Petrol Girls - Live Review

PETROL GIRLS / NOTTINGHAM BODEGA / 4.10.22

It’s no secret that we at HUSH are massive fans of Petrol Girls, since smashing onto our radar with debut album ‘Talk of Violence’ back in 2016 we have made it a habit to try and catch them whenever they are in our local area. Thus we were delighted to be able to head to The Bodega in Nottingham, to catch them touring their new album ‘Baby’ which was released earlier this year. A Petrol Girls show is 50% protest and 50% love-in, with  the band making the show feel like a safe space for all, but also making sure that if you don’t agree with the message that they carry then you aren’t welcome. 

As always the show starts with Petrol Girls main goal of bringing women and non binary members of the audience to the front, making sure that they can fully enjoy the show. This show of unity seems to empower that proportion of the crowd, with the front two rows of the crowd bouncing and screaming along for the majority of the show. At times it seems that singer Ren Aldridge is somewhat overwhelmed by the response, as she had lyrics screamed back at her. This section of the audience have a clear anger, that is being channelled though the lyrics of songs such as Fight for our Lives and Preachers. 

Another thing you become accustomed to at a Petrol Girls show is time being taken to address some of the issues and causes that the band stand against and stand in solidarity with, again this show being no exception. Prior to Baby I Had An Abortion, Aldridge delivers one such monologue which without provocation has sections of the crowd chanting “my body my choice, my body my choice” was truly moving moment. 

Petrol Girls are a powerhouse, without the strong and empowering message, Petrol Girls are a rock solid punk band, but with the added ethical stance, they are a band that are scratching and clawing to make a difference and make sure the people hear what they have got to say. It would be amazing to see the Petrol Girls given a bigger platform to spread their message, but at the same time we love being able to share them with two hundred other people in a sweaty box of a room in Nottingham.