As the air grew colder and the anticipation of a sombre week ahead approached, Lauran Hibberd’s contrasting, energetic performance was much welcome and well-suited to the Brudenell Social Club on the opening night of her tour in support of her debut record ‘Garageband Superstar’. Beginning with songs from her back catalogue, Hibberd’s performance of ‘Average Joe’ immediately whipped the crowd into an excited frenzy , with people singing along straight off the bat.
As her set progressed, Hibberd gradually transitioned into her new releases, seeming surprised that many of the audience knew the lyrics, often smiling proudly as they did so.
Hibberd made sure to constantly keep the audience engaged. During the song ‘Bleh’, she climbed into the audience to sing alongside them – before getting everybody to crouch down and jump up in time with the beat.
What stood most however, was her constant use of communication with the audience. This added an incredibly personal and familiar feel to her performance that you might not often see with other artists.
This was especially evident when she paused the gig to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to a few fans which, in her words, felt “just like a performance at Butlins” – something hard to disagree with, in the best way of course.
Even prior to Hibberd’s performance, as soon as you walked into the room you were greeted by a pink glittery wall and a ceiling full of fairy lights. It immediately felt welcoming to both the new and returning fans. Brudenell Social Club is a venue that always manages to nail this pre-gig excitement.
Supporting acts Viji and Daisy Brain ensured that everybody was exhilarated right from the start. Their two opposing music styles fit extremely well in preparation for the performance ahead, with Viji even getting on stage with Hibberd during her performance to perform the song ‘Hot Boys’.
Despite the fact that the audience remained small in numbers, the animated energy resembled that of a much bigger event. The crowd consisted of people who were a variety of different ages, but not a single person was left unimpressed by the time her set ended.
Hibberd’s performance resembled that of such bands like Pale Waves, Girl in Red, and Sports Team, with its own refreshing twist.
The contrast between energetic and sombre songs certainly made it a night to remember, and this night will be one that I can expect fans will not forget for a long time to come.
Remaining Lauran Hibberd tour dates:
21-Sep-22 Birmingham Mama Roux's
22-Sep-22 Cardiff Clwb Ifor Bach
23-Sep-22 London The Garage
24-Sep-22 Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms
30-Sep-22 Newport, Isle of Wight Strings Bar & Venue