The January blues are well and truly over. One of the first major live series of the year — where huge artists return to intimate venues — is back, and XS Noize once again found itself in the middle of the sweat and celebration.
The Garage was sold out, buzzing, alive. The love, positivity and anticipation were immediate. But the placards at the bar and posters reading “Right now, 1 in 5 children are living through conflict” grounded the night in reality. These annual shows aren’t just legendary — they raise vital funds for War Child, the only specialist charity supporting children affected by conflict.
Before Lambrini Girls hit the stage, support came from Bimini. The former RuPaul’s Drag Race UK contestant delivered a high-energy house DJ set, sampling Fatboy Slim and N.E.R.D., alongside their own unreleased material including “Tank Top Bum Boy” — a sharp, tongue-in-cheek protest against a pre-politics comment made by a former British Prime Minister. Bimini signed off with a knowing “See you next Tuesday,” a nod to Lambrini Girls’ “Cuntology 101,” and the crowd got the message.
From the moment Lambrini Girls stormed onstage, it was clear this would be uncompromising. Frontwoman Phoebe Lunny wasted no time, demanding “no more baby shit — I want to see a straight line down the middle.” As “Bad Apple” kicked in, a tidal-wave mosh pit erupted. The Garage was officially ignited.
Things escalated when Lunny asked the crowd if they were “angry” and “pissed off with the world” before launching into “Company Culture.” Her rapturous vocal growl, cutting through an Idles-esque hardcore assault, drove the pit wider and wilder.
Open about their sexuality and fiercely protective of their audience, the band created more than just a gig — it felt like a safe, defiant space. Political barbs aimed at elitism and inequality introduced “God’s Country,” and there was little love lost for Reform’s surge in the polls, with the crowd gleefully shouting “Reform!” in response to Lunny’s repeated four-letter rallying cry.
The pit intensified but never turned sour. When a shoe was lost, everything stopped until it was safely returned. The band repeatedly reinforced crowd safety — a powerful contrast to the themes of sexual abuse and accountability tackled in “Boys in the Band.” A slightly lighter moment came with “Craig David” before Bimini returned to the stage for a riotous “Cuntology 101.”
For the encore, the Thomas the Tank Engine theme blared on repeat — absurd, chaotic, perfect. Lambrini Girls then closed with “Big Dick Energy,” and the room erupted one final time.
From start to finish, this was a night fuelled by confrontation, humour and solidarity. Lambrini Girls gave voice to those often sidelined, balancing micro-level personal politics with broader cultural frustration. And as War Child’s Head of Live Music, Clare Sanders-Wright, reminded the crowd, the charity operates in 14 countries — including places “you don’t hear about in the news.” A riotous, sweaty, vital night — for a cause that couldn’t be more serious.
Please consider donating to War Child here.
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