Live Review: SOAK in The Pepper Canister Church

The quaint, dreamy Pepper Canister is an extremely fitting setting for SOAK’s ethereal sound as Bridie Monds-Watson brings her debut album, Before We Forgot How To Dream, to Dublin.
With the fading evening sunlight gliding its way through the ornate stain-glass windows of our venue, the stage is set for the 19 year-old’s impressive Northern tones.
Opening to a wolf whistle from the crowd, the Derry artist launches into the show with a simple, typically unassuming declaration: "I'm SOAK." Her intense rendition of the folk-influenced 'Blind’ mesmerises the audience, while her smooth segue into the more upbeat ‘Blud’ is equally welcomed. Pared-back cymbals and fretwork allow her voice to ring out in the hallowed venue, while the bloody red lighting reflects the song’s title.
Only her second night accompanied by a band, she urges the crowd to chant along to the “Come on, come on” chorus of ‘B a noBody’ and to ignore any awkward dancing she may engage in. Perhaps slightly swallowed up by the clashing drums of the band during this number, the poignant yearning of the teenhood is still evident in her performance. Regularly engaging with the crowd, she makes reference to our recent Marriage Equality referendum and jokes that a journalist once said to her “If fundamentalist catholics and fundamentalist protestants can unite together against gay marriage, at least that’s peace right?”
With ‘Wait’ being a stand-out, the singer leaves the stage before returning to perform signature song ‘Sea Creatures’. A magical ending to an at-times intense gig, the audience are left entranced and yearning for her next performance in the capital.