One of the most wild, unpredictable and exciting bands to step out of Birmingham, punk three-piece, Bad Girlfriend, completely immersed themselves into The Sunflower Lounge last week, completely captivating everyone in attendance and making sure to cause a raucous for part one of their four-part launch in promotion of their upcoming third EP.
Refusing several requests from the audience to ‘take his top off’, Conor and the rest of the band have made quite a name for themselves as noisy, wild and confrontational, and yet completely lovable, so it’s no wonder they are making waves in Birmingham’s music scene. Following on from support from such talents as P.E.T, Drool and Rascalaton, Bad Girlfriend entered the stage, frontman Conor clad in a DIY ‘Dune Rats’ T-shirt in true punk fashion. They kicked off their set with pounding drums, thick bass riffs and emphatic guitars with ‘Disposable Person’, setting the tone for their set with a bucket load of energy.
Anything but demure, Bad Girlfriend play loud, messy, unpredictable and untamed punk and have the stage presence to match. Taken from their first EP, ‘Where the birds fly’ was a clear favourite amongst fans, with enthused crowd members clambering on stage to steal the mic and passionately yell along the lyrics. Meanwhile, the band tore the roof down with their brand of chaotic punk music, making as much noise as possible as quickly as possible.
Perhaps Bad Girlfriend underestimated their popularity, for they were completely unprepared for an encore. Not that this really mattered. ‘What are we doing?’ Conor yelled to the audience. ‘What do you want us to play?’ After numerous requests from the crowd the band finished on ‘Land down under’ and by this point the distinction between band and audience was completely lost. Fans jumped on stage, frontman Conor jumped off the stage, whilst still miraculously maintaining his rapid guitar playing as the whirlwind of crazed erratic punk drew to a loud close.
It’s clear that Bad Girlfriend don’t take anything too seriously, and that’s exactly what makes their angsty, distorted sound so distinctive and intriguing. Somehow, Bad Girlfriend manage to combine psychedelia, heavy guitars and loud, relentless vocals and even some bluesy elements and make it work. Their upcoming third EP is definitely one to watch.
Cover Photo c/o Thomas Wagstaff
Live Photos c/o Harry Mills
