Thursday 27th July marked the return of Get On It, a legendary night that showcases some of the finest talents around. Kicking off a weekend of celebrations, the Pride Party lineup included none other than queer-garage-punk outfit Jock, pop-rock powerhouses Cherym, whilst the up-and-coming SPDPK took care of the dancefloor tunes.
Approaching Oh Yeah, it’s hard not to bump into every single person you’ve ever met. As people gathered, including those who had just happened to be walking by but were now grasped by the night ahead, the blaring sounds of noisemaker SPDPK greeted us alongside a free drink on arrival from Dunville’s Irish Whiskey. It was a sonic sensation of disco and electronic greatness.
Out came the eager crowd as Jock burst onto the stage, opening with their most recent single ‘Spoilsport’. The dynamic post-punk trio have fast become one of Belfast’s most anticipated performers, coming as no surprise to those who had the privilege of viewing them on Thursday night. “We have some other songs, we hope you like them” announces bassist Darren Hill as they bounce about the stage, passionate as ever.
Front and centre, Orla graciously displayed an array of skills for shredding the guitar whilst delivering a vocal performance that is immensely sharp. The energy is nonstop, particularly as they make their way to ‘What A Drag’ – a song about “a bunch of gays getting together”. This sound is all maintained by the work of drummer Mark McDaid, who puts the groove into the tunes with his exceptionally tight playing.
As the night went on, the atmosphere within the room, and all surrounding areas, only became even more sprightly – this feeling overflowed once the infectiously fearless Cherym took to the stage. In their element, the Derry three-piece, consisting of Hannah, Nyree, and Alannagh, ask the crowd “what’s happening!” before exclaiming “happy pride”. The energy was electric as they introduced their newest single ‘Taking Up Sports’, a queer anthem about the lengths one goes to for the people we think are worth it. Every second of this furious pop-punk performance was powerfully relatable, the banter between band and audience only making these moments that much more magical.
“Everybody put your hands to the sky” they cheer as they power through a set of both old and new, jumping between familiar sounds of ‘Hey Tori’ whilst teasing us with more upcoming singles. As the night comes to an end, “one more tune” is chanted over and over and Cherym happily obey, concluding this spectacular as people dance the night away.
