Photo + Words: Nikisha Garrett

“The world is bleak out there, but for the next 45 minutes, let’s leave it outside, and have a party.”

This statement from band member George set the tone for the evening. Uplifting the crowd with upbeat and powerful anthems, indie-pop duo The Valla brought their new EP ‘War Paint‘ to Oxford’s Bullingdon, expressing the central theme of their upcoming release: picking yourself back up when life gets tough, painting on your “war paint” and facing the world head-on.

Opening the evening, the duo were supported by Oxford based Girl Like That, who balanced fast-paced indie rock tunes with powerful lyricism, setting the energy levels high for the rest of the evening. The band also teased new music, chanting “Who Even Is Katie?” in reference to an upcoming release, creating anticipation ahead of The Valla taking to the stage with songs from their forthcoming EP War Paint.

Soon after, headliners, consisting of long-time friends George and Hamish, took to the stage to deliver a set built around resilience and self-belief. 

The intimate venue allowed the band to connect closely with the audience, even joking that the early show would finish in time for everyone to watch England v. Croatia in the World Cup match kicking off at 9 pm that evening. Entering the stage in blazers personalised with lyrics from their songs, the band further engaged the crowd by holding a competition to see who could keep their blazer on the longest, encouraging the audience to boo anyone who took theirs off.

This natural crowd connection was also supported by George’s efforts to introduce the songs and share anecdotes about the origins of their songwriting. Introducing the band’s latest release, “Middle Finger”, George described the song’s inspiration being a former colleague who always saw the world as half empty, viewing himself as a victim of life’s negativity. The song’s defiant energy reinforces the band’s belief in refusing to let setbacks define you. 

This attitude is encapsulated by the band’s ethos, with George, sharing that to them “Valla” represents the idea that you do not have to fit into the “little box” society puts you in, describing the determination required to pursue music as being “stupid, stubborn and thick-skinned.” That message evidently runs throughout their music, and was reflected in the evening as a whole.

Throughout their set, The Valla carried a sense of momentum that never dropped. The combination of catchy songwriting and high energy performance meant the room remained charged throughout, with the crowd continuously dancing and bopping along to each track. It’s noticeable the songs carry a sense of euphoria that make it difficult not to feel fully immersed in the performance, as per George’s opening request.

Closing the evening with fan favourite ‘Everything’s Good’, the crowd’s reaction made it evident that the band successfully transformed the front room of Oxford’s Bullingdon into something much bigger than its four walls. The performance carried a sense  of a ‘lucky opportunity’ experiencing a band on the verge of outgrowing venues of that size, with their upbeat tunes lifting the audience from the small Oxford venue and transporting them into a sun-soaked festival field.