The Linda Lindas at Islington Academy
A few years ago, West Coast punks The Linda Lindas went viral with their ferocious performance of Racist Sexist Boy at the LA Public Library; they were quickly snapped up afterwards by Epitaph Records. Their suitably wild journey has involved opening for behemoths like the Rolling Stones and Green Day, and even working alongside “Weird Al” Yankovic when he appeared in one of their music videos.
Friendly reminder: every member of the band was born after 2000.
Tonight marks three years since their last London show, when they played the smaller O2 Academy2 Islington; it feels like destiny they’ve returned to play the bigger venue next door as they bring their 2024 album No Obligation across the pond.
With the crowd loudly welcoming them to the stage, bassist Eloise Wong roars right back with their first number: “What’s up, London?! We’re The Linda Lindas, and this one is called No Obligation!”
From the off, this band is tight, raucous and full of joy. It’s an infectious feeling which radiates across the room. Multiple times throughout the set, they express their gratitude and tell tales of what they’ve been up to while in London. Wong is buzzing to tell the crowd about visiting the Amy Winehouse statue and popping into an anime store, while guitarist Bela Salazar announces they have Nando’s waiting for them backstage – if anyone says we Brits don’t have much of a culture anymore, The Linda Lindas will strongly disagree with you.
Let’s get back to the music – while guitarist Lucia de la Garza takes on much of the lead vocals, Wong, Salazar and drummer Mila de la Garza take the rest between them; hearing all four of them sing together, like during the pop-punk rush of Nothing Changes, is astonishing and crystal-clear. A couple of times, the pace changes to a more indie vibe with One Upon a Time, or the glam-inspired stomp in Lose Yourself. They even throw in a couple of covers, like Talking Heads’ Found a Job and the Japanese punk song that birthed their name, Linda Linda.
But don’t forget, they are first and foremost a punk band. Excuse Me truly is fast and furious, while Nino (the name of Mila de la Garza’s cat) elicits a call-and-response moment. By the end, Eloise instructs the crowd to stand for trans rights, talk to your friends and neighbours and to be kind, including a yell of “Free Palestine!” It’s after this call to arms, we have the biggest surprise of the night for the finale of Racist Sexist Boy: special guest Hayley Williams. She’s just as thrilled to be there as anyone else; it’s a wildly delightful finish to a great evening.
Who knows how big the London venue will be for The Linda Lindas next time they come to the capital? One thing’s for sure, greatness is in the stars for them.
It might be a cliché, but it rings true here – the kids are alright.
Gem Hurley
Photos: LA Benoit
For further information and future events, visit The Linda Lindas’s website here.
Watch the video for No Obligation here:
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