DELILAH BON BRINGS A NIGHT OF FEMININE RAGE TO CALGARY
COMMONWEALTH BAR - CALGARY, AB, CANADA
Delilah Bon is a force.
Delilah Bon is unapologetic.
Delilah Bon doesn’t give a f**k.
Delilah Bon wants women everywhere to be empowered and take up space. She has an undeniable connection with her fans that’s immediately apparent, as people came ready. It’s also clear in the many gifts fans give to her while she is on stage. When a bra makes its way on stage, she says it’s a first, although I suspect no one in the room believes this.
There are moments throughout the show where Delilah is holding hands with her fans or holding them in her arms while she sings to them. Though it happens often, all these interactions seem incredibly sincere and emotional. It’s hard to put into words the look on a fan’s face when it happens, it’s a beautiful thing to witness.
As a testament to her connection with the scene, she’s brought along different Riot grrrl-adjacent local bands from each area she visits for her Canadian tour. For her Alberta stops, Calgary locals Toxic Fem are openers. When I asked them how they got on the billing, they said they just kept spamming her DMs on instagram. If that isn’t an artist that’s in touch with her fan base, I don’t know what is.
And damn, Delilah made a good choice. For their part, the Toxic Fem are very much in step with Delilah. “In-your-face feminist punk” as per their bio. They are badass and unabashed, with energy that’s just as infectious and a clear connection with the audience.
They just released their first debut album, and already some of the people I talked to on the night said they bought a physical copy. Sonically, they’re tight, in lockstep with each other and clearly having a blast. Although they have a lot in common with Delilah, in their own words the largest singular commonality is feminine rage. And by god, it’s a powerful thing to be in a room filled with it - after all, it is A NIGHT OF FEMININE RAGE.
Bar some in-ear monitor issues at the start, that Delilah says is likely due to a hex some online man has put on her, the entire set is off the walls. Delilah and her band are balls of energy - coming in hot at the jump with “ILLEGAL ALIENS” and going on to play all the hits, including “Brat,” “I Don’t Listen to You,” and “I Am the Best (Just Ask Your Mother).” She made sure to take the time to hype up the crowd and get them raging before going into fan-favorite “Chop Dicks.”
There’s only a few quiet moments, the most emotional coming before one of Delilah’s few softer songs, “War on Women.” Near tears, she dedicates it to the women of South Africa, and goes on to further dedicate it to the women in ICE detention, especially the trans women that are victims of sexual assault while being detained.
One of the most exciting moments came during “Maverick,” with Commonwealth Bar practically shaking from all the jumping around. Then, Delilah parts the crowd like Moses, before she and her bassist (Becky Baldwin) walk down into the makeshift runway. They sing with the audience, they get rowdy, they rage.
Before her encore, she ends the set with “Dead Mean Don’t Rape,” and it’s truly a sight to witness as practically the entire crowd screams along. The encore itself is a good summary of the themes of the night: “Evil, Hate Filled Female” & “Bush.” The latter track is an anthem not only rejecting patriarchy (all the songs reject patriarchy) but specifically its pedophilic nature.
I think this night was empowering for a lot of people, and maybe even healed a few things for the audience. There’s something about feeling hopeless with what seems like endless apathy but then joining a room filled with people who seem to care just as much, and are just as angry and want to rage but also want to experience a collective joy together.
We live in a world where neutrality no longer exists (did it ever?). Delilah seems to know this and makes reference that she’ll never get any major signing because of how outspoken she is. But what this creates is a fan base and audience that is ride or die. After all, how can one be ignorant of the things that might be affecting their fan base while claiming to love their fans?
Art is inherently political. As Nina Simone said “It’s an artist's duty to reflect the times”. With some exceptions, most public figures are unwilling to risk their privilege to say anything of real substance. I think people are starting to grow tired of this, it makes the art feel empty and insincere. If an artist wants to stay silent or say something along the lines of ‘don’t listen to me I’m just a singer’ then really, what’s the point of listening to them at all? If they have nothing to say, then the art is hollow, and why play it at all.
Sunday night showed that people yearn for something real and something clear. They want the artists they relate to, to say something and have courage in their convictions. There is a sense of community and trust that comes out of that that can’t be replicated in any other way.
Delilah understands that her audience cares about “politics” - sexism, bigotry, wars, genocide, LGBTQI+ - and they can’t have “a good time” if everything they care about isn’t spoken of. If anything, they gravitate to her because of her honesty.
Opting out of a stance is a stance. Jean-Paul Sartre said "Every word has consequences. Every silence, too,” and Delilah Bon refuses to be silent.
Stream Delilah Bon wherever you get music!
Stream Toxic Fem’s new album here!
