Features / music
‘I went to a Peach PRC Show – now I’m a lesbian’
This was the first time I’ve ever entered a gig completely ignorant to the artist’s music. Peach PRC’s PR team very kindly put me on the guest list to write a review.
Being overwhelmingly busy meant I hadn’t listened to any of her music. She played at Electric Bristol at the end of June as the last date in her UK tour.
The only impression I had beforehand was asking my friend Tessa who I was going with whether or not Peach was gay.
is needed now More than ever
To which Tess laughed and said, “Yes, she’s definitely gay.” Peach PRC’s simple Instagram bio of ‘lesbian singer’ was a sign of the experience I was about to have.
Experiencing (Very Gay) Girlhood
I used to have a huge gaggle of lesbian friends when I lived in New Zealand. Sadly, I haven’t been able to find the same here in Bristol.
But, at Electric Bristol, I was in the right place to find a new sapphic friendship group.
Upon entering, we were greeted with shaggy mullets, every colour of hair, an ocean of pastel pink and fairy wings.
The lesbian community is often one that is not given as much of a platform as other parts of the LGBTQ+ community. There are a handful of queer female and nonbinary events in Bristol, but our spaces dedicated specifically to lesbians are few and far between.
That’s why it was so great to see a room absolutely packed to the rafters with my sapphic counterparts.
Due to enjoying the sun too much by the Harbourside, Tessa and I missed the first warmup act.
Sipping our lime and sodas in Electric’s smoking area, being a cisgendered gay man meant I was vastly outnumbered. Outfit compliments were flying around and pink was an overriding theme, reflecting Peach PRC’s aesthetic.
Peach PRC’S aesthetic incorporates elements of fantasy and references to the medieval and y2k – photo: Peach PRC
Our drinks were interrupted by thumping bass announcing the second warmup act.
DJ and singer ELPHI was clad in athleisure, hair in braided ponytails, resembling a Pilates instructor in all their camp glory. The music was bass-heavy, with elements of a club-ready ‘BRAT’ sound.
ELPHI was a great choice for a warmup, pumping up the crowd, encouraging us all to dance…and dance we did. Towards the end of the set, ELPHI covered 90s rave classic Heaven by DJ Sammy. This sing-along classic got everyone moving and meant ELPHI left the stage to thunderous applause.
Tik Tok Dances and Girls Supporting Girls
Whoever was on the playlist in between acts knew exactly what they were doing. Sapphic pop superstar Chappell Roan’s Red Wine Supernova got the whole crowd singing at the top of their lungs.
There was a lot of main character energy. I saw multiple performances from girls to their friends, we love to see gay girls supporting gay girls.
Apple by Charli XCX saw some ripe competition for who would be the ‘Apple Girl’ of the concert (Charli always features a influencer doing the viral Tik Tok dance to her song Apple).
These song choices highlighted Peach PRC’s initial fame on Tik Tok as well as reflecting the average age of the crowd at Electric Bristol – sprightly 21-year-olds.
The song featured just before Peach walked on was Chappell’s HOT TO GO and the entire audience threw their limbs into shape for another viral dance.
Bubblegum Pop Princess Perfection
‘Pink Pilates Princess’ is an official genre of music on Spotify.
Peach PRC embodied this, a pink corset that tapered just above her belly button and a low-rise, flowing, slightly transparent pink skirt highlighted Peach’s fantasy, cosplay-esque aesthetic. (That sounds like a read, but I mean it in the most complimentary way – she looked ethereal).
Summer 2025 being the summer of medieval y2k has been making some noise online.
This was trend first popularised in seminal 2000s movies like Ella Enchanted and a Knight’s Tale.
The aesthetic is flowing gowns, corsets and historical details which Peach PRC fits right into.
Peach came out to thunderous applause, and caused a lot of conversation about how gorgeous she was in real life. She had only one other person on stage, her guitarist sporting a wolfcut hairstyle similar to other sapphic rockers like The Last Dinner Party.
A screen provided bubblegum pop visuals of pink retro Microsoft style screen savers.
The songs
Peach PRC’s sound was buried in y2k references, with heavy hints of nostalgia and nods to other artists from that era.
Secret was dedicated to straight women that experimented with queer women, and kept them a secret. “We’ve all met this girl,” was met with thunderous cheers in agreement.
It was insanely catchy, with layered vocals weaving their way over a very 2000s guitar riff that wouldn’t be out of place in an All American Rejects song.
The audience didn’t miss a beat, screaming at the top of their lungs.
Peach PRC’s appearance in Bristol was the last date of her UK tour – photo: Peach PRC
Of course, being kept a secret by a lover isn’t a uniquely lesbian experience – this is one the wider LGBTQ+ community can relate to. Social pressures and situations often mean people won’t come out of the closet, but will date us and keep it a secret instead.
The Y2k references continued into Like A Girl Does, an exceptionally lesbian pop song. Echoing songs like Femininomenon by Chappell Roan, it seems to be a common theme that if you are a queer woman, men are useless and could never love you like another girl.
This song brought a dance pop, hyper-pop energy with a sound that called back to classic floorfillers by Cascada and Basshunter.
The crowd filled in on very catchy ad-libs – “You know the type, the typical guy. Swearing he’ll change you if you give him a try” – leading into “Ew! As if,” was my favourite.
I wanted to scream along as well, I always enjoy the chance to call out a man who can’t take a hint. Peach initially became well-known on TikTok for speaking on this issue.
Another very catchy song, Peach danced and spun around on the only prop on a stage, a pole, reflecting Peach’s background as a pole dancer.
A break in between songs showed off her immense strength as she hung upside down, spinning and pulling herself up and down the pole.
Addictingly sweet bubblegum pop
The concert fluctuated between hyper-pop driven floorfillers and slower tempo songs, equally screamed along to by the audience.
Perfect for You was a glittering, synth-driven ballad which would fit perfectly into a kissing scene in BBC’s I Kissed A Girl.
Peach’s sampling of Paris Hilton’s Stars are Blind in this song placed this firmly in referencing 2000s pop culture. It also provided a welcome opportunity for me to scream along, as these were the only vocals I knew.
At points, the riffs and Peach’s vocals emanated the sickly sweet girl part of Teenage Dirtbag where the singer says she has “two tickets to Iron Maiden, baby”.
This likeness was confirmed by Peach’s cover of the song as part of Spotify’s Sessions live series.
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Bringing out a retro omnichord, the music stopped and Peach sat down, the wind machine blowing her hair delicately across her face.
Loved You Before was sung in a more acoustic style, again accompanied by a very enthusiastic choir of the audience.
There were some technical difficulties with the omnichord, which Peach giggled endearingly through. The audience carried her through the issues, not missing a beat of the lyrics as she tried to work with the retro instrument which was an original from the 80s.
The support for her in the room was tangible, everyone was laughing along with her and singing loudly to carry her through the song.
Josh was a very popular choice in the crowd, and is one of Peach’s highest streamed songs.
Announcing this song, Peach asked, “Who here has an ex they hate?,” which was again met with thunderous cheers and middle fingers being waved in the air. (Having just had an argument with my ex, I was joining them in this).
Josh involved riffs and melodies that really evoked the All-American Rejects and Paramore era of nostalgic pop rock. This was the epitome of what I would call “angry lesbian music”. Singing about a useless man who keeps calling after a break up.
Peach said: “I love that everywhere I go, I have audiences full of people telling my ex how useless he is.”
She asked audiences to sing along if they hated their ex and, before one of the choruses, said “I don’t know if you guys hate your exes enough,” to which the volume of the crowd singing increased ten-fold.
A Very Euphoric, Gay Tuesday
Closing out the show was a song that has been stuck in my head and inhabiting the top of my Spotify heavy rotation.
God Is A Freak was announced with a large cross appearing on the visuals screen, again to thunderous applause and cheers.
Tessa turned to me and said, “I think you’re going to love this one”.
Swelling guitar strums built to a euphoric chorus designed to be sung to a large stadium.
The lyrics question religious obsession and fixation on sexuality.
“Under the covers, watching some cheerleaders, I’m his biggest concern,” reflects Peach’s questioning of God’s supposed prioritisation of LGBTQ+ sexuality.
The cross slowly turned into a rainbow cross, erupting into rainbow butterflies when we reached the chorus.
The stage lighting changed to a bright rainbow, which Peach danced and spun her way through. It was a declaration of pride in the face of a world which increasingly villainises LGBTQ+ people.
A chorus of lesbians singing out against religious hypocrisy felt like a good way to spend my Tuesday night.
It summed up the whole experience, the audience did not miss a beat on the lyrics, showing how much it resonated. Her guitarist jumped and kicked as the chorus swelled, a catchy hook that you want to scream along to layered over harmonies and a 2000s soft rock guitar strum.
Raising the roof
I’m wearing the honorary lesbian badge with pride – photo: Tessa Grundy
Peach PRC is a beacon of queer joy and positivity in a world that is being increasingly clouded by the erosion of LGBTQ+ rights.
I entered the concert having never heard her music before, and since the concert I’ve learned every beat of every chorus to each song she played.
The love for her in the room was palpable, and shows the importance of queer female representation in music. Gay girls just want to scream along to songs about useless men, curious straight girls, terrible exes and religious hypocrisy.
Lesbian culture is so often overlooked when looking at the wider LGBTQ+ community. Singers like Peach PRC are making sure they have a voice. She told her own queer stories in such a catchy, joyful way.
I was so happy to see a room full of queer women celebrating one another, persistent outfit compliments for everyone abounded.
Throughout her set, Peach consistently said how much she loved UK crowds and I could see why. The amount of energy in the audience was palpable. The girls and theys were happy to be represented and the applause, cheering and screaming for her at the end of her set was almost painfully loud.
Peach’s gasps in response to the sheer volume of this final applause showed that even a star of her level can be humbled by a deafening chorus of cheering lesbians.
I learned so much about the lesbian community from this event; I didn’t realise how many gaps I had in my knowledge. This experience taught me about studs (more masculine women) and femmes (more feminine women), stemmes (a mix of butch and femme), chapstick lesbians (mostly butch, but not fully) and lipstick lesbians (hyper-feminine).
Being the LGBTQ+ Editor, I should really have known all this beforehand as lesbians very much fall within my remit. I can only apologise and hope that my experience as an honorary lesbian has armed me with the necessary knowledge.
I can’t wait to see Peach PRC again, with my own fairy wings and medieval y2k bubblegum pink outfit included next time.
Main photo: Peach PRC
Andy Leake is reporting as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media. This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from The Nisbets Trust.
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