On Thursday night I headed to The Shacklewell Arms to check out British grunge pop three-piece Hey Charlie at the launch of the band’s debut EP Young and Lonesome.

This was my first time at The Shacklewell Arms in Dalston so I wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I found was a lovely pub (with a good hot-dog menu) and a live music space towards the back.
First on stage were Yves from Swindon. The indie-pop-rock trio played an energetic set including “You Wanna Know”, “Only One” and their latest single “Under Your Thumb”. Harry and Mitchell had great interaction on stage, but didn’t leave drummer Finn out of the action, even though he was hidden in some sort of archway. The band ended their set with “Hell From Your Hello”, which guitarist and lead-singer Harry announced would be their next single, due for release in January.
By the time Yves had finished their set the tiny room was packed with people eager to see Hey Charlie play their first ever headline show. Dressed in their trademark matching pleated red skirts and plain white t-shirts, the girls had a very cohesive and instantly-recognisable look. Their equipment was also in keeping with the red and white theme; with a red Fender Mustang 90 for Lizz and a white Eastwood high-flyer bass for Sophie. Lauren’s drum kit wasn’t quite so on-brand, but it did feature the letters H and C for Hey Charlie. The cans of Red Stripe they were sipping before taking to the stage also matched, but I am not sure whether or not that was intentional.

Hey Charlie are a headstrong trio of young women whose music mixes grungy riffs with pop hooks and contagious choruses to create a feisty sound with a 90s vibe. Their live show was full of energy and they played a lively set showcasing tracks from their debut three-track EP Young and Lonesome. The band have said of the title track: “we wrote Young & Lonesome about the conflicting feelings we face as young people of feeling like we’re more free and liberated than ever yet also more lonely as a generation”.
As well as playing the three EP tracks, Hey Charlie’s set also included their stomping debut single “Hey” and a cover of “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus – a song they had been playing when they were on tour supporting American pop-rock heavyweights All Time Low in Europe recently.
The show proved to be a great showcase for Hey Charlie, and I look forward to hearing more from them. You can find out more about the the band by reading the Band of The Day feature we did with them back in June.
Set List:
- Run and Hide
- Young & Lonesome
- Hey
- Heartbreaker
- Kiss Me
- Annabella
- Cheer Up Princess
- Teenage Dirtbag (Wheatus cover)
- She Looks Like A Dreamer
Photos by Katie Frost Photography