On June tenth, Boa headlined at Manchester’s New Century Hall alongside support from Luxembourg-based artist Francis of Delirium, and they made for a huge night of live music.
Pre show, our TEMPO journalists had the pleasure to personally interview Boa. The rock band, consisting of vocalist Jasmine Rodgers, bassist Alex Caird and drummer Lee Sullivan, have seen great success with their sound, being featured on the opening credits of the anime ‘Serial Experiments Lain’ and saw their singles ‘Duvet’ and ‘Twilight’ claim copious streams from Tiktok, establishing them as staples in the alternative rock genre. With their new album ‘Whiplash’ being their first release in almost twenty years, the subsequent tour was met with great enthusiasm and multiple sold-out shows.
Kicking off the night at the Manchester venue, Jana Bahrich, known by the artist name of Francis of Delirium, brought an incredible energy. With excellent stage presence, crowd connection, a mature and distinctive style and, most importantly, an incredible sound, she had the crowd looking up her music both during and after the set.
It was evident by her confidence and performance she had performed a headline tour only last year, and whilst her lyrics follow a ‘stream of consciousness’ and raw emotion not dissimilar to Sufjan Stevens, heard best through the single ‘Real Love’, her actual sound and style offer up similarities to Pearl Jam and Blondshell, whilst sometimes seeping into the riot grrrl genre, specifically in ‘Quit Fucking Around’.
She has an impressive supporting tour history, including performing with Horsegirl, Kings of Leon, Soccermommy and The 1975. It was a true delight for her to reach me and new listeners by performing for Boa, and exposing people to one, if not the greatest joys, of the world – great music.
After a brief intermission post Bahrich’s set, we were rewarded with Boa live on stage, and the band had not lost their creative touch. With many fans attending due to the album ‘Twilight’ and its success, there were just as many voices heard singing tracks from the 2024 album ‘Whiplash’, which offers up greatness through particular songs such as ‘Frozen’, ‘Strange Few’, and ‘Seafearer’. Boa provided an overwhelmingly exciting yet also simply warm atmosphere – it was a lovely environment dedicated to listening to extensive music spanning over 26 years. Pure passion that had fuelled the band’s career was audible in every note played and syllable sung.
Attracting a large and captivated crowd, consisting of so many different people, seeing Boa live is an experience I truly recommend to anyone who enjoys genres such as alternative/indie rock, or simply relishes in live music – Boa aren’t a band to miss.
FOLLOW BÔA ON INSTAGRAM / TIKTOK
FOLLOW FRANCIS OF DELIRIUM ON INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY
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