Gig review: boygenius at The Piece Hall, Halifax

The moment is like eavesdropping on a private conversation between good friends; a closed invitation for the audience to be part of their lyrical story.

This introspection is what unites the band members, who each have their own distinct sound and established solo careers: Julien Baker with melodic 90s grunge-pop; Phoebe Bridgers with alt-country; and Lucy Dacus with more traditional singer-songwriter.

A questioning of their place in the world intimately connects them with their primarily female and LGBT+ audience. Meme-worthy lyrics are enthusiastically shouted back, with particular fervour being saved for, “Always an angel / never a god” (‘Not Strong Enough’). This participation means that, despite their wordiness and predominance of mid-tempo tracks, the band work surprisingly well in an outdoor space.

The first of two nights in Halifax – promoted as “the lesbian capital of the UK” – each member gets to showcase solo material. This is a set filling necessity, given the band has only released this year’s The Record and 2018’s self-titled EP. Yet together they balance out their best traits, with the gorgeous Simon & Garfunkel melodies on ‘Cool About It’ being contrasted with the crunching guitars and rip-roar vocals on ‘$20’, and the folk-rock violin on ‘Me & My Dog’.

If their co-writing relies on mutual trust and respect, then it extends to their relationship with their audience. Stopping their set a couple of times to rescue overcome fans, their concern is reciprocated in creating a safe space for Dacus and Bridgers to crowd surf during set closer ‘Salt in the Wound’.

A joyful celebration of female interdependence, boygenius reframe the sad girl trope and show the power of friendship.