On March 9th, Miss World performed at The Castle and Falcon with thanks to Birmingham Promoters and Baddies Boogie. Check out this review by guest blogger George Davies.

Baddies Boogie and Birmingham Promoters joined forces to bring some of Birmingham’s best local music to The Castle and Falcon. Female acoustic duo Miss World headlined the event, channeling pop harmonies and R&B flair through both their own songs and acoustic covers. 

First up on the roster was founding member of Birmingham band Krosshatch, Keelan Ryley. With his raw, emotive vocal delivery and dissonant chord progressions, Keelan’s style pulls heavily from the infamous ‘Seattle sound’. He performed gripping, stripped back versions of Nirvana’s ‘Come As You Are’ and ‘Lose Control’ by Seether, however it was the original material from Krosshatch’s upcoming release ‘The Fruitcake EP’ that resonated best with the crowd. Keelan’s repetitive vocal melody paired nicely with his jarring guitar during ‘Love Live the Fruitcake’ to create a hypnotising aesthetic.

The style of the second act of the night, Tascha Jerawan, was one more rooted in jazz, soul and pop. Tascha’s percussive finger picking on her first song ‘Fall’ gave the pleasant impression she was accompanied by both bass and drums. Her vocal delivery during the chorus was energetic and soulful, before dynamically dropping in to a more reflective vocal tone during the verse. Tascha’s jazz based instrumentation, soulful melodies and lake placid blue acoustic guitar made for an engaging set.

Up next was George Pannell – a set full of British indie nostalgia delivered with a refreshing youthfulness. George’s first song, ‘Humongous’, was injected with a rhythmic bounciness thanks to his energetic strumming, which matched nicely with a catchy chorus melody. There were glimpses of Morrissey and Pete Doherty in his musicality, with a melancholic yet charming sloppiness to the lyric delivery. George finished with ‘Make Me Your Queen’, which was the best track of the evening – the vocals were conveyed with a sweetness, and the overall performance was charming.

The fourth act to grace the stage was Claire Atherton, with Will Seston on guitar and piano. They played an eclectic mix of covers, including ‘This Love’ by Maroon 5 and ‘Particles’ by Nothing But Thieves. The highlight of their set came during the final two songs, when they performed an outstanding cover of ‘Black to Black’ by Amy Winehouse and ‘Habits’ by Tove Lo. The piano accompaniment laid the perfect foundations for Claire’s bellowing and soulful vocals, with the growing crowd not holding back when showing their appreciation of the artistry on show.

To close the evening at the Castle and Falcon were local female duo ‘Miss World’. They opened with an impressive mash up of ‘Begging’ and ‘Hit Me baby One More Time’. Their rich vocal harmonies and clear stage chemistry were highly entertaining throughout the opening mashup and the rest of their 12 song set. The co-existing vocals (one lead and one backing), helped sonically layer their cover of a Billie Eillish song ‘Bellyache’, giving a dynamic lushness to the performance. The duos stage presence and charm made for a captivating finish to the evening.

The homegrown talent delivered by Baddies Boogie and Birmingham Promoters was second to none – giving a breath of fresh air to the crowd through local, upcoming talent.