Live Review: Prima Queen - Islington Assembly Hall, London 22/05/2025
Islington Assembly Hall played host to a lively, ambitious set from Prima Queen who debuted their new album “The Prize”, complete with peaches ready to throw into the audience – and stellar support to make a memorable evening.
First support act, Bekah Bossard, came on to a small crowd but owned every moment. I really liked San Diego, a song about embracing the feeling at being completely at home with a person whilst also learning to be at peace with losing it, and the rawness is felt across her tracks including in Venus, her most popular song on Spotify. It’s also her most tragic – a love letter to her mother who has been battling with multiple sclerosis most of her life. “They say you had a temper and words to make them fall at your feet, they say you were only just as nice as you wanted to be and you were drowning in denim and clouds of smoke and you got pretty good at running just to be alone,” was a real personal touch and the performance really reflected that in the lyrics. For an opener, it set the tone nicely. LA by way of Exeter and London adopted, it’s hard not to find a distinctive tone in her voice – her musical growth charted from the evolution from Devon to the beating heart of the capital’s music scene.
Then came on one of my favourite support acts that I’ve seen this year, Lilo – who really made the stage their own. This was a full circle moment for them; their first London gig was back in the now-closed London pub The White Heart (jokingly, from all the free booze they got that night); where they played with Prima Queen. The folk outfit are charming, delightful and honest – Out of my Head (I Said What I Said) and Spit Up were class, and I Don’t Love You Anymore felt emotional, real and honest about how long you stay in a relationship after you realise that you don’t love that person anymore, and the post-breakup no contact for a few months can be hard, but it resonated for many in the crowd. It was their biggest show to date – and they’re a band that’s only on the rise.
The headliners came on to a packed; but not quite sold-out show at Islington Assembly Hall and turned a big venue for them into an intimate setting that featured appearances from both their parents – where songwriting duo Louise Macphail and Kristin McFadden apologised for the crudeness of the lyrics of their songs “These are not for you”, they said. Mexico was first up; emotional tenderness present with a lot of fun in their set – wholesome clapping mid-set encouraged the crowd to get into a dance-y vibe. The backdrop was there from the get-go – the podium with a trophy on top to fit the theme of the Prize of the album – but the real prize here; is the close bond of friendship that has stuck with them through their years as a band – and their now devoted fanbase.
It's always good when bands like Prima Queen do more than just acknowledge the support of the band and they brought out both support acts, Bekah Bossard and lilo, for a crowd-friendly singalong to titular track The Prize – “You’re a diamond, you’re the dream, you’re a peach” substituted the encore for theatre-like on-stage bowing (when in Islington Assembly Hall on a theatre-like stage, after all), and they even brought out peaches – promising not to throw them at the audience as they were a bit raw; but available for collection at the merch stand after the set. This is the kind of friendly, welcoming audience interaction that Prima Queen that they needed to get the best of them.
I particularly resonated with Meryl Streep, a midway through-song from their new album – about the sacrifices that you make when you’re with someone and asking if they still make those sacrifices now that they’re no longer together “I felt moving on was going out with my friends, filling up the weekends…” follows Prima Queen asking “Are you still a vegetarian now that I’m not your girlfriend? I went to see your favourite band…” and learning just to erase all those dates from the calendar that they won’t do anymore – how hard a breakup can be for all involved. Something that was less parent-friendly was Eclipse, a story about having sex outside and on the sofa at a boyfriend’s parents house. After listening to that song; family dinners might have been a tad awkward with their secrets out in the open. But after all – it’s not for their parents, it’s for the audience.
Vocal duties switched seamlessly between Kristin and Louise – the band working in perfect harmony. For a show about surviving triumphs of friendship mixed on with the regret and the moving on from past relationships; and catchy sing-alongs with room for a Sunshine Song, the kind that makes you all happy and uplifting and gives you a reason to get out of bed in the mornings – Prima Queen made the most out of a set that went down a barnstormer with an engaged, appreciative audience that resounded right the way through. Just as good live as on their record – a real treat to be seen live. Oats (Ain’t Gonna Beg) is worthy of a mention too – as is Chew My Cheeks, both real heavyweights of songs.
Words by Miles Milton-Jefferies
Photography by Stefania Mohottigt
