By Vicky Greer.
The warm, welcoming glow that greets you when you walk into The Joiners seems to burn even brighter tonight (22/09/2024) in anticipation of Lauran Hibberd’s return to the stage. It’s like the building has absorbed the comforting vibe of Lauran’s always-relatable lyricism and energetic pop-rock sound. Hailing from a stone’s throw away on the Isle of Wight, the queen slacker pop is a firm favourite of the Southampton live circuit, and tonight she’s sold out the legendary venue.
Before we get to the headline set, we hear from Ugly Ozo, who is pulling a double shift tonight as both the opening act and Lauran’s guitarist. Beneath the moniker is Jess Baker, who plays indie-infused shoegaze with her younger sister. The pair perform with a reserved charm, coming onstage with ribbons tied to their guitars which reflect the whimsical nature of their enchanting sound.
Next up is Housewife, the project of Toronto’s Brighid Fry and her touring band. Housewife is certainly a name to watch, bewitching the Joiners tonight with dreamy, shoegazey alt-rock. Fry’s vocals are simply stunning, her songwriting sharp and relatable. Highlights of their half-hour set are the fun, bouncing ‘Fuck Around Phase’ and incisive anti-chauvinist anthem ‘Patrick Bateman’.
As we wait for Lauran Hibberd to arrive, the stage begins to transform. Mic stands are wrapped with rose garlands and pots of flowers are dotted around the stage, joining the fake grass which had been laid out and the floral garden backdrop. It’s more high-concept than I’ve seen before at the typically casual Joiners, and only adds to the comforting glow of the evening.
And then she appears, a burst of energy and movement on the stage as we begin the night with the upbeat ‘girlfriend Material’ and her 2021 single ‘How Am I Still Alive?’ The audience is full of long-time fans with whom Hibberd has built a close relationship over the years. One group in the middle of the crowd all don matching t-shirts printed with a photo of themselves with Hibberd on the back. They throw another shirt onto the stage for Hibberd herself, who dons it for a few songs before the heat of the room gets the better of her.
Her music works exceptionally well in a venue like The Joiners where you can get right up close to the stage. The audience is as much a part of the show as Hibberd – booing whenever she mentions her ex-boyfriend, reminding her of songs she promised to play and keeping her abreast of what she calls ‘Sweat Check.’ She’s proven herself a star when commanding bigger stages, but you can’t help but feel like she particularly shines in a more intimate venue like this.
She balances the emotions of the night expertly. ‘I’m Insecure,’ despite the self-doubt it expresses, is irresistibly danceable, and ‘Mary’ sees her connect further with the crowd as she dedicates the track to an audience member of the same name. And while her silly, high-energy moments are what she’s best known for, she thrives equally in what she has dubbed the ‘sad section’ of the set – ‘Anti Fragile,’ ‘Shark Week’ and later ‘I Suck at Grieving,’ a song dedicated to her late father. In these moments, she is mesmerising, and the crowd is spellbound.
Towards the end of the set, she brings the energy back up to thrilling heights with a cover of Chappell Roan’s viral hit ‘HOT TO GO,’ something which quite frankly, every artist should introduce in their set. Finally, she closes her triumphant return to Southampton with ‘2nd Prettiest Girl (in the World)’, a self-deprecating banger which ends the night on a high. She’s not done, though. Moments after her set finishes, she’s out at the bar, ready for a chat with her adoring fans. In short, it was a glorious, celebratory night – everything that live music should be.
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