It was only their second-ever UK show, but The Julie Ruin had a ready-made fanbase thanks to frontwoman Kathleen Hanna’s exploits with Riot Grrrl heroines Bikini Kill and Le Tigre.
Hanna has suffered from a career-threatening illness, and was happy to be back on stage, greeting the crowd with a cheery wave, and gratefully accepting a bouquet of flowers from a fan.
The Julie Ruin’s music mixes the punk-rock guitars of Bikini Kill with the electronica of Le Tigre – and retains the progressive lyrical thread of those bands: songs addressed euthanasia, fatalism and the efficacy (or not) of a positive attitude during cancer treatment.
It sounds heavy, but Hanna’s joyous, shouty delivery meant it was a night for partying, not introspection. Her compelling stage presence was central to the short, bouncy songs, which were frequently given added magic by keyboard player Kenny Mellman’s wonky honky-tonk.
A version of Le Tigre’s Friendship Station won huge cheers, but this was matched by the reaction to the band’s own single, Oh Come On – proving Hanna and The Julie Ruin are anything but a nostalgia act.
Special mention must also go to local support act Slum of Legs, who got the night going with an entertainingly demented, full-throttle set.
Four stars
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