Violet Grohl live in London: A nervous newbie with immense potential
20-year-old with a very famous surname delivers an exciting if somewhat nervous set.
By Lucy Harbron
There’s a buzz in the Camden air on a Tuesday night at the start of September. It’s partly because the legendary Barfly is fully back, having recently rebranded from Camden Assembly, but also because Violet Grohl is playing – and that surname does some heavy lifting.
Walking into the intimate venue, it’s hard to ignore the demographic. It’s Foo Fighters adjacent, and Violet’s famous parents are spotted in the crowd too. Expectation hangs in the air and it weighs far heavier than what is on the shoulders of the typical act making their London debut.
That’s where it gets complex. As Grohl arrives on the stage, saying hello and that she’s excited for this set, the tone is set, and that tone is shy. It’s a reminder to consider the interesting yet often ignored psychology behind the nepotism debate. The 20-year-old dives right in with its high-octane grunge guitars. She looks and sounds every bit the part with a flawless vocal but her repeated comment, introducing the song and timidly adding “I hope you enjoy it” as her two hands stay stuck to the mic stand is a dead giveaway. Grohl Junior isn’t fully used to playing the rockstar on her first outing as one.
But the quality of the songs could well make her bona fide. ‘Bug In The Cake’ honours the whole spectrum of her 90s influences but with a fresh, spontaneous feel. ‘595’ drips with sensuality and exciting evil while a song like ‘Applefish’ is uniquely build and delicately tender and ‘Big Memory’ nails the balance of introspection and anthemic sounds.
However, there is no ignoring huge chasm between expectation and reality. There is no denying the fact that Grohl has had a leg up and the type of leg up that few could only dream of. Yet none of that changes the mindset of the girl on stage. None of that is a cheat code. Just because your dad is famous doesn’t mean you’re immune from fear, and what we see in front of us is a first-timer, because Violet Grohl is. On her debut tour, she delivers a show that would glow with buzzy excitement even if she didn’t have those famous ties.
But it is of no fault of Violet herself, and no reflection of her talent. Two sold out shows at the Barfly are no doubt partly down to familial ties, but her brilliant songs are worth their own weight too. Her talent could, and should in the future, bring her here alone.