LIVE REVIEW: SONG SUFFRAGETTES - JEORGIA ROSE, BROOKE LAW, GEORGIA NEVADA, GINA LARNER - LIL' NASHVILLE

After slating Song Suffragettes for the poor sound at their opening show at Lil Nashville, it's a pleasure to report that things were much better this time round. The somewhat precarious looking stools from before were also replaced by lower plastic chairs. The only area of disagreement we have remaining is the 3 round limit which doesn't really seem enough for either player or audience. It's a sold out show that has gathered together a gaggle of #TEAMw21 favourites, Jeorgia Rose who we've been writing about for years, yet never seen play live, while the rest graced the various stages at Country Calling 2025. It's also a first live sighting for us of Georgia Nevada, while Brooke Law & Gina Larner can flick back over a myriad of glowing testimonials. It promised to be an exciting afternoon and so it would prove to be.

Jeorgia hailing from Cheshire, but only recently arrived from the snows of Nashville, was striking, impossibly tall, with her red hair tumbling down. She would open with a new song which positively reeked of having come from Nashville, mainly because Jeorgia seemed to have picked up a slight Tennessee twang from her time out there. Intricate guitar work was matched to wordy, plaintive lyrics directed at an ex

"How's your new life? - How's the city?

Saw your new girl - She's real pretty

So surprising - Didn't kill me

I watched you walk away

And I moved on with my day

Like you might as well live up on Venus

Oh Thank You Jesus"

It was a pretty intense opener including her ex trashing her music, her dresses and even her hair!!

Next up was Brooke Law who did not feel comfortable singing seated and opted to stand on surely London's highest stage.

Having praised the improvement in sound, it did seem at first that the lighting man was having an off day as Brooke started to play. Bathed in a heavy blue light she looked as if she had escaped from the Avatar movie, fortunately the problem lasted only one song. With an album launching UK tour looming, Brooke is currently on unmissable form. Her prophetic song "Real" on the perils of having AI affect our relationships, was projected out so well there was barely need for a microphone.

Georgia Nevada's opening song "Nowhere Town" had all the characteristic of the traditional small town America genre of songs, but relocated to the Fens. It showed that once you leave the urban townscapes - small towns the world over are much the same.

The opening played over a gentle strum was a mixture of the sort of local gossip that is so inconsequential yet becomes important as nothing else ever happens!

"Well the streets are empty and the pubs are full

And the shops are shut until the makers up"

It's been played to and approved by the locals so it is clearly done with affection.

Gina Larner's Country Calling set was remarkable, not just for the performance of her all female band, but for the effort Gina put in despite clearly being under the weather - the epitome of "The show must go on" attitude. This afternoon she playing solo, she was her usual irascible self, getting in the merch ads nice and early. If Brooke barely needed a microphone then Gina could have been in the street and we'd probably still have heard her. She may have started "Cocktail Menu" with some soothing vocals over a gently played guitar however soon she was at her operatic best.

"Give me a call I'm sure we could work it out"

Beneath the volume the intricate harmonies are there to savour, there is undoubtedly no-one quite like her!!

Jeorgia would open the second round with a song from the deluxe version of her album "Blooming" - "Table for One". Despite the downbeat title it was an upbeat song that again wore its Nashville credentials on its sleeve, as Jeorgia detailed rather being alone than being with the wrong person. Brooke would once again stand for her go, the announcement of "Big World" raised a cheer in the crowd, a song dealing with the issues of online pressure and advising people to not be afraid to take a break. There's always a nice variation in volume that never fails to grab the attention.

Georgia would throw something of a grenade into the round with a song called "Dear Dad", a song that she had only played twice. Introducing it by saying that the last few months had been "The best of her musical career and the worst of her personal". using the medium of song to tell her father how much she loved him, prior to him facing a serious illness. It was played with a passionate intensity and determination that one had to admire given the subject matter.

Gina given the thankless job of following Georgia, introduced a new song "Ghost In The Living Room" with a truly "Larneresque" explanation as to what it was about. Due to be released at some point this year, it showcased all of Gina's pop sensibilities, fast fired lyrics, a chorus that soared up the scales, matched by the rise in volume in Gina's delivery. There was a lot to take in and enjoy in this song, that was like nothing you've ever heard before - we'll await its release with eager anticipation.

It seemed far too soon to be approaching the final round yet with the 3 Song Round, that is what happens, you have just got to know the artists, they are just hitting their groove and then things come to a sudden end and it is time to go, a case of premature evacuation! It does give the artists time to meet the crowd and sell some merchandise but it is hard to believe a further 20 minutes or so could not have been squeezed in.

Jeorgia Rose would start the final round with her own new song "See Saw" that she is also hoping to release this year. Describing the highs and lows of a relationship, it was written for a friend, however Jeorgia was finding herself in it. Slightly slower and more intense, with a big attention grabbing chorus this was another song we'll be eager to see in a recorded format. Brooke would close out donning a hat, one of which was given to each of the performers. Her song "Gypsy Woman" came from a Songwriters retreat in Texas, and has already been a single, as well as being featured on her new album "Naked Heart". It has therefore had time to gain its admirers and was the one song that would see the crowd singing along out loud, on the chorus in a version given full drama with some strident attention grabbing guitar playing.

Georgia would perform a stripped back version of her new single "Cookie Cutter", which came with a quite shocking introduction as to its origins. The produced single is raw and punchy, this version was silky smooth but was still cutting in its own way. The official final song of the afternoon would fall to Gina Larner to perform, who like Brooke would also perform standing up for this final round, and would also play a song already released, in her debut single "Heavy Heart". Once again it would match Gina's wordy lyrics to a great melody, delivered at an ever increasing volume, which reached a definite crescendo - it was a sparkling way to close that just about equalled Gina's sparkling footwear.

The final song at these events is always something of a ramshackle cover, as the participants try to find a song they all know and can allocate out verses to. This time round it was the perennial crowd singalong of Four Non Blondes "What's Up" with it's "Hey yay yay What's going on?" chorus. It was huge fun with large crowd participation.

Additional photo courtesy of Michael Chowne

Song Suffragettes will be coming to Country Calling - https://tickets.country-calling.com/events/country-calling-2026/