The last time I saw Delilah Bon live was just over two years ago, also at the Key Club in Leeds. In the time since that gig she has achieved so much. Supported Scene Queen and Shaka Ponk, appeared on prime time French TV, played Download, Reading and Leeds Festivals, released her second album (that ought to be in many of the best albums of 2024 lists), collaborated with ALT BLK ERA and so many other things. Delilah Bon really does grow in stature and confidence with everything she does. This show in Leeds was very near the end of a sold out European and UK tour which began in September. Was this gig good? Regular readers will already know the answer to that question. But before I tell you let me talk about the magnificent support act tiLLie.
She is an American artist with a similar presence and attitude to Delilah. tiLLie has made a few appearances in the pages of Mayhem, including reaching number one in the Mayhem Chart a year ago. She describes her music as Nightmare Pop and that is hard to disagree with. Radio 1’s Jack Saunders called tiLLie “a maverick artist born from the gates of Hell.” Having heard her and now experienced her live, Jack is clearly spot on! Tonight we were all taken on a wacky, weird, wonderfully wondrous walk through the tiLLieverse and it felt good. She kicked off with an attack on myopic, incel keyboard warriors with “mOmS bAsEmeNt”. Has there ever been a song like “jeLLiefish aPocaLypsE”? I don’t think so and that is why it stands above so many other tracks from her peers. We were also treated to a few more tracks from the ‘tiLLieverse’ EP. But my highlight of the set was “bLeSs uR hEaRt” which blends anger, sarcasm and a powerful take down of the MAGA Christian fundamentalists. You need some tiLLie in your life. She has some great merch too, click here to buy some 🙂
So what was Delilah Bon like? Absolutely on fire is how she was, this was a stunning tour de force of a gig. It is clear that Delilah cares hugely about her followers, fans and every marginalised and abused person in the world. She is a phenomenal champion for the LGBTQ+ community as well. She is in simple terms a wonderful human being. The show started off in a high gear and kept adding more. Early on we got a classic performance of “Grown Ass Men” and “Chiquitita”, the latter dedicated to all the older women. There was a song added to the set that I don’t think has been performed on this tour so far, a towering take on “Homework”. If the audience thought Delilah was playing in top gear, they were blown away for the last part of the set. Brat Punk Riot Grrl rage was in full flow on stage and in the crowd. We were treated to “War On Women”, “Epstein”, “I Wish A Bitch Would” and “Dead Men Don’t Rape”. The latter had everyone in the room screaming the chorus, including this old white bloke. That song has a power that not many songs can handle. “Dead men Don’t Rape” might be a perfect end to a Delilah Bon set, but Delilah knows best, so after that “Evil Hate Filled Female” and “Maverick” truly brought the house down. This wasn’t just a gig, this wasn’t just a show, this was a statement of intent from one of the most talented and passionate artists on the planet right now. Planet Bon Bon is where it’s at, fire your rocket boosters and get here! Delilah Bon has lit a fuse of hope for the lost, forgotten, abused among us, she holds a torch for the disadvantaged and all of those that are simply different. It is up to us to help keep all those flames burning higher, fiercer and stronger.
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