Strapped with pride flags and pure excitement, young fans lined up around the block in hopes of getting a front-row spot at the sold-out Club Soda venue to see girl in red after a long 2 years since she last played Le Ministère in 2019.
Her TikTok virality may have rocket-launched her career – gaining a loyal following who were drawn to her openness about sexuality and mental health – however, the energy and charisma brought to her live shows is unmatched. The community that girl in red (the moniker of 23-year old musician, Marie Ulven) has created is so sweet to witness. The phrase “Do you listen to girl in red?” has become an online code that has helped queer TikTokers find identity and togetherness.
The crowd buzzed in anticipation as 22-year old British singer-songwriter, Holly Humberstone, politely walked on stage waving to everyone cheering her on, tucking her hair behind her ears, and picking up an electric guitar. Backed by zero vocal support or band, Holly moved effortlessly across the front of her stage in between keyboards and loop pads.
After three songs, including “Please Don’t Leave Just Yet,” co-written and produced by The 1975’s Matty Healy, she introduced herself to the crowd, “I’ve never been to Montreal before. I had some poutine today. It was divine.” The audience warmed up throughout her set, cheering when she hit high notes and screaming when bumpy choruses kicked in.
“You guys are the coolest. This is so fun,” she kept saying. Holly got everyone riled up with her well-received indie bops and British accent that charmed the Gen Z punters.
While the floor compared tattoos and freshly bought items from the merch table in between sets, the lights dimmed and girl in red immediately brought the energy with “You Stupid Bitch,” jumping and kicking around the stage as her five band members rocked out.
She set the tone for what’s to come and what to expect, “It’s gonna get warm. It’s going to get sweaty,” as security threw water bottles into the packed crowd. She talked candidly about love, depression, and life, on top of popping pimples backstage five minutes before running on stage.
girl in red has recently moved away from her lo-fi internet ballads and into this riot punk styling that works so well for her personality and spirit after the release of her angsty, yet tender debut album if i could make it go quiet in April 2021. From “Body & Mind,” to “girls,” she sighed, “Holy shit this was a really good opening. You guys are so energetic I love it!”
The in-between banter is what makes GIR so relatable and lovable. She genuinely took the time to speak to individuals who wanted to tell her how her music saved their life, or ask about how her Bernese Mountain Dog is doing at home – which she then spontaneously started writing a song about her dog on stage with an acoustic guitar.
She never stopped moving and flipping her hair around, sliding into “hornylovesickmess,” followed by perhaps one of her biggest songs to date, “Serotonin.” The crowd surfing did not go as planned – underestimating the gap between the barrier, but she still made sure everyone was okay even if she was not. Nothing could bring her adrenaline down, bouncing off the walls and eventually climbing up to the balcony toward the end.
“Montreal, you’re fucking insane.” Catching her breath, she admitted that this was the #1 crowd of her North American tour. Ending with bangers like, “Did You Come?” and “i wanna be your girlfriend,” every single person knew every single lyric and voices were definitely lost by the end of the night.
“This is the last one so we have to lose our shit.” She made her way upstairs, through the crowd and created an amicable mosh pit to close out the show. girl in red sprayed the rest of her water bottles over the shoulder-to-shoulder audience and laughed as she ran off into the encore-less night. She takes her craft seriously, but not herself.
Review – Ryley Remedios
Photos – Steve Gerrard
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