HOT MILK + CASSYETTE + SILLY GOOSE – THE ROUNDHOUSE – LONDON
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Silly Goose — from Atlanta, Georgia, and in England for the first time — are a band who arrive with a definite hum around them, even before they step onstage. They’re one of those names you can’t miss if you’ve been paying attention to the alternative scene lately. The main thing I’d heard before tonight was simply that they’re amazing — so it’s fair to say I’m keen to see what the fuss is about.
The band come on with huge energy from the jump, and my immediate thought, after seeing and hearing frontman Jackson Foster, is that Silly Goose is an apt name indeed. If nu-metal is the foundation of the Silly Goose sound, then they’re taking the fun, give-no-fucks attitude of Limp Bizkit and welding it to the heaviness of Korn, creating the high-octane party flavour that seems central to what they do.
The other members of the band are just as eye-catching. The bassist, in particular, has a swagger that fits the sound perfectly — riding Foster’s screams and melodies with all the punch the songs need to really land. There’s an instant familiarity to their material, too, almost as though they’re playing with phrases and hooks buried somewhere in the collective musical memory of the crowd.
Although most of their songs lean toward either the heavy or the rap-driven side, Foster assures the audience that they also have “more vibey” tracks. One of their newer songs, Split, proves it — instantly likeable and immediately engaging.
Naturally, they save the best for last. Bad Attitude arrives with the promise that Foster will sign any shirts featuring his mugshot, and the song itself swaggers through his proclamation that he “likes [his] bad attitude.” It’s encouragement enough for the audience, even before the calls for “more crowd-surfers” send bodies moving horizontally at speed.
When Foster thanks Hot Milk and talks about how much fun they’re having on this tour, it feels completely genuine — and it’s hard not to ride that wave of good vibes along with them.
If the crowd were excited for Silly Goose, it becomes even clearer just how much they adore Cassyette. There’s a mix of new and older tracks in the set — Oops and Boyfriend are particular highlights — and each one is met with equal enthusiasm. Cassyette struts through every song, commanding the crowd with an intensity that feels almost one-to-one. Ignoring her feels impossible.
What’s surprising, given how slick and well-oiled the performance is, is her admission that this is only “like the third show we have played this year.” You wouldn’t guess it. It’s not just the fiery, explosive material she excels at — there are genuinely beautiful, melodic moments too, all tied together by her stage presence and some seriously powerful vocals.
One of the most striking things about Hot Milk has always been their ability to turn well-crafted tunes into even bigger, balls-to-the-wall, melt-your-brain epics in a live setting — and it’s obvious from the moment Hell Is On It’s Way kicks in that they’re on full offensive tonight. No one is leaving The Roundhouse unconvinced. Han Mee is, as ever, an utterly convincing frontwoman.
Perhaps the Pope hat — which someone brings to the stage, later ending up on Jim Shaw’s head (with Han joyfully declaring him “Pope Jim!”) — is more apt than it first appears. There are moments tonight that genuinely feel like a kind of religious experience, with Hot Milk as our icons.
Despite the high-production interludes, relentless energy and fast bangers — including a new version of Candy Coated Lies — the real highlight is a low-key performance of Breathing Underwater. After tearfully talking about how much this moment — “the Roundhouse!” Han exclaims — means to them, there’s a rawness to the atmosphere that feels completely unique. It’s clear and genuinely heart-warming how much these four people mean to each other, particularly “best friends” Han and Jim, who end the song by squeezing one another.
That’s not to say the set is all intensity. Between songs, Han and Jim make plenty of room for silliness, with Jim swigging wine straight from the bottle and Han laughingly commanding him to share it.
As the final moments of the night fade out, I’m left feeling as though I’ve experienced something incredibly special — three acts at the height of their powers, playing to an audience who loved every minute, and who found as much catharsis in the moment as the very songs being celebrated.
WORDS: ELOISE LANE PHOTOS: ETHNE LEVER
