Back in October last year, in the middle of her first tour, I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing the uber-talented Delilah Bon, which anyone reading this probably knows is the (not so) secret identity/ alter ego of Lauren Tate. Music fans will also know her as the firebrand who fronts one of Yorkshire’s finest bands, Hands Off Gretel. I interviewed Delilah once before, in late 2020 and the following year she released her eponymous first album. That album became the Mayhem album of the year for 2021. Since then she has released an EP and a couple of stunningly good singles, completed her aforementioned first solo tour, and made a few great TV appearances! Those include a stunning performance of “War On Women” on Live On Le Late Show With Alain Chabat (TF1 France). Why has it taken so long to post? Well, there were a number of technical issues with the sound, which have mostly been fixed, and on top of that my mental health had been a little flaky but I am back to fighting fit now! I chatted with Delilah recently and she is happy for the interview to be shared. So take a listen and I would love to hear your thoughts on Delilah Bon.
Click here to listen to the interview, I hope you enjoy it!
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Delilah Bon is back (not that she ever went away) with a new single, “I Wish A Bitch Would”. This is another track that directs Delilah’s anger at misogynists and those who see harming women as ok. This one is perhaps even more political than “Dead Men Don’t Rape”, particularly lyrics like “don’t trust no man, don’t trust the police“. Sadly the men that this is directed at are unlikely to change, but the way Delilah spits these words clarifies again that she has the backs of all those who love what she does, especially the women and LGBTQ fans, even more those that have suffered and still suffer in abusive relationships. Delilah Bon uses her voice and position so well and so eloquently, it should at least embarrass or even scare those in power, although it will probably do neither. That is the nature of the twisted world we live in. The track has some supremely bassy beats and an eerie synth hook and she spits lyrics with passionate, and justified anger. Every sound on this track is performed by Delilah and she also produced it. This single and “Dead Men Don’t Rape” have given me huge excitement and expectation for the next Delilah Bon album. Good people of the world, Delilah Bon has your back, make sure you check her out if you haven’t already. Delilah’s Mum pointed out that “I Wish A Bitch Would” was released on the day that UK authorities confirmed that Gary Glitter had been released after serving just 8 years of a 16-year sentence for molesting young girls. He has a history of abusing young girls and for me, I concur with a line from “I Wish A Bitch Would” in respect of how Glitter should be treated, “rip every single limb off of this child molester“. But even if we didn’t take it to that level, he should never be released. But this just proves the dark sickness that still exists in our world.
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It is a long while, more than two years thanks to Covid, since I last saw the wonderful Hands Off Gretel play live. So I was really looking forward to this show. Did they deliver? Well just read on to find out because there were also two other bands on the bill. First up was Scarlet, who, for me, had a very punk and very metal Evanescence kind of vibe. This is an exceptionally talented band, especially the drummer who beat the drums with such, precision, passion, and panache that you might have thought his life depended on his performance. Scarlet has a huge sound and huge aspirations and injection of the sass of Joan Jett.
Scarlet
Spookily the next band, As Sirens Fall, supported Hands Off Gretel the last time I saw them back in 2019. They are proud to admit they are from Keighley. Singer Mikey Lord single-handedly made the common old cuppa a proper rock ‘n’ roll drink by having tea as his tipple of choice on stage. Mikey prowls the stage like Axl Rose crossed with Ollie Sykes. He was also sporting a jumper that he may have stolen from Freddie Krueger! Is this the new New Wave Of British Heavy Metal? Powerhouse drums, rifftastic guitar, tasty bass beats, and a singer who has all the right ingredients to become something of a rock god! I promise not to leave it so long before I see As Sirens Fall play live again!
As Sirens Fall
Finally, it was time for Lauren, Becky, Sean, and Sam of Hands Off Gretel to hit the stage and they did it in their usual hard-hitting super bombastic style. This is definitely a band at the top of their game and this was a supernova performance from them. There were so many stand-out moments, particularly rousing workouts of “Milk”, “Alien” (written about Lauren’s now sadly deceased cat), and “I Want The World”. The crowd reaction to a supercharged take on “S.A.S.S” came close to taking the roof off the Brudenell. “She Thinks She’s Punk Rock N Roll” was fiery, bombastic and magnificent! Lauren introduced a new song, “War” by telling us how she had recently played it to a record industry bigwig, who like many in that position was an old, white man. She told him how proud she was of the lyrics, which sound like a fabulous attack on the pale, stale, and male patriarchy. Said bigwig responded with something along the lines of “I don’t listen to lyrics”. That, for me, tells you everything you need to about where the current corporate end of the record industry sits. It is beyond shameful, but it also shows that bands like Hands Off Gretel can make it on their own without a big corporation behind them. Lauren was also passionate about girls coming to gigs and festivals, that is the only way to get more girls in bands because seeing girls playing will lead to more girls wanting to play. This, in turn, will increase the number of female artists on festival bills. Lauren Tate is not only hugely passionate about this and women’s safety at gigs, but you can tell that she really believes in the cause. If only more people were so eloquent about things like this, what a better world it would be. Let me state categorically that I am an old, white, man who is passionate about music and I support Lauren and Hands Off Gretel 100%. These are causes that all genuine music fans should get behind. But it is not just about these causes, Hands Off Gretel are a phenomenal band who deserve huge success. They have the confident swagger of Gwen Stefani in her No Doubt pomp and the hardcore emotionally driven songs that Kurt Cobain excelled at. I think it is worth mentioning how prolific Lauren Tate is too, since 2013, including Hands Off Gretel releases, solo output and more recently Delilah Bon, Lauren has been a part of something like seven albums and countless EPs and singles and the quality never seems to falter. All of the band are supremely skilled in what they do, not just Lauren. Bassist Becky Baldwin not only plays with Hands Off Gretel, but also Fury, Dorja and iDestroy among others. The whole chemistry of Hands Off Gretel is completed by one of the finest guitarists of his generation, Sean Bon and Sam Hobbins, an extraordinary drummer who never fails to keep a stomping, punky beat going on. If you are not a fan of Hands Off Gretel yet, then you are missing out big time!
The crappy photos were taken from the back of the hall using my cheap Chinese Android phone. All the videos were found on YouTube.
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Delilah Bon has crashed into a music industry that has not seen anything this fresh for a long time. She is like a rap rock comet that is laying waste to the world in the best way possible, with truly fucking awesome music. Many of you know that Delilah Bon is the alter ego of Lauren Tate, frontwoman of Hands Off Gretel. Delilah is like a wonderfully wicked cartoon that lives, she is a huge icon and role model for women and female empowerment everywhere. If you are a misogynistic arse then stop reading now! Although to be fair what the fuck is a misogynist doing reading my blog anyway? The tracks that Delilah has released over the past year or so have maintained a level of quality that many artists might kill for. All of her videos have been pretty ace too. Now it is time for her self-titled debut album to be unleashed on the world. I have been lucky enough to have had it spinning for a few weeks already. Delilah/ Lauren plays every note and sings/ raps every line, on top of that she produced it herself.
You may be familiar with a few of the tracks here, but for me, as a complete album it is already nailed on to be among the best albums of 2021, if not the very best. It kicks off with “Freak Of The Week” a track that explodes with the force of multiple megatons and a bass line that is so deep the vibrations rearrange your internal organs. Next up is the new single “Soul Sisters” and I reckon it is perhaps her greatest song to date. She uses the lyrics to tackle the negativity she faces from trolls and arseholes on the internet on a regular basis. Vocally this song goes beyond pure rap or rock and Delilah showcases her incredibly powerful voice and her ability to pull off the perfect hook. “Bad Attitude” is full of anger and venom and some supremely smart lyrical couplets, I particularly love “I do have a Sugar Daddy, Her name is myself and she gives me all the money”. If Eminem had been born in Yorkshire rather than Detroit and had he been a girl then “Where My Girls At” is definitely what he/ she might have sounded like. It is a powerful voice of support for all the girls who are afraid to go out or to dress how they want to. Were you ever bullied, belittled, or ignored at school? You were? Then “School” and “Red Dress” are songs for you. Delilah exposes the hypocrisy of all the people who gave her shit at school, including teachers, and who now what to know her.
“Chiquitita” uses a line from the Abba song of the same name “Chiquitita, you and I know”, but that is the only similarity. This is an explosive track that oozes anger and sticks in your head like an armour-clad leech. Perhaps Delilah’s most powerful attack on inherent and casual sexism that sadly still exists in this world is the stunning “Chop Dicks”. If you are male and this tune scares you then I suspect that you are on the wrong side of the argument. I totally support female empowerment and equality, for fuck’s sake we are in the 21st century! In “Homework” Delilah lashes out at the boys and men who expect nothing to change. Over a harsh and jarring beat, she raps with venom about the patriarchy and how many men just expect things to remain the same. She states her position clearly, “I’m an independent woman and I’m powerful”. Not that most of us need to hear that, Delilah/ Lauren is clearly independent, very powerful, a great role model for girls everywhere, and frankly an obscenely talented artist. Satan himself would be scared shitless by “Devil”. A song on which once again Delilah proves she can mix it with the best in the world of rap. Her ciphers and rhymes are clever, sassy, and classy. How about “If you’re burning down my castle then you know I’ll give you hell” for starters? The self-proclaimed Brat Punk tells it exactly like it is on “War On Women” in a world where it is not safe for women to walk the streets and world leaders telling women to cover up to reduce temptation. Imran Khan, we know where you are! She also uses her lyrics here to throw support behind the LGBTQ community alongside women. A true anthem for our times and a search for a better world. The album closes on an absolute high via “I Get A Feelin'”. I actually felt empty when the album finished, for no other reason than I needed to hear it again, buy this record, you really need Delilah Bon in your life, trust me! On a previous review of Delilah Bon, I said “Delilah Bon stands up for the freaks, the forgotten and the downtrodden, embrace her attitude and sass!” That stands even more now the album is here! As a footnote I would like to send a message to the people making the next Harley Quinn film, you need the soundtrack to be provided by Delilah Bon!
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In case you missed them click here for my most recent interview podcasts, hosted on BuzzSprout!
This series features some very strong and incredibly talented female artists; Lauren Tate (a.k.a. Delilah Bon), Millie Manders (of Millie Manders & the Shutup) and Kaoro Sato (of the Dead Zoo). Keep a good eye and ear on all of them. Delilah Bon releases her first album in May, Millie Manders & the Shutup have just released a new single and the next Dead Zoo single will be out soon! All of these will be reviewed on these very pages. So to whet your appetite please give the interview podcasts a spin! New interviews will be on here soon, watch this space!
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Delilah Bon, rap rock superhero alter ego of Hands Off Gretel lead singer Lauren Tate released another brilliant single recently. It is called “I Don’t Listen To You” and it is the very definition of bad ass. Once again Delilah takes aim at misogyny, sexism, bullying and the patriarchy. It is clear that her aim is more than true as she smashes the centerpiece of the target into oblivion. Is it possible to enhance such a stunningly great track? When you have the support of thousands of loyal fans who share your ideals it is. Lauren has created a video for the single after 10,000 Spotify streams and more than 60,000 followers on TikTok.
Lauren has spoken about the genesis of the track; “The song began as a short empowering message for my TikTok fans. It blew up overnight with other 60K views and hundreds of fan made videos. My inbox filled up with girls begging me to release the full song, thanking me for the confidence the words gave them. I got to work and in 72 hours I produced an entire song. It was really an empowering moment for myself as a writer and producer knowing my words were so important for people. I told my fans “I want to see you strutting your stuff, screaming along with me, I want you to own your sexuality and give the middle finger.”
The film is made up of mimed contributions from a wide range of her fans. It is made by women, for women and represents empowerment for women on International Women’s Day. This film is a call to arms to help the world take that leap forward that might one day mean that International Women’s Day is no longer needed as women reach a true gender parity of rights and conditions with men. But sadly that is years away. The theme of this years International Women’s Day is “Choose To Challenge” and with this song Delilah/ Lauren is calling on all her fans to challenge the norm. Today is all about awareness but the fight for gender parity never stops, but you know that. So to all those Bad Ass Queen Bees out there keep the fight going, don’t let up and never give up! This bloke is right with you! I am pleased to say I actually recognised one of the contributors to the video, the supremely talented Taylor-Grace Mitchell from a great British band, Not Now Norman.
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German metal band Pentastone are the twelfth act to feature in the Mayhem Virgins series, maybe I need to sort out a Mayhem Virgins playlist! I came across this band thanks to the obscenely gifted singer Lauren Tate (Hands Off Gretel, Delilah Bon) sharing one of their songs on Twitter. Pentastone, from Darmstadt, and founded in 2016, are extraordinarily talented vocalist Luisa Knauß, drummer Timo Schwab a man who could trigger avalanches with his beats, lead guitarist Joschka Ihlefeld who is the complete master of his instrument, rhythm guitarist and riff supremo Dennis Ludwig and last but not least bass player Fabio Brauer who adds an intense heartbeat to the bands songs. For all the people who constantly moan that there are no great female fronted bands around you need to check out Pentastone now!
The band are from Germany and released the ‘Poisoned Mind’ EP in 2018. It contains five blistering and explosive tracks that clearly mark out the Pentastone metal manifesto. “Fuck This” is probably my favourite closely followed by the title track. Two tracks from the EP were good enough to turn up again on the bands debut album ‘Stuck In The Sky’ which was released earlier this month. That album has so far spawned four ace singles; “Stuck In The Sky” and “Keep Falling” from 2019, “How It Feels” from last year and “Get Better” from this year. All four tracks showcase the power and venomous emotion generated by Pentastone and Luisa sings like she means it. Support from BONASSIS of GUT on “Get Better” adds incredible depth to a great tune. If there was a test to write and perform the perfect metal song, “Stuck In The Sky” would be a contender. “How It Feels and “Stuck In The Sky” are two tracks that would ramp up the power in the mosh pit to super nova levels. Every track on this album is a future classic the riffs could split a planet in two, the rhythm section generate enough power to light the the Boötes Void all of this is made perfect by vocals that could be responsible for the Big Bang. Luisa has a magnificent range of styles from softer melodic to full on metal roar. If you have not listened to Pentastone yet, then you need to start NOW! The videos up to now are challengingly different to Pentastone‘s peers and are at times weird and challenging in a good way. I can see massive success in the future for this band and we need to demand their presence at UK Festivals when they resume post Covid!
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Towards the end of last year I had a great blast interviewing the fabulously talented Delilah Bon the (not so) secret identity of Lauren Tate. Music fans will also know her as singer with Hands Off Gretel. Delilah will have a first album out in 2021. What I learned from interviewing Delilah/ Lauren is that she is not only a talented artist but also a passionate, funny and caring human being. Click here to take a listen to the interview on Spotify (apologies for a few seconds of silence at the start) and afterwards check out some of Delilah Bon’s ace singles in the videos below. Including a fabulous rap based version of John Lennon’s “Imagine”. Then click here to avail yourself of some rather spiffing Delilah Bon merch!
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The fifth(?) Delilah Bon single is almost with us, it will come screaming into the world on 11th December and as with all the previous releases it increases my belief even more that the first Delilah Bon album will be an absolute instant classic. Regular readers will know that Delilah Bon is the alter ego of Hands Off Gretel’s wickedly talented front woman. Whereas Lauren knows, owns and lives up to her punk credentials and ethics in everything she does, Delilah does exactly the same but with a much more wild, almost uncontrolled (but not quite) rap abandon. However this next single, “School” draws on her relatively newly born, but fully grown, rap skills and splices them with that hard punk ethos.
The song deals with how Lauren was put down at school for wanting to succeed as a singer and a musician. I cannot begin to know how that felt as I am a male of the species, although as a council estate kid, like many of my contemporaries, I was also put down by the “powers that be” who tried to convince me that I would amount to nothing. Well Delilah is kicking back big time against this injustice, with a song that hits hard and yet stays in your head like an ultimate earworm. The video is classy too. There are elements of a dark version of Gulliver’s Travels, a very scary teacher (Mrs Bon) played by Lauren. Bubble gum and fiery hair (literally) also feature. If any of Lauren’s former teachers watch this video I would like to think they might feel at least a little bit of guilt.
Fill your time between now and December 11th with some other absolutely banging tunes from Delilah Bon. While you’re watching and listening, why not avail yourself of some rather excellent merch, I have! Just click here for the Delilah Bon shop. Once the single is released I will post a link here too. Delilah Bon stands up for the freaks, the forgotten and the downtrodden, embrace her attitude and sass! Can white girls rap? On this evidence yes they can, well Delilah Bon certainly can!
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Regular readers will know that I am a huge fan of Delilah Bon (alter ego of Hands Off Gretel frontwoman Lauren Tate). This woman is empowered and recognises inequality and misogyny and calls it out. Her new track “Where My Girls At?” is something that every young woman who feels threatened and put upon by the inherent sexism and patriarchy in the world should listen too. Not only is Delilah Bon’s message a powerful one, it also comes nicely wrapped in a great pop rap tune. To be fair white rappers have often been less than average (Vanilla Ice) but some have been truly sensational (Eminem) and I reckon it is time to add Delilah Bon to the latter category. “Where My Girls At?” is a classy, funky rap track that I think Lauryn Hill would have been proud of. If you thought Delilah Bon was just an angry, serious message bringer check out the video (wonderfully filmed by her Mum Helen Tate) to the end. The outtakes are hilarious, human, natural and clearly show that she has a great self deprecating manner. The Delilah Bon album will be a contender for album of the year in 2020 or 2021 whenever it arrives. If you have not listened to Delilah Bon yet I suggest that you get off your lazy arse and do it now! You will not be disappointed. Unless of course you are a sexist, creepy prick, in which case fuck off, I don’t want you on my site!
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With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 