The Regrettes seemed destined for modern-rock superstardom. They had already played major festivals like Coachella and Reading/Leeds, performed on Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and Conan; and wrapped up a successful tour alongside Yungblud, in support of their latest album, 2022’s Further Joy, which marked a stylistic shift from punk to pop.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, the band announced this past November that they would be “parting ways to focus on other projects.”
It was a stunning turn of events, especially for lead singer and founder Lydia Night. She had founded The Regrettes’ precursor, Pretty Little Demons, at the age of 12 in 2012, and paved the way through two EPs and three full albums. Less surprising was that a single night’s soiree turned into a three-night affair at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, due to overwhelming popular demand.
The opening evening of the Regrettes’ farewell fete was a raucously festive affair, filled with energy and interactivity between band and audience. The band began with a pair of pulls from its debut album, 2017’s Feel Your Feelings Fool!, with “Ladylike / WHATTA BITCH” followed by “Juicebox Baby”. That same LP provided “Hot” and “Picture Perfect” to the setlist, along with “Hey Now”, “Bronze”, and “Seashore” as the main set closers and “Pale Skin” and “Lacy Loo” to comprise the encore.
The Regrettes’ sophomore release, 2019’s How Do You Love?, made its way into the proceedings with “California Friends”, “I Dare You”, and “Pumpkin”. The pop stylings of the latest release featured prominently, as well, courtesy of “Monday”, “La Di Da”, and “Barely on My Mind”.
As is their wont, The Regrettes also paid homage to the artists and creators who inspired them. There was the cover of Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” in honor of the holiday season; a rendition of Talking Heads’ “Psycho Killer”; and an impassioned speech by Lydia during which she paid her respects to Mike Elizondo, the famed producer who helped to bring The Regrettes under Warner Music’s umbrella and, in turn, put the band on the musical map.
That was hardly the only way Lydia put her stamp on the show. She established and fed a positive feedback loop of energy with the crowd, egging them on to keep up a seemingly never-ending mosh pit, reaching out to touch them from the stage, and imploring them for headwear to borrow. Not to mention dancing around with and without her guitar in tow.
She and her bandmates wholeheartedly embraced every moment of an event that she described as “f–ing weird.” They knew full well this would be the end (for now), and made the most of it. Whether this is truly the end of The Regrettes forever, only time will tell. Nowadays, bands break up and get back together with regularity (most often at Coachella).
In the meantime, Lydia, guitarist Genessa Gariano, bassist Brooke Dickson, and drummer Drew Thomsen will go their separate ways and explore their respective musical interests. They will be buoyed by the enthusiasm that their fans showed for three nights at the Fonda. And then if (perhaps when) they feel the urge to reunite, those same fans figure to flood (and mosh) whichever venue would host this pop-punk powerhouse for its triumphant return.
Check out a gallery of images of The Regrettes at the Fonda Theatre courtesy of photographer Josh Martin along with a collection of fan-shot videos.
The Regrettes – “Barely On My Mind” – 12/21/23
[Video: Kashia Wise]
The Regrettes – “Seashore” – 12/21/23
[Video: Kashia Wise]
The Regrettes – “California Friends” – 12/21/23
[Video: Kashia Wise]
The Regrettes – The Fonda Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – 12/21/23 – Video Recap
[Video: kaw]
The post The Regrettes Show No Regrets During Three-Night Farewell Run At Hollywood’s Fonda Theatre [Photos/Videos] appeared first on L4LM.
