Scouting for Girls at the London Palladium

Saturday evening at central London’s extravagant Palladium is abuzz with fans queuing to see British indie pop rockers Scouting for Girls on their Ten Year Anniversary tour.

Singer-songwriter Roy Stride arrives on stage with his band to rapturous applause, whilst telling everyone “that this is not a sit down show, we want to see you dancing, we want to see you moving, we want to see you jumping”, and beginning the set with 2007’s I Need a Holiday. A good choice of song, with honest lyrics, it takes the mind off the cold weather, with its jaunty sunny melodies. They follow this up with the ever-popular hit single Heartbeat, defined by its striking piano keys. The group are in high spirits, bassist Greg Churchouse jumping on the speakers, hyping up the already ecstatic audience, whilst Stride takes his selfie stick and soars above the stage, trying to capture as many fans as possible, as he sings, “Everybody wants to be famous”.

Playing one of their most popular tracks to date, She’s So Lovely, excites the crowd, though if close attention is paid to the lyrics, you’ll find the objectification of women is extensive, in lyrics like, “She’s pretty, a fitty” and “Ain’t that the age a girl gets really dirty”. I Want to Be James Bond has a fitting intro with the franchise theme. Though still focused on girls, it is less so, and a change for the better. Playing all the hits, including Elvis Ain’t Dead, and 1+1, plus the festive Christmas in the Air (Tonight) for the encore, the trio give the loyal fans what they want. However, Stride’s vocals don’t seem particularly sharp tonight, going out of tune at points. A surprising rendition of Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer is received well, as the singer goes up to the balcony and mingles with the audience, but the rest of the track listing feels unspectacular, for those who are not dedicated fans.

Credit goes to the band for energetic effort, but the songs themselves feel insipid, each washing into the other, the running theme of girls and lost loves quickly becoming tiresome, tunes full of cheesy banter for the lads. Perhaps working on the evolution of their lyrics would garner them new fans, which would make for a more wholesomely entertaining performance.

Selina Begum
Photos: Matthew Pull

For further information and future events visit the Scouting for Girls website here.

Watch the video for Dancing in the Daylight here: