She Drew The Gun, Omeara, London, review: Louisa Roach is a compelling frontwoman for our troubled times

Sadly, much of the rest of the set lacks punch, dragged down by innocuous, everyday pop that fails to leave its mark, including the newer material – on first listen

Louise Roach leads the Liverpool four-piece with pointed rage

Anyone who thinks there is no politics in pop anymore hasn’t encountered Liverpool foursome She Drew the Gun, whose determination to rip up the system blasts from the speakers.

It’s unmissable from the brave opening to their gig at London’s Omeara – a four-minute spoken poem that references racism, inequality, the NHS and the plight of street walkers, amongst other causes.

“Make love more collective, so we can live a little bit more,” urges Louisa Roach, the band’s singer and songwriter, adding: “They can only keep us down in the normalities we consent to.”

It is an extraordinary taster for the track that brought She Drew the Gun to attention, the powerful “Poem”, which moves from condemning our treatment of the homeless to demanding the overthrow of capitalism itself.

“It’s not enough to just pretend that you don’t see him, you can’t stand the sight so you’ve got to disappear him. Well I hope you feel more comfortable doing your sight-seeing, taking pictures, buying f***ing Union Jack magnets and keyrings,” Roach sneers.

The song triumphs by marrying those angry couplets with a beautiful melody. The ballad “Pebbles” is even more gorgeous and, later, “Pit Pony” has a fantastic, furious guitar riff that you wish that would never end.

Sadly, much of the rest of the set lacks punch, dragged down by innocuous, everyday pop that fails to leave its mark, including the newer material – on first listen.

It is a shame, because Roach is a compelling frontwoman for our troubled times, with a powerful voice and lyrical prowess, who deserves to be more widely heard. If the music can match up.

She Drew The Gun performed as part of the ongoing VO5 NME Awards Shows 2018