GIG REVIEW – Flos Collective
27 December 2023
Among the Sound of 2024 long list, there are some incredible acts. CMAT, Olivia Dean, Caity Baser, and The Last Dinner Party made up the British and Irish female and non-binary acts that made the list. The rest of the list continued to be female-dominated, with international artists Peggy Gou, Ayra Starr, Kenya Grace, and Tyla also nominated.
Apart from Olivia Dean, all of the UK and Ireland based nominated artists were performing at this event. This also included Sekou and Elmiene, who both delivered fantastic performances to a hushed and captivated crowd. And, particularly excitingly, the winners The Last Dinner Party were also set to perform. I saw five acts in total in the intimate setting of Maida Vale’s Studio 3, which had set up a miniature set for each of the artists attending. Of those five acts, three of them were female-led.
Caity Baser
Delivering a fiery four-song set that was described as “bubblegum pop perfection”, Caity Baser brought a burst of energy to a crowd that had done its fair share of milling around. Opening the show is always intimidating, but Baser pulled it off with the confidence of someone who’s been doing this for decades. The reality is she started posting to TikTok in 2020, deciding she no longer cared what people thought of her music. Her witty lyrics, tongue-in-cheek musical style and on-stage attitude really do show that she does not care, and she’s having fun with it. If you get a chance to catch Baser live at some point, I’d recommend making time for her and her really entertaining stage presence. Her energetic performance alone made it clear to me why she made it to this long list.
CMAT
CMAT (Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) and her band showed up in style, head to toe in tartan. They already stood out, but CMAT’s performance put her in a league of her own. In just three songs, she showcased the full extent of both her vocal and musical range. She belted her way through ‘Stay For Something’ – a huge song from her 2023 album Crazymad, For Me. She slowed it down, bringing out an acoustic guitar for ‘Rent’, before finishing with the album’s rousing opener, ‘California’. Her short stint felt like I’d seen a whole show in itself, but I was still left wanting more. I was really taken aback by CMAT’s live vocals, which felt like they echoed around the room and pulled everyone watching in closer. CMAT’s unique sound and passionate performance style sets her apart from her fellow performers, and seeing her perform made it clear how worthy she is of this nomination.
The Last Dinner Party
Before The Last Dinner Party took to the stage, there was a clear buzz in the room. They have made themselves the hottest ticket in town, selling out London’s Roundhouse with only five songs released on streaming services. And now they’ve won BBC Radio 1’s Sound of 2024. Before they graced the stage, they were introduced by Radio 1 DJ Jack Saunders as the band that is redefining the indie revival, which are big shoes to fill for such a new band. It could be easy to dismiss the hype, but you would be sorely mistaken. From the second they began their five-song set (I wish it could’ve been longer), The Last Dinner Party performed with a captivating theatrical finesse you stumble across once in a generation. Lead singer Abigail Morris delivered an incredible vocal performance, even belting out Florence Welch’s ‘Dog Days Are Over’, all with a chest infection! My favourite moment though was when they forgot to keep it clean for the BBC, with Morris belting out “FUCK”, before collapsing into giggles with her bandmates. Who doesn’t love it when someone swears on the BBC? All in all, I was absolutely bowled over by this band, their power, and their incredible craftsmanship. As the set came to a close with their breakout hit ‘Nothing Matters’, I found myself feeling that I’d just seen something I will think about for a long, long time. Something incredibly special.
On the whole, this evening was incredible. Opportunities like this to see so many incredible new musicians in one room are rare and to be treasured. It made me reflect on how, despite the often distrust and disenfranchisement we feel towards institutions like the BBC, there are times when these institutions come up good and incredible artists can be properly spotlighted and celebrated. Tonight was one of those nights, and 2024 looks like it’s going to be an incredible year for music.