Scene Queen | Sooki Lounge
Sitting in the smokers’ area of Sooki Lounge, beer in one hand and a Manchester Blue in the other, I felt a small smile tug at the corner of my mouth. It was the first truly hot day of summer, and as a warm breeze rippled down my back, the excitement of the next few days lurched in my stomach. Tonight was the first Good Things sideshow I’d be attending, and we were soon to be graced with the pink, glittering presence of Scene Queen.
Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos
First to take the stage was RinRin, accompanied by members of The Last Martyr: Ricky on bass, Vin on drums, and Ben on guitar. As soon as they walked onstage and the lights dimmed, I already knew this was going to be a phenomenal set, and I was right. From the first note that shrilled out of the speakers, the energy was crackling with electricity and determination, immediately captivating the entire crowd. She opened with “Chainsaw Girl,” which instantly had my neck snapping in time with the heavy drums and soaring vocals.
I absolutely adored the entire set. RinRin’s black sequined outfit paired with her gorgeously gritty vocals blew me away. The soaring bridge of “FKNRUN” nearly made me spill my pint of Sooki draught from the sheer awe that shuddered through my body, and as each track relentlessly bled into the next, I knew I had found one of my new favourite local artists. If you’re looking for a new hype artist, RinRin is your girl. Go blast “Evil BB” and come back to tell me it isn’t the deadliest track you’ve heard all year.
Between sets, Eliza and I snagged some merch, and I managed to bump into RinRin herself, gushing about how incredible her performance was and promising to find her in the twerk pit later that night. Elated, I practically skipped to the front for the main set, and as I turned around to locate my friends, the band started to run past me and onto the stage. My jaw hit the floor before it even registered what was happening, and as I gathered my thoughts, I turned to see Scene Queen herself.
“BDSM” began to blare through the speakers, and as the house lights dipped, the room was drenched in hot pink. Scene Queen danced effortlessly across the stage while distortion shook the floor, yelling the lyrics “Beat down slut metal,” and I, not so graciously, screamed them right back at her. Backed by a band that treated every riff like a rallying cry, there wasn’t a single forgettable moment. She blurs the lines between hyperpop and heavy metal, infusing everything with her own campy, bubbly, and wild personality.
Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos
Her charisma is an instant showstopper. She’s sweet and witty, yet able to disarm you immediately with throat-ripping ferocity, whether through her vocals or the chaotic, hilarious stories she tells between songs. “Pink Rover” and “Finger” hit the hardest for me, their breakdowns even more satisfying through an amp than through my headphones. All around me were diehard fans, and I don’t think I spotted a single person who wasn’t screaming every lyric back at her. It was refreshing to attend a metal gig where everyone was dressed in bright, glittery outfits instead of the usual all-black; I don’t think I’ll feel quite as at home at another show as I did that night.
Photo Credit: @_tristanphotos
Throughout the entire set, my vision felt hazed with a pink, sparkly vignette around her. I adore her brutality, her femininity, and her unapologetic misandry. She is everything the metal scene is missing right now, and through her lyricism and performances she threatens the fragile masculinity embedded in the genre. Bimbocore isn’t just the revolution the metal scene desperately needs, it’s my own religion, with Scene Queen as the leader, her platform boots firmly planted on the throat of the patriarchy.