Girl Scout – Gullivers, Manchester (7/2/25)

I’ve just visited the Oreos website. When asked I confirmed that yes, I do accept cookies. And now I wait…

I can’t remember where I stole that Dad joke from, but having waited for an excuse to use it this review seemed like an ideal place… cookies afterall being the product that girl scouts are most famous for selling and this being a review of hotly tipped Swedish indie rockers Girl Scout. Having seen them previously as support act for Coach Party and Alvvays the opportunity to see them perform an extended set was as enticing an opportunity as having someone come to front door to sell me delicious biscuits.

So whilst it was my third time seeing them live it was my first time at Gullivers in Manchester – one of those hidden music venues located atop a busy city centre pub that I must have walked past a multitude of times without realising what was there. And despite being shrouded in darkness the 110 capacity room evoked a certain charm, especially from the stage draped with British racing green curtains.

The only slight issue with the venue turned out to be the sound quality, with Emma Jansson’s impressive vocals drifting in and out of the mix at times, although even that slight flaw couldn’t hamper the likes of Bruises and Mothers & Fathers from building to their power ballad crescendos. But best was saved till the end of the set, with I Just Needed You to Know‘s snaking riff ripping through the venue before finale Do You Remember Sally Moore supplying the indie rock buzz that the audience had come for.

The one disappointment of the evening was the lack of new material, with the setlist virtually identical to that which they toured the UK with last summer. However, the band have used that time to finally tune their live performances, making them a band worth catching before they start to scale up to far large venues.

***

Girl Scout Performed: