14 October 2023

Last year, British spry black feminist punk-pop act BIG JOANIE followed their
first-rate debut LP SISTAHS with the widely applauded second one BACK HOME.

Last Thursday they landed in Brussels to entertain us. Next to the fact that it was a swirling gig, I immediately want to say that there was so much love in the air. The band interacted between every song with the audience and vice versa. It felt so good. I only saw happy faces in the cozy, historic basement club of Botanique in Brussels.

Stephanie Phillips

And now more info about the show. Assisted by a drummer and a second guitarist,
lead-singer/guitarist Stephanie Phillips and bassist Estella Adeyeri took us on a fuzzing and buzzing ride from the get-go with Cactus Tree (my absolute BJ favorite), Happier Still and Used To Be Friends, all sounding rougher and punkier than on record. This trio of riveting crackers set the tone for the whole concert, which had more of a party feel.

Stephanie Phillips‘ energizing soul voice was magnetizing, and bassist Estella Adeyeri played her 4-string as if she wanted to crush demons with. Her eyes rolled up and down, left and right and her smile was just contagious. She had a short Jimi Hendrix moment (I confess, Estella, I was the one who screamed Jimi Hendrix) and just like Phillips she truly had fun, so did we.

Estella Adeyeri

Along with the opening trio, other absolute highlights were electrical groover Today (with former Pixie and Breeder star Kim Deal signing on it on the LP), the sickly sticky gem Taut, jangly rocker Your Words, their cover of Solange‘s mega-hit Cranes In The Sky, catching closer In My Arms with sparkling guitar play and last but not least their humanist views
on society, their support for LGBT, and their celebration of life.

Great band, great personalities, great night out.

BACK HOME

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BIG JOANIE: Instagram – Linktree