Girl in Red: A Live Music Review

I’m listening to some of my favourite songs. I scroll down my playlist and see the list of recommended songs on Spotify. The name girl in red catches my eye. I click to listen to this song titled ‘girls’ and instantly love it. Suddenly, my entire summer playlist has become a collection of girl in red songs. Whether I was listening to ‘dead girl in the pool.’ walking down to the pool or dancing along to ‘i need to be alone.’ in my bedroom, every song captivated me in some way as I listened to them on repeat.

When I saw that girl in red was touring and playing in London, I really wanted to attend and luckily managed to arrange to go with a few people. It was my first ever gig and I am still buzzing with memories of it two weeks later. girl in red, who was born Marie Ringheim, played at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London. The whole night was wild, had strong chaotic energy and was completely unforgettable.

Marie is a twenty-year-old musician from Norway. She writes, records and produces all her music in her bedroom—thus her music is extremely authentic and personal. Her debut single ‘i wanna be your girlfriend’ was released on Soundcloud in 2016 and soon became released on Apple Music with her increasing popularity. Since her debut, girl in red has released two EPs titled Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. She has been the supporting act for artists including Clario and Conan Gray.

The whole atmosphere of the gig was unmatched. Before Marie came out on stage, the crowd was screaming so unanimously that it morphed into one sound, representing how passion and love for music can even bring strangers together. The lights went on and the crowd went wild for her opener, ‘bad idea!’, which was incredible and an upbeat way to begin the show. What I felt was really exceptional was having a room full of people all singing along and knowing that in some way, you all related to what Marie was singing, and thus, related to each other. As someone who had never been to a gig, especially of that size, it felt surreal. Having always listened to her music alone or with a small group of people, I was transformed by the energy of the crowd.

Aside from the fact that it’s really great music, the thing that really drew me to Marie was that her bedroom is her recording studio. As someone who loves her bedroom, it’s inspiring to see what can be done in the comfort of it! While many artists have immense production teams and equipment, girl in red remains extremely relatable and seemingly within reach. I think it’s incredibly empowering to see what’s she done and how she’s gone after what she wanted to do, while still remaining true to her identity.

Even on stage, girl in red was very genuine. Electric Ballroom was a big venue, yet still girl in red made our experience very personal. She was chatting with audience members from the stage, talking about how much she missed her mum (who was there and received a very big cheer from all the crowd) and talked candidly about love, her past relationships and mental health.

I love to look at the photos that I took on my disposable camera as it reminds me of what a great night it was. I don’t think I’ll ever forget this gig, my very first gig, because of the way Marie was able to perform her music in a way I wouldn’t have gotten through a digital speaker. I will never forget the stories and people that I met at the gig, bonding over our shared love for the artist.

I’m looking forward to seeing what Marie does next and hope that I’ll be able to see her live again. But, for now, I am dancing in my bedroom to her music and reminiscing on what a truly great night it was.