The Regrettes are a rock band from Los Angeles, California. They released their second album, How Do You Love? in August this year. Both a US and UK tour were followed after the album release.
I was lucky enough to see the band live in both Bristol and Glasgow, although this review is in relation to the Bristol concert. Lauran Hibberd supported, who is a small artist based in the Isle of Wight.
The Regrettes consist of drummer, Drew Thomsen, guitarist, Genessa Gariano, bassist Brooke Dickson and lead vocals, Lydia Night. With Night being only 19 years old, she is very appealing and inspirational to young girls, who predominantly attended the concerts.
The band opened with the fun single ‘California Friends’. This immediately got the crowd excited and dancing to their set. The atmosphere was safe and happy quickly.
The next song was ‘Dress Up’. This has a more pop like genre in contrast to their other songs. The band danced along and the happiness to be playing was evident from the smiles they often flashed fans in the crowd.
During their next song, ‘Go Love You’, Lydia interacted with the crowd.
She sung the catchy song standing on the barrier and pointing her microphone in the direction of others. This amplified the excitement of the crowd and immediately showed me that she had an amazing stage presence.
The Regrettes also performed songs from the debut album: ‘Feel Your Feelings Fool’. Like ‘Lacy Loo’, ‘Picture Perfect’ and ‘Come Through’. These songs are lot more ‘rocky’ and gave the crowd an opportunity to mosh and dance with those around them. The response from the crowd indicated these were again, fan favourites, by the loud singing to every single word.
The set then goes on to a slower approach.
They play ‘Pumpkin’, which Lydia wrote about her partner, Dylan Minnette. He is also a musician in the band Wallows. This is indicated by the references ‘blueberry eyes’ and ‘pull the leaves off trees’. Dylan has distinctive blue eyes and a song named ‘Pulling Leaves Off Trees’.
A few tears were shed during this song, specifically after seeing the passion and love Lydia has for the song and her significant other. That was definitely not hard to miss.
Towards the end of the show, the band introduce their more empowering songs to the crowd. Before ‘Seashore’ Lydia instructs the crowd to place their middle fingers in the air at the chorus: ‘Direct this to someone, just not us.’ She jokes before strumming the chords to the song.
After a few more new songs they then encore the song ‘Poor Boy’.
Before performing this, Lydia hits the crowd with a feminist speech.
She asks all the girls and non-binary fans to step forward and all those that identify as men to take a step back. Before comforting us with the fact we are all valid, and to never let anyone tell us we can’t achieve anything.
A ‘girl only’ mosh pit is encouraged before the empowering song starts. The couple hundred girls all dance in the safe environment, shouting the words: ‘poor boy, whatcha gonna do?’ Over the band. This leaves the concert on a high and all fans sweaty and in love with The Regrettes.
It’s important for female fronted bands to be popularised and shared, especially in relation to the casual sexism girls can face everyday, let alone in big careers like that. To see a band using their platform in a positive way was so inspiring and I definitely left the concert feeling like an important woman.
If you fancy it, The Regrettes are touring the UK in March, you can grab tickets here.