radio show of the year, but now the GIHE team have put together a round up of some of their music related highlights from the past twelve months.

From the eclectic and brilliant lineups that Mari organised for our monthly GIHE gigs at The Shacklewell Arms and Sebright Arms, to the monthly Soho Radio shows that Kate & Tash produced and hosted; the GIHE team were grateful to feel connected – either through the internet or in real life – to our friends and followers, and that’s something our Personal Highlights of 2023 reflect.

Read below for a recap of some of our best bits of the year. Huge thanks to everyone who has supported GIHE. We’ll see you in 2024. x

GIHE Live with STRAIGHT GIRL at The Shacklewell Arms

Whilst I truly love all the gigs I host, and am so grateful to all the amazing bands who play for us, the lovely venues, and everyone who makes it out, there are sometimes gigs that do stand out as particularly memorable. This year, one such gig was when Leeds based artist STRAIGHT GIRL came to headline for us in July. With their immense swirling energy and magnetic tongue-in-cheek charisma, they spread all the fizzing queer joy we could ever desire; immersing themselves within the crowd (quite literally at times!), they created a wonderfully unifying exuberant euphoria. And, with support from the fierce raging power of band-on-the-rise, sister duo ALT BLK ERA, and the gritty, immersive allure of The Dead Zoo, it was a night we won’t be forgetting in a hurry. We were also able to raise money for vital charity London Trans Pride.

Thanks again to all the incredible bands who’ve played at our gigs this year, putting on these events is my most favourite thing to do and you always make it so worth it. Thanks too, in particular, to The Shacklewell Arms, where we’ve been lucky enough to host most of the gigs. A really lovely team of chilled out folk (including some of the best sound engineers like the legendary Sofia!) who seem dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive space.
(Mari Lane – GIHE Co-Founder)
(Photo Credit: Cassie Barnard)

GIHE Live with Problems Patterns at Sebright Arms

This year has been a pretty special one for Belfast punks Problem Patterns, with the release of their highly acclaimed album, Blouse Club, via Alcopop! Records (one of our albums of the year!) supporting total legends Le Tigre in Glasgow, and doing live sessions for the likes of Deb Grant and Tom Ravenscroft on BBC 6Music. So it was an extra special honour to have them return to play live for us again, following their headline set at Shacklewell Arms back in 2021. This time, they headed up a line-up of total dreams, with support from Fightmilk and Dogviolet, selling out Sebright Arms. As expected, they completely blew us away with their immense raw power and wonderful unique charisma; it’s always a fantastic experience seeing them live, and it’s particularly lovely to see a band who not only deliver stark political messages, but do so with a vibrant energy, their endearing closeness as friends and sparkling wit shining throughout.

It was also a real treat to have long-time faves Fightmilk deliver the most fun-filled set of sing-along punk-pop anthems new and old, whilst band-on-the-rise Dogviolet exuded a spellbinding majesty opening the night. An evening of all the best vibes, I seemed to switch between grinning from cheek-to-cheek and crying tears of joy throughout, and just feel so grateful to have hosted such a special event. As with all our gigs, we were also collecting donations for charity on the door, and this time managed to raise money for vital organisation Rainbow Migration. (ML)
(Photo Credit: Jojo Brown)

Contributing to Hope Lynes ‘A New Age Of Riot Grrrl’ Audio Doc

We love talking to people about what inspired us to launch Get In Her Ears, so when Kerrang Radio DJ Hope Lynes reached out and asked us to contribute to her Riot Grrrl audio documentary pitch, it was an instant yes from me. We spoke about the evolution of and lasting influence of Riot Grrrl culture, and how it’s been a gateway movement and sound for so many young women and non-binary folk into creating music today. Hope won an award for her hard work, and I’m not surprised. Featuring great contributions from GRRRL Music, Where Are The Girlbands?, Mia Hughes, Rachel Roberts, Venus Grrrls, Katja Macabre, Delilah Bon, Bambie Thug, Television Screams and Skint Knees; it’s well worth a listen. Link here.
(Kate Crudgington – GIHE Co-Founder)

GIHE Great Escape Special show with SPIDER on Soho Radio

We usually cover The Great Escape on GIHE, but this year, we dedicated our entire May Soho Radio show to artists who we were most looking forward to seeing live across multiple venues at the three day festival in Brighton. The playlist included tracks from JFDR, Seraphina Simone, Delilah Holliday, HotWax, Coach Party, Problem Patterns, ARXX, CLT DRP, Whitelands, Human Interest and more.

It was a privilege to have Dublin-born, London-based alt-pop artist SPIDER join us in the studio for a chat about her upcoming performance at the festival. She was such a vibrant and charismatic force and we really enjoyed chatting to her about her EP, HELL OR HIGH WATER, and listening to the challenges she has faced as a young, female artist of colour sharing her music on the internet, and how it’s made her more determined to make her mark in alternative music scenes.

Listen back to the show here. Read our overall review of The Great Escape here. (KC)

Deershed Festival

With Deer Shed festival included in this list after I’d been for the first time last year, I’m afraid I’m a creature of habit and can’t not include it here again after having the opportunity to go this summer. Promoting a real family focus, whilst hosting an incredible range of exciting new artists, it oozes the warmest of vibes and – being smaller in size than most other festivals – creates a space that feels comfortingly intimate; an inclusive safe haven for artists and fans of all genres and ages. This year, I had another dreamy time. Whilst Friday evening was brought to a close by the joyous, empowering energy of Dream Wife (with GIHE fave Straight Girl even making an appearance!), on Saturday highlights included the riotous power and playful allure of Panic Shack, the compelling fierce energy of Sprints and the blissful groove of All Day Breakfast Cafe. And, on Sunday, I fell in love with Pet Snake, immersed myself in the cutting post-punk power of English Teacher and cried my way through the searing twinkling emotion of The Big Moon. Despite the rain, another beautiful weekend at Deer Shed, which I hope to replicate for a third time next year (with CMAT and The Go! Team on the line-up, I’m sure it won’t disappoint!) (ML)

GIHE x Morning Glory Live Takeover on Soho Radio with NYX

It was so much fun covering Soho Radio’s Morning Glory show in September, presenting live from the studio! Tash and I had a blast playing tracks from some of our GIHE “spotlight” artists, and Tash had a chat with Glasgow newcomer Litty, who fronts indie band Brenda. In the second half of the show, we were joined in the studio by Alicia and Philippa from the NYX electronic drone choir. We spoke to them about their collaborative album with Gazelle Twin, Deep England, their contribution to the Diablo IV video game soundtrack, and the instinctive ways in which they use technology to enhance the power of the human voice. We also set some time aside to fangirl over afromerm/CIL too, who has recently joined their ranks. I’ve been following NYX’s work for a long time, so it was a privilege to be able to have them as guests on our show.

Listen back to the show in full here. (KC)

Le Tigre Live at The Troxy

Having been lucky enough to previously catch Bikini Kill and The Julie Ruin live over the last few years, I didn’t think there’d be another opportunity for me to see Kathleen Hanna live, but I’m extremely pleased to have been wrong. The holy trinity of inspirational bands was completed for me when I got to see Le Tigre live in June, along with GIHE pals Tash, Kate and Paul, and it was just as wonderful as expected. Anyone who knows me will know how much Kathleen means to me, and it felt extra special to see Le Tigre; you could say they were my ‘gateway’ into all things riot grrrl. I have so many memories of being a teen, and dancing to ‘Deceptacon’ at the local indie night, which then lead to me discovering Kathleen Hanna’s other work. Since then, their music has continued to soothe and motivate with its cathartic joy, their fizzing politically-charged energy often being a lifeline for me. And yes, many tears were shed seeing ‘Keep On Livin’ live. (ML)

Lingua Ignota Live at Islington Assembly Hall

Witnessing one of Lingua Ignota’s final UK shows under her old moniker was a truly breathtaking experience. I’ve been privileged to see her live in London three times before, but this performance felt like unlike any other. Sat at her piano, clothed in a red mesh dress, she performed songs from her impressive back catalogue, unleashing her immense, dynamic vocals on to a crowd of devoutly silent listeners. Truly one of the most intense shows I have ever attended. Lingua Ignota may be “dead”, but long live Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter, who has risen from the ashes and become an entity all of her own. You can listen to a live recording of Lingua Ignota’s final performance via bandcamp here. You can also listen to Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter’s debut album, SAVED!, here. (KC)

YAKKIE Live at The Victoria, Dalston

It’s hard to pin-point much ‘good’ news to have come from 2023, but one thing that was undeniably great to happen was the formation of brand new super group YAKKIE. Fronted by interminable force of nature Janey, plus phenomenal musicians Robin (Petrol Girls, Personal Best), and Ankles and Jodie (both of Colour Me Wednesday), it’s been amazing to see this absolute epic collective of faves come together in all their punk-rock glory for this special project. It was a real honour to be at The Victoria for their first ever proper gig this autumn; a truly empowering night of rage, joy and unity. And it really was particularly wonderful to see Janey back on stage, in her element; she really does have a sparkling charisma and immense presence that is unlike anyone else I’ve ever seen. So, thank you YAKKIE for coming into existence just when we needed you the most; at the moment, it’s more important than ever to have bands like them, not afraid to speak up for what’s right and use their platform as a real force for change. (ML)

Huge thanks to the bands and artists who have played live for GIHE, been a guest on our Soho Radio shows. Huge love to everyone who has listened in, read our reviews or attended one of our gigs this year. Take care of yourselves and we’ll see you all in 2024. x

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PREMIERE: Problem Patterns – ‘Pity Bra’

GIHE favourites Problem Patterns will be sharing their debut album, Blouse Club, in less than 24 hours! To help celebrate the release, the Belfast-based Riot Grrrls have taken the pragmatic and very punk approach of sharing seven unreleased album tracks, each with individual DIY music videos, in advance of the album’s official release via Alcopop! Records tomorrow.

GIHE are honoured to be exclusively hosting the video for the delightfully named ‘Pity Bra‘, which features on the new record. Not defined by traditional band structures, Problem Patterns routinely switch up instruments and mic duties for their riotous songs, which always makes for a refreshing take on the subject they’re singing about. On ‘Pity Bra’, Alanah Smith takes the lead and tells the story of a very important night back in 2020, that strengthened the friendships and the creative foundations of Problem Patterns.

“This song is a true story and it explains itself,” explains Alanah about the track. “We went to Dublin to play a show for A Litany Of Failures, and the next day we all had a band trip to go see Sleater-Kinney. It was such a wonderful weekend, we ran into so many friends at that show. It was just a few weeks after that when we went into lockdown. That was the last trip we all had outside of Belfast for a really long time.

It is such a joyful memory for all of us. It was just this really lovely time where we went out for dinner with friends, played a show, saw one of our favourite bands – not a care in the world or any idea of what was about to come. I still remember the moment I was standing in that crowd and saw Ciara sneaking by me with the biggest grin on her face. Moments later Corin Tucker was holding our band shirt on stage. We absolutely do not advocate for throwing things at musicians, but in this case it gave us something funny to sing about later.

The song is sort of like an interlude on the album, the end of side A. It’s definitely the most gentle track and it’s very nostalgic for us. I thought the only possible video for it would be a montage of our time together so far. It’s a lot of spliced clips of things from our personal phones, as well as some behind the scenes moments filming live sessions, touring, music videos. There’s a few familiar faces in there. It’s all very sweet and sentimental.”

Fresh from supporting Dream Wife on their Irish tour dates and recently tipped as Ones To Watch by The Guardian, Problem Patterns also performed live on BBC 6Music and supported electro-punk icons Le Tigre on their Manchester and Glasgow tour dates earlier this year, as well as playing a standout set at Brighton’s Great Escape festival in May.

It’s been a joy to witness the Alana, Ciara, Bev and Beth’s hard work pay off over recent years, and we can’t wait to host the band live in London for the second time at their SOLD OUT headline show at the Sebright Arms in Hackney on Friday 17th November, supported by Fightmilk and Dogviolet (join the wait-list on DICE).

We wholeheartedly congratulate Problem Patterns on the release of their knockout debut album. Pre-order your copy of Blouse Club here. The band have shared the remaining 6 videos on other respected music publications, so make sure you keep your eyes peeled for those too!

Watch the DIY video for ‘Pity Bra’ below.

Follow Problem Patterns on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Carrie Davenport

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Problem Patterns – ‘Lesbo 3000’ / ‘Poverty Tourist’

GIHE favourites Problem Patterns have returned with a double dose of delightful, disruptive noise on their AA single release ‘Lesbo 3000’ / ‘Poverty Tourist’. Taken from their upcoming debut album, Blouse Club, which is due on 27th October via Alcopop! Records, the Belfast-based Riot Grrrls tackle homophobia and working class appropriation on their anthemic new tracks. We can’t wait to hear both of them live when the band headline for us at the Sebright Arms in Hackney on 17th November (tickets are cheaper in advance and available from DICE).

Not defined by traditional band structures, Problem Patterns routinely switch up instruments and mic duties for their riotous songs, which always makes for a refreshing take on the subject they’re singing about. Following on from previous single ‘Letter of Resignation’, which saw guitarist Beverley Boal step forward on vocals, on ‘Lesbo 3000’ drummer Bethany Crooks takes the lead as she calls out the prejudices around homophobic language and reclaims it for herself and the LGBTQ+ community.

“‘Lesbo 3000’ was written partly out of frustration and also to reclaim and have ownership over my sexuality,” explains Bethany. “The frustration is that lesbianism is consistently invalidated, we’re told that we just haven’t ‘met the right man’ yet or that some random man in a bar has a magic appendage in his trousers that will completely negate your attraction to women. The reality is that homophobic attacks are becoming more and more consistent with right wing social media emboldening bigots, while ‘lesbian’ remains one of the top search topics on all porn websites. (Mostly) men think that lesbians exist for their sexual gratification, but if they see two women holding hands they go absolutely berserk.”

“I also thought it was important to reclaim the slur ‘dyke’,” she continues. “I’ve been called a dyke multiple times by homophobes who want to hurt me, but if I can reclaim that word it completely takes the power out of it. Yes I am a dyke. And that feels really powerful to say.” With the aid of some truly stunning local drag artists in the accompanying video for ‘Lesbo 3000’, Bethany and the grrrls gleefully dismantle these damaging prejudices and riotously reclaim the language that doesn’t belong on the tongues of ignorant bigots.

“We really wanted it to feel joyful and silly even though the song has quite a serious subject matter,” Bethany comments on the visuals, which were directed by long-time collaborator Brendan Seamus. “We decorated the set like a big gay party! We toyed for months with the idea of paying homage to ‘Addicted To Love’ and ‘Man I Feel Like A Woman’, and thought that involving local drag artists would be a perfect tonic to the constant depressing news cycles surrounding LGBTQ+ attacks and discrimination we see nowadays. Carl Hartt, Hester Ectomy, Xxxpresso Martini and FRUITY were the backing band and they all absolutely killed it. We are so grateful that they even wanted to participate in the video, and they really served 80s hair metal/bimbo/sexy punk realness.”

Problem Patterns are driven by a strong DIY ethos and as a working class band, they feel it’s important to call out the appropriation of this culture in the music industry and further afield. Their second AA-side track ‘Poverty Tourist’ does just that. Fuelled by the riotous dual vocals of Alanah Smith and Ciara King, as well as King’s potent bass line, the track is a Beastie Boys-style blast of pure punk catharsis that came about during the band’s final writing session before they recorded their album.

“We’re a working class band and there are experiences that are very unique to us which we have bonded over,” Alanah explains about the track. “It’s incredibly frustrating to see those struggles co-opted by folks who have never had to worry about money. The kind of people who will dig around charity shops to ‘curate’ bits for their Etsy store where they will sell these items at 10x the price. Charity shops exist to serve the community and there are people that depend on them because there are no other options. It’s the rich kids moving into impoverished areas to make themselves sound more interesting, driving up the rent and gentrifying the area.”

“This sort of romanticisation of the poor is very prevalent in the music scene, especially in bands (and industry types) who align a working class background with being perceived as more authentic. People dress up and change their accent for personal gain only, but as Jarvis Cocker once said, ‘If you called your dad he could stop this all’ – and of course, he also said, ‘Everybody hates a tourist.’ It’s cosplay, it’s gross, and it’s always obvious when someone is doing this.”

Fresh from performing live on BBC 6Music, supporting electro-punk icons Le Tigre on their Manchester and Glasgow tour dates and playing a knockout set at Brighton’s Great Escape festival earlier this year, it’s been a joy to witness Problem Patterns’ hard work pay off. Listen to ‘Poverty Tourist’ below and pre-order your copy of their debut album, Blouse Club, here.

Follow Problem Patterns on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Carrie Davenport

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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NEW TRACK: Problem Patterns – ‘Letter of Resignation’

Fresh from supporting electro-punk icons Le Tigre on their Manchester and Glasgow UK tour dates, GIHE favourites Problem Patterns have shared their tenacious new single ‘Letter of Resignation’. The Belfast-based Riot Grrrls have also announced the title of their upcoming debut album, Blouse Club, which will be released later this year via Alcopop! Records.

A live highlight when they played it during their set at Brighton’s Great Escape festival earlier this year, ‘Letter of Resignation’ sees guitarist Beverley Boal step forward on vocals – and what a force she is. Not defined by traditional band structures, Problem Patterns routinely switch up instruments and mic duties for their songs and it always makes for a refreshing take on the subject they’re singing about.

This time, the band are celebrating queer joy and ally-ship as they tear down those who discriminate against the LGBTQ+ community, specifically in places of employment. “I’m standing up for who I believe in / you can’t fire me, I’m leaving!” chants Bev in gleeful defiance, as her band mates create a joyful cacophony of punk noise around her.

Bev explains the context of the new track eloquently: “‘Letter of Resignation’ is for anyone who has left a job, space or situation because people there were judgmental of, or discriminated against them or others for being different, and they stood up for who they believe in. For me, I grew up hearing the phrase ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ in churches (always in the same context, as if being gay was the ultimate sin) and it still feels like an attack when I hear the preachers in the street.

Genuine love does not force us to become what we are not. Genuine love extends beyond those who look, act and think like yourself. Genuine love doesn’t inspire violence. Two thirds of queer people have experienced violence or abuse due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. More than half of Northern Irish queer youth say they are not fully accepted by their family. Mental health struggles including self-harm are far more prevalent in the LGBTQ+ community. Those perpetuating ‘traditional’ views have a lot to answer for. And, after so many sexual abuse scandals in the church, it seems like they would be better off trying to keep themselves right.”

‘Letter of Resignation’ is accompanied by a super fun, Pride inspired video, which the band shot in Holywood just outside of Belfast. Directed and edited by Brendan Seamus with input from Bev, the visuals show Problem Patterns unapologetically marching and dancing around the Northern Irish town, featuring vocalist & guitarist Alanah playing a briefcase like it’s a guitar, bassist Ciara throwing some serious shapes by the seaside and drummer Beth acting as a cranky old man.

“Brendy also did our ‘Day & Age’ and ‘Y.A.W’ music videos,” Bev explains. “He always does an amazing job of capturing our fun chaotic energy. Fuelled by Nutmeg’s vegan café and baffled by the amount of churches on the main street, we got ice cream at the beach even though it was a bitter cold Sunday. In the face of hatred, we stand for queer joy. I think that’s the duality of our band and this music video. On one hand, we’re protesting the powers that want to tear us down, but on the other hand, we’re celebrating and proud of who we are and what we believe in. And you can tell we mean business when we’re in our suits, even if we’re having a dance at the seaside.”

Kathleen Hanna (Le Tigre/Bikini Kill) described Problem Patterns as her “new favourite band” and after watching the visuals for their new single, we can totally see why. They’re fun, furious and full of energy, and we can’t wait to have them headline for GIHE again at the Sebright Arms in Hackney later this year on 17th November. Support comes from indie-pop band Fightmilk and the shoegazey sounds of Dogviolet. Tickets are cheaper in advance, so make sure you grab one from DICE.

Watch the video for ‘Letter of Resignation’ below.

Follow Problem Patterns on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Problem Patterns UK Live Dates 2023
15.07.23 – Berlin, My People Fest (w/ FAIM, Dying For It)
22.07.23 – Liverpool, Crapfest (w/ Crapsons, Piss Kitti)
19.08.23 – Glasgow, Core Festival
26.08.23 – Kettering, Greenbelt Festival
17.11.23 – London, Sebright Arms (headlining for Get In Her Ears)

Photo Credit: Carrie Davenport

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

Kate CrudgingtonLeave a comment